SWM fancied a cold box......I told her to go and sit in the fr...Sorry, I mustn't, I'll start again.
She fancied a cool box to supplement the caravan fridge and for use on other occasions in the house.
We're off to Southern Germany in a couple of weeks with the Elddis, so it would be useful for the booze.
It must be dual powered, mains and 12v. Aldi had one one at a click under £40 but that was a couple of months ago. Halfords have some on their website, but for some daft reason don't say what power they are...I suspect 12v only, but I'll go and have a look tomorrow.
Local camper shops have them so no probs in getting one but any of you intrepid lot got any recommendations ? 24 litre or above will do fine but I don't want to get into the over £100 range.
Ted
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I got one a few years back, not really too impressive - keeps cool stuff cool but makes hard work of ( = can't manage to) cooling warm stuff.
Also, the car I had at the time had a fag lighter in the back seat area which was handy, but was less handy because it went off when the ignition was off - so the thing soon warmed up on the long ferry crossing. I wired my own always-on in the end.
The only other thing which springs to mind is that some of them are quite an odd shape inside due to cooling elements, which can make it difficult to store some things.
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I looked at a few today on a visit to the local Camperlands.....those seemed ok in shape.
We bought one a few years ago when the caravan fridge packed up on holiday. It was ok in the car but no use in the caravan. Although it said 12volts on the thing, it would only run on 14+...a running engine. So no use on the caravan transformer from the mains.
Ted
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I think you are referring to a thermoelectric box. In my experience they are useless, and don't achieve much more than a decent pack of ice blocks would.
We've got a 3 way camping unit and that does a cracking job
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>> I think you are referring to a thermoelectric box. In my experience they are useless,
>> and don't achieve much more than a decent pack of ice blocks would.
The peltier units, don't even perform better than an Ice block. We use an ice block as well, the best they can do is maintain what ever temp stuff you bung in.
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>The peltier units, don't even perform better than an Ice block.
Absolutely. They're not worth bothering with.
We use a good quality cool box and empty a bag of crushed ice (£1 from Sainsbury) over everything. Stays ice cold for six hours or more if the lid isn't opened too often.
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Never been tempted by powered variety. Good quality cool box with either bottle of ice or re-usable freeze blocks and kept wrapped in a foil outdoors emergency blanket. Keeps things cold even in Provence and will chill beer etc.
Bottles of ice or freeze down of blocks available on every campsite I've visited.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Wed 25 Jul 12 at 06:19
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Halfords have some on their website, but for some daft reason don't say what power they are...
I was tempted and bought one from Halfords before we went to France. Cost IIRC £40 including an AC to 12V power adaptor. As the others say, it's not really very good - you certainly wouldn't mistake it for a fridge - and, being hard-sided, takes up a lot of space even when it's empty. Ours runs off the 12V socket in the boot of the LEC but if you had it in the passenger compartment you'd notice the noise from the fan.
A decent bag and some Techni-Ice sheets ought to work just as well and cost you less.
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Just remembered another "feature" - inbuilt device to save your battery, which turned it off if the voltage (or amps or whatever) fell below a certain level. Either mine was broken, or I had a bad battery, but it wouldn't run at all in one car.
Cool box and ice, that's the way to go.
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I agree ice blocks and insulated bag or box are the way to go for a journey - different if you want to use it for a fortnight, or like an extra fridge.
I've a peltier coolbox that works OK, came from Aldi I think - does 12V and mains. Actually gets quite cold though it needs a good run at it. Not much room in it though and it's bulky and a bit awkward for the space inside. We occasionally use it caravanning where it lives in the awning plugged in to the mains.
I wouldn't wire a permanent live, for a ferry trip for example. They aren't especially efficient and there'd be a good chance of a flat battery.
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For real cooling you need something with real power, which means a drain on the battery.
In our camping/caravanning experience we have been down two routes:
1) a proper fridge running from a second dedicated battery,
or
2) packing an ordinary insulated box with any frozen food needed, then the cooler stuff, then topping up with ice packs.
It's worth taking as much pre-frozen stuff as possible, eg frozen butter, frozen milk, bacon, burgers, etc, because then you are taking useful things not just ice.
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+1 for the icebags/blocks for short trips.
Whenever I go 'fishing' (sometimes I even take a rod with me...) anything that needs to be kept cool goes in a big coolbag with a couple of bags of supermarket icecubes.
Even 48 hours later there is usually a fair amount of ice in the bags remaining and the cans/bottles are still nice and frosty.
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Of course, you could always do what I do and buy your provisions locally when you arrive to help the local economy, sample local produce and get the feel good factor!
Pat
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ALDI ice cubes are 89p per bag!
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.....and still idiots buy them.
Pat
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Not many shops on a wee island in the middle of a loch in the Highlands.
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Why is it idiotic to buy nice clear ready made ice cubes for the princely sum of 89p? After paying for the gin, tonic and a nice fresh lime lime, mad spendthrift as I am, I just don't worry about the cost of those tinkling cubes.
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Don't buy any of that frozen stuff Roger, fresh ones are nicer.
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All good stuff...thanks. The main use will be as a supplement to the kitchen fridges, but taken when caravanning as an extra.
I've also had a look at mini-fridges.....that looks to be the road to go down as it can sit on the worktop in the kitchen extension when at home and on the awning table plugged into the external caravan mains socket.
Ted.
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Is dry ice (solid CO2) readily available? I remember ice cream sellers on the beach using it to keep their wares cold. That was some time ago, mind, and it's probably been banned by the Greenies by now... :-(
Last edited by: J Bonington Jagworth on Wed 25 Jul 12 at 11:15
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It's more expensive than using a proper freezer.
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Recalled this thread but amazed to discover it was nearly seven years ago.
On holiday on Isle of Harris arriving last Saturday after shops shut. Sunday still being sacrosanct on these Isles we needed capacity to keep some stuff refrigerated from home and serious perishables from final opportunity to shop in in Fort William on Saturday afternoon.
Medium sized 12 volt box from Halfords did us proud. Plugged into boot socket in Berlingo (only live with engine on) and left in car for overnight at Stirling worked just fine. Bacon milk etc still well cooled on arrival at cottage at 21:00 Saturday.
Since then it's run off a mains transformer as a beer fridge. Almost too effective but starting from 16 degrees not 35 in South of France.....
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Coincidence you should mention Harris. Friends of mine have just invited me to join them in a 6 bed cottage near a beach called Hergabost south of Tarbert mid June. It looks to be in the middle of nowhere, but apparently close to a bus route so being keen walkers we could cover some miles on the Hebridean Way.
Sounds interesting, the last time I was in that part of the world was camping outside the Sligachan Hotel on Skye over Xmas in deep snow circa 1977 when I drove up from Bradford in one day in my Mk1 VW Polo.
Then I looked at the logistics of driving up there for a weeks holiday. 420 miles each way from N Yorks. So about £200 in fuel. Plus Ferries. And accommodation, and food and drink. And midges ( probably). I’m sure it’s lovely when it’s not raining but I’ll probably decline.
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FYI the Air BnB accommodation they have booked on Harris is called Na h-Eileanan an lar !
Don’t even ask me how to pronounce it
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>> FYI the Air BnB accommodation they have booked on Harris is called Na h-Eileanan an
>> lar !
That's the Gaelic for Western Isles. We're on what we think is our 21st visit here 35 years to week since Mrs B and I came for first time riding our touring bikes.
Cannot locate the specific cottage myself but Horgabost is on the SW side of Harris. Lovely beaches. In time we've been coming that bit of the Island has seen a lot of new build places for incomers and holiday lets but it's still far from crowded. The bus service from Tarbert to Leveburgh runs along that road but it's not what you'd call frequent and like pretty much everything on Harris it doesn't run on Sunday:
www.cne-siar.gov.uk/media/1378/w10-stornoway-to-leverburgh-summer.pdf
There are relatively few circular walks and given the bus service you really need a driver to pick up drop off (or leave a car at end of walk). Daughter, husband and dog did a lovely trail from the Huisnis road by Loch Voshimid to Bow Glas on North Harris but relied on me to pick them up. I did the first half with them but turned back at Loch Voshimid, whole thing was too far for me, I'm out of training for hill walks. The wee mountain called Ceapabhal on SW corner of Harris is a lovely walk and one that can be done as a round from the Northton road, parking permitting.
In terms of getting there the ferry from Uig on Skye is obvious route but Ullapool to Stornoway is about same in terms of time from the Central Belt (where motorways finish). If going Uig Tarbert it's worth using Mallaig>Armadale ferry onto Skye if you want to cut out a lot of, albeit very scenic, road miles. Altenatively get the ferry from Oban to Barra or Mallaig to Lochboisdale and see more of the Hebridean chain. Small ferries link Eriskay to Barra and Bernerea to Harris, the rest are linked by causeways.
The Uig ferry, which also serves North Uist, runs to different timings dependent on day of week so as to provide both islands with an early departure. All fares are very reasonable as Scottish Government insists on a Road Equivalent Tariff pegging fares to cost of driving same distance as crossing. The current vessel is a bit too small for current demand though so peak sailings tend to fill up pretty quickly.
Weather is what it is. Right now it's pi**ing down and has been since small hours but that's first significant rainfall since it threw it down all night last Saturday. Thin and/or broken cloud for rest of time with a reasonable amount of sunshine. Because of localised influence of North Harris hills weather here (Aird Aseag just north of Tarbert) can be quite different to just a handful of miles away in Horgabost.
I'd say go for it. Lots of history to do too with Callanish stones etc. MIdges not too much of a problem - June's early for the blighters and Harris breeze deters them apart from a few sheltered boggy spots.
You'll love it.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Fri 31 May 19 at 09:55
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Many thanks for the informative reply.
The Air BnB rental is called The Croft, 4 Horgabost, for which my two friends are paying £550 ish for one week mid June. Apparently all the smaller accommodations were fully booked, hence they’ve plenty of space for friends to join them.
I’m sorely tempted now....like myself they are members of the LDWA so come rain or shine they’ll be tramping the hills every day. There’s sod all else to do i suppose and not much opportunity for paddle boarding ( without a wet suit) to keep me occupied!
Hope the rain stops soon
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My nephew is a keen paddleboarder.
Just had an abortive attempt to paddle board the Caledonian canal. Got so far but conditions stopped them from finishing it.
I’m not sure if they even wear wetsuits they are so confident!
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Looks good LL. It must be off the main road given it's elevated position and sheltered too; trees a a rare sight on Harris.
I'd imagine paddle boarding is possible, there were certainly surfers on one of the beaches we drove past. Bloomin cold w/out a wet suit though unless air temperatures rise markedly in next couple of weeks.
Other than walking there's lots of bird life including possibility of hearing Corncrakes. The mix of coast, mountain/moorland and farmed croft land gives opportunity to see lots of species.
History wise there's the various sites at Calanais (standing stones) with Arnol Blackhouse, Dun Carloway Broch and the village of Garenin all in same vicinity. The lighthouses at Butt of Lewis and Eleinan Glas on Scalpay are both worth a visit. The latter has to be walked to. There's a new well engineered path in but you can also use the old 'coastal' path which is ill defined but well waymarked. The lighthouse itself is of course automated and the old keepers houses sadly neglected and dilapidated. They were offered as holiday homes shortly after automation but were too difficult of access to be viable. At time Scalpay was served by a landing craft type ferry, there's now a bridge, funded like much else out there by the EU but it'd still be far too difficult to carry anything in.
The walk from Laxadale to the village of Rhenigidale , last roadless community in UK - tarmac reached it c1991, is an absolute gem. At cost of three or so miles of road walking it can be linked to the old drove road along Laxadale Lochs to make a good long circular walk.
The 'Coffin Road' from Lickisto on the rocky east coast where the soil is too shallow for burials to the west side at Seilebost where the machair is deep enough is another good toddle. Easy and well graded on west but quite rough on way down at east. Another one where at cost of a bit of road walking old paths can be linked to make it circular.
Finally, if you are weathered in at the cottage Peter May's Lewis Trilogy and follow up The Coffin Road will provide a fair bit of reading.
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LL, you should be safer from midges in June than later in year I reckon.
That beach is absolutely stunning.
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Mmmm..it does look stunning in good weather. My friends are travelling up several days before ticking off various hills en route so I’d be travelling on my own, hence my reluctance to join them.
I could be in the Alps quicker and cheaper !
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>> Medium sized 12 volt box from Halfords did us proud. Plugged into boot socket in
>> Berlingo (only live with engine on) and left in car for overnight at Stirling worked
>> just fine. Bacon milk etc still well cooled on arrival at cottage at 21:00 Saturday.
I have the medium size coolbox from Halfords. It is remarkably effective but crude. It only has one mode, - ruddy cold.
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I read that as Aldi. Probably would be cheaper... :-)
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>> I read that as Aldi. Probably would be cheaper... :-)
>>
Probably ? :-)
Some Audi main dealers sell random items at heavy discounts ( on Ebay).
Accessories for previous models that are gathering dust in stores? Makes sense.
Although still expensive, sons Audi now has a full set of five pukka fitting sun screens for the side rear windows purchased IIRC about half price. Grandson travels in privacy like a drug dealer :-)
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>> Although still expensive, sons Audi now has a full set of five pukka fitting sun
>> screens for the side rear windows purchased IIRC about half price. Grandson travels in privacy
>> like a drug dealer :-)
Couldn't he afford to spec privacy glass when he bought it?
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>>
>> Couldn't he afford to spec privacy glass when he bought it?
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....hadn't done enough deals at that point. ;-)
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>> Couldn't he afford to spec privacy glass when he bought it?
>>
He bought S/H. it was bought new with about £20K of extras on it plus a spare set of alloy wheels + tyres. IIRC it has OE sensible darkened glass.
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Don't any of these devices run on bottled gas?
The nearest I came to them was in a largish Hyundai, which had a cooled glove box. I used it to keep my gloves cool, like you do, but the handbook warned that condensation in there "can damage your pieces of paper", so I kept those in the "luggage room", at the rear of the car.
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>> so I kept those in the "luggage room", at the rear of the car.
No pockets on the back of the front seats then?
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Cold box. - smokie
