Mathew , that sounds like a great setup. We have wooden kitchen box that my hubby made that holds the coleman stove on top and opens up like a cupboard down below for dishes , etc. that we bring on road trips, too.
That reminds me of something. Last summer DH and I went on a little trip with our horses to check out an area for a fall hunting trip for him and his son. We were pulling the horse trailer ( which is not a big fancy one, just a wooden homemade one that serves our purposes) and needed to camp for a few days, so DH got this big idea. We slept in the back of the truck but had our kitchen set up in the horse trailer ( after cleaning it out of course!) It was so funny because we called it our "airstream" (as in " the air streamed right through it"!) I had fun kidding him about how what I had envisioned for myself at this age for holidays was a bit more cushy.. like a winnebago! It rained most of the four days so we stretched a tarp between the back of the truck and the horse trailer, even had a fire going there to the side, and were mighty glad to be warm and dry.
Linda
the "airstream ( right thru it) "
"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible."
The 13th Dali Lama
I got a smallish 3 way electrolux car/camping fridge 2nd hand off someone at work ($250) (they were upgrading to a bigger size)
3 way being
- normal power
- car via extra battery
- gas
at its coolest setting it runs as cold as a freezer, for fridge temp you only go half way. this was real help for the move as i could transfer freezer items (gabes MC foods) to it the day before i moved and managed to defrost and clean out the freezer the day before the truck came.
running it on power as i did for 2 days, it had enough coolness that the items stayed cold for the 2 hour drive in summer heat, when i got here the items were still frozen.
if you cant afford new straight away see if there are any good second hand ones, as people are always upgrading.
they are not huge in their capacity, when i have been camping we run it on the gas as the fridge/freezer temp to keep the meat etc, and general stuff like drinks / fruit/ salad etc was in the esky with ice. each night i would take meat out of the freezer and put it in the esky so it was defrosted for the next day.
with the recent weather events here in Queensland, if we lost power for any period of time it would take me 10 mins to get it out of the garage hook it up to the gas and get it running
Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
I'm guessing that you probably tried to use the "Quick Reply message window. It's a "quick reply" option, because it doesn't have all the features of the regular response option. If you want to add an image, just click on the "postreply" button, and the regular response window will open, and all the bells and whistles should be available.
I love your description of an "airstream trailer", by the way.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Another place to look is the places they customize the cabs of transfer trucks. Many truck drivers literally live in these small spaces. They have fridges, freezers, microwaves, sinks, etc., all ingeniously tucked away in cabinets. There are so many price options, from a cooler that plugs into a cigarette lighter, to an actual fridge/freezer combo in a cabinet, custom made for you.
Lots of this stuff is also availabe used, as truckers are constantly upgrading their cabs.
Another option some friends and I have used is portable solar panels: all sourced cheaply through Craig's list or military surplus. We have run coolers, stereos, electric grills, and all kinds of things. You have to be a little handy at first, but soon get the hang of using the converters, batteries, and everything.
Wow, you guys are insipring me. I have to admit, storing fresh or frozen food in my car has never crossed my mind!! I drive a Mazda CX-9 (Gloria - I highly recommend it) and it has a handy extra hidden trunk in the back. Tons of storage too when the 3rd row is down. I never thought about getting a mini-fridge to plug into the extra outlet back there.
These are some terrific ideas! Matthew, where do you buy the dry ice? Can it be kept in a regular cooler? Is there a problem with it being enclosed in a car? I'm sure that you've built a fabulous storage system with your cabinet background. My dad was a carpenter and would have been able to build something very suitable.
Some great links, Lyn. Love the photos.
Joe - do you happen to have photos of your setup? If not, don't worry about it.
Joan - yes, they do make refrigerators for cars. Tex posted several links a while back.
Gabes - a three-way refrigerator sounds great!
Mags - my BIL is a truck driver. Maybe he can tell me where I can find a shop that could give us some help.
Linda - I think I'll pass on the horse trailer, though it sounds like you had a great time!
I'm sending the link for this thread to DH. He'll understand the technical requirements better than me. He'll also be impressed with the resourcefulness of this group. You're great!
Gloria
You never know what you can do until you have to do it.
Dry Ice should be perfectly fine in a car. Just don't mix dry ice and regular ice in the same container. Dry Ice does not get along well with water. I have bought it for years for river trips at a local grocery but many large commercial producers of ice for bars and restaurants will most likely have it or direct you to where you can get it.
A regular cooler works just fine with dry ice although I augmented both my coolers with half inch closed cell foam. I was in a friends shop that was using closed cell foam for something and the pieces in his trash bin worked perfectly with some trimming to fit in all six sides of the cooler. Not 100% necessary but does give one an added layer of protection and a few more days for adventures.
I went a bit overboard with the kitchen insert with mortise and tenon raised panel doors and hand made dovetails in the quarter sawn oak drawer fronts with material that that was left over from another job. So much for being compulsive but i do have a lot of fun when I have time to do something for myself. A customer saw it a few weeks ago and made me a very generous offer since he is redoing an old air stream trailer where it would work perfectly. May sell it and start over with new and better ideas.
Have some fun coming up with ideas. It may not be perfect the first time but it is such a joy to see how a project like this can transpire over a period of time to what works really well. Or if not , better and better.
mortise and tenon raised panel doors and hand made dovetails in the quarter sawn oak drawer fronts
Mathew, Your cabinet sounds georgeous!! It's so nice to hear of a craftsman's work in these modern times .. something made with not only function in mind, but also beauty.
Linda
"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible."
The 13th Dali Lama
Wow, Matthew, and I thought my car was old. I have a 1991 Explorer. These are all wonderful ideas. I would love to see photos. My girls and I are going to do a "Midwest Tour" this summer, going to Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri, and ending up in Tennessee for my father's next lymphoma treatment. Although my brother told me today that my father doesn't want me to come because I am "too bossy." News to me...
Anyway, I had not thought of something like this in the car. I was dreading trying to figure out how I would eat!!
Marliss Bombardier
Dum spiro, spero -- While I breathe, I hope
Psoriasis - the dark ages
Hashimoto's Thyroiditis - Dec 2001
Collagenous Colitis - Sept 2010
Granuloma Annulare - June 2011
Zizzle wrote:I never thought about getting a mini-fridge to plug into the extra outlet back there.
I made a note to look at the Mazda CX-9 tomorrow at the auto show due to your recommendation.
I've seen the outlets in the back of cars, but a sales rep told me that they are designed for small voltage uses, such as a portable vacuum cleaner, DVD player, etc. If I'm not mistaken, I believe the outlet is running off the single battery supplied with the car. I think, but I'm not sure, that in order to run a refrigerator (and a microwave - thanks, Joe!), you have to install a second battery to handle the extra load.
Hopefully someone with more knowledge will clear this up.
My husband was very impressed with the information in this post.
Gloria
You never know what you can do until you have to do it.
