MySwag.org The Off-road Camper Trailer Forum
General => General Discussion => Topic started by: campgirls on January 28, 2011, 05:37:51 PM
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We are still working up to getting an actual fridge, but are looking for a really good icebox/esky. (Our current one is rubbish!)
We have read the info/poll about fridges, but would really love some suggestions about a good ol' icebox!
Basically, we would like one that keeps things cold for as long as possible but that is cheaper than a fridge! :D
Anyone?
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I carry two of these
(http://www.icekool.com.au/ik45.JPG) (http://www.icekool.com.au/ik45.htm) clicky piccy
'coz you can't beat a beer off ice ... and "she" uses the other one for food and stuff ??? ??? ???
The ice lasts well (better than a kmart esky) and I'm happy with mine (why I got another)
Stevo
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Forget the "Tropical Ice Box" Brand. They don't seal well.
In my experience Evakool Fibreglass are the best but expensive.
I believe the Ice Mate. Yellow Plastic made by Evakool, has very good quality insulation and is cheaper than the Fibreglass Equivalent. Downside on Ice Mate though is carry handles are too small for the often heavy loads in an ice box.
My understanding is that their ability to hold ice is all in the quality of the insulation and there are many different gradesof this.
Look for a unit with insulated sides and insulated lid.
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In my experience Evakool Fibreglass are the best but expensive.
x2
These are pretty good too http://www.techniice.com/2011/iceboxes/index_iceboxes_classic.asp
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Forget the "Tropical Ice Box" Brand. They don't seal well.
In my experience Evakool Fibreglass are the best but expensive.
I believe the Ice Mate. Yellow Plastic made by Evakool, has very good quality insulation and is cheaper than the Fibreglass Equivalent. Downside on Ice Mate though is carry handles are too small for the often heavy loads in an ice box.
My understanding is that their ability to hold ice is all in the quality of the insulation and there are many different gradesof this.
Look for a unit with insulated sides and insulated lid.
Hmmmmmm... I have one and it is fantastic and ice lasts over 4 days in it. No problem with the seal.
Tecni ice is also good
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Have had a white engel one for ten or so years now, has surprised me with the insulation every time I use it. Has even frozen poppa's when used in winter. In summer Ice will last for 4 to 5 days sitting under a table in the annex of my CT.
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Value for money I would say Techni ice, best I would say EvaKool fiberglass.
We run both, the techni ice is 100ish litres and the eva kool is 65. Fill the techni ice with ice and only open it at night to supply the eva kool which gets opened all day, read beer fridge.
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Hmmmmmm... I have one and it is fantastic and ice lasts over 4 days in it. No problem with the seal.
Tecni ice is also good
Same here.
Have never had a problem with our Tropical Ice eskies sealing.
Great eskies as far as we are concerned...
Bill and Morag
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My father had a techni ice and it had sealing problems as well, however they replaced it without question when they were notified. It works ok but as others have said Evakool Fibreglass are without doubt worth every cent, I have a 65litre one and can't fault it.
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The new Coleman Extreme series are good, we have a 45ltr version, block ice in ambient 30c (on our latest camping trip) lasted 4 days...note it was block ice.
The teenage daughter was into the drinks constantly, and typically did'nt close the lid properly all the time, kept it open to stare at the drinks and hope they would jump into her hand.
I tried the party ice, 2 days max in the same temp conditions.
The price, $145.00, a winter sale at BCF, a good overall product, you can pick them up from any camping outdoor store.
I wanted a Eva kool, but the finance minister would'nt come at that...I'm happy with this purchase, good value for money.
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Morgue, makes a good point on the block ice and I must admit even in the fibreglass evakool party ice still melts quickly.
When we go away for extended periods, like Easter I usually freeze some bottles of water or fill them with cordial and put them into the bottom of the freezer. Also because I have the space I freeze a couple of bags of party ice at home for a week before going and I only ever pour one out of the bag and the other stays in the bag.
Even with our cheap Coleman on Oz day, where the outside temp was 35 plus the party ice I got from the servo melted in no time but the bag I got out of the freezer and left in the bag lasted until the next morning and kept everything cold.
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Morgue, makes a good point on the block ice and I must admit even in the fibreglass evakool party ice still melts quickly.
Agreed on this point.
I would go further and say that the longer you freeze the block ice for the longer it lasts, i.e. Month old block ice seems to last very much longer than week old. Maybe I'm dreamin'
I also saw on Mythbusters (so it must be true) that adding salt to the water before freezing helps.
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Agreed on this point.
I would go further and say that the longer you freeze the block ice for the longer it lasts, i.e. Month old block ice seems to last very much longer than week old. Maybe I'm dreamin'
I also saw on Mythbusters (so it must be true) that adding salt to the water before freezing helps.
Agree with the age of the ice, that was the point I was making.
On the salt be careful if you do this. Last Easter I did my normal esky stack. I had cans of coke and beer in the esky, poured a bag of party ice over the top and and then sprinkled with pool salt. Within an hour the contents of the cans was semi frozen and within two hours the top of the can were blowing off.
It did not make the ice last longer but from what I have read the chemical reaction between the salt and water is like boosting the temperature and causes the ice to become extremely cold. Once the reaction is finished the ice melts at a normal rate but if you are in a hurry to freeze something cover it in ice and go the salt....just stand clear in case you are hit by flying objects....lol
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doesn't the salt lower the freezing point of water? Perhaps the salt slightly metled the ice without increasing its temperature, thus increasing the surface area in contact with the cans, and causing them to cool quicker...
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i have a 100ltr techni ice ,mate has a 120ltr techni ice and 2 other mates have ice cool they are all prety well on par. block ice always makes them work awesome!!
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Yeah I don't know Darren, I always knew that salt was used to melt ice on the roads when I lived in the snow.
There is some science around it, and it may be what u said. Not sure science is not my strong point....lol
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Everyone will have an opinion on this. And everyone will also have stories of amazing ice keeping records. A good esky (there's quite a few to choose from) is a good starting point. Then I reckon its more a case of how you manage your cold stuff and ice.
We've used a range of eskies only for many trips in the tropical north and elsewhere (with kids) and manage to always make our ice last over many days, with normally a few blocks to spare.
I reckon some tricks are to pre-cool items in the food fridge, then add cubed/crushed ice for a quick all over cool along with a good block of deep frozen block ice. Drain as soon as you can and add another block of ice (if needed). Store your block ice in another esky solely for this purpose, and only open then when moving ice from this to the food esky (normally in the evenings. Do this quickly to stop heat from entering.
We even once managed to use a large esky for our block ice with a portion petitioned from the ice to store cans of drink. We moved the drinks over to the other fridge each evening - and they always went down cold!
Regularly opening and using your esky, especially in warmer climates, will mean higher ice usage. Limit this and your ice will last longer.
For the record, we currently use a large IceKool Ice box and a couple of coleman eskies. But now we also have a Waeco fridge which we use to cool warm items (like drinks!) and for items which we frequently access (to reduce access to the eskies).
Good luck with your choice.
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Same here.
Have never had a problem with our Tropical Ice eskies sealing.
Great eskies as far as we are concerned...
Bill and Morag
X2, these are fantastic ice boxes
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Salt water (ocean) freezes at -2 deg I think so it also thaws at -2 deg so im not sure it will actually last longer. I have a mate with a walk in freezer that is set at -20 deg. When im going away I buy the ice then put it in the freezer, it comes out milky not clear. I would guess servo party ice freezers might be -5 or similar.
Another big tip with ice management is to chill everything before you put it in and put ice in your esky the night before then drain out the water before filling.
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Waeco are a good esky.
the link below at the factory seconds shop always have them on sale
http://www.fridgeshop.com.au/products.asp?catId=6
Also waeco have a special on now buy a fridge and get an esky for free.
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I had a 60 litre Evakool fibreglass esky until another camper relived me of it along with it's contents >:(. Replaced it with a 65 litre Waeco and then latter added a 104 litre Icekool esky.
The best? The Evakool, no contest! So good I bought the 60 litre 12v fridge version.
The Icekool works excellent and is still used as a drinks fridge. Started with cold drinks and two blocks of ice and would gradually add warm cans, stubbies, wine bottles, primas over the course of the camp. Set up a hose off the drain plug with an S bend in it to drain the water (no air can get in, but water can drain) and had to add another block of ice every 3 days in low to mid 30's weather.
The lid seal is however crap, and with the lid warping in the sun abit is now even worse. Seal is just cheap adhesive foam tape.
The Waeco? Great thermal properties. Crap seals, hinges, latches and carry handles (or should I say lack of carry handles). Never again.
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Doug B Hmmm arnt all waeco 2nds ???
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Another vote for EvaKool eskies. We bought and used one when we were tenting it. These are a brilliant esky, the only down side, is that you have to be carefull what you sit them on being fully fibreglass.
We had a bit of a dabble with dry ice many years ago, bringing fish fillets back from a fishing trip. It nearly brought us unstuck though, as we had the ice box in the back of a Cruiser wagon and the dry ice removed most of the oxygen from the cabin of the vehicle. Not a good feeling trust me.
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Speewa158
The waeco factory second fridge has been keeping my beer chilled for 4 years now :cup:
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gday all.
have you considered this option.
i just recently sold my soft floor camper for a Jayco ;D. on the front of my soft floor i mounted a 140 ltr upright freezer which i laid on is back. i removed its motor and all the plumbing and put some handles on each end some drain holes in the bottom.it weighed the same as some manufactured models and because it was made to insulate cause it was a freezer it keep ice for ages.when i got it it was in perfect condition and the seals were perfect and the freezer was very clean. most council clean up days have fridges/freezers sitting on the side of the road everywhere,so grab one (price is right 8) ) and try making your own this way.
i got mine from a transfer station......cost me $ 20 for the handles.
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A bloke i used to know had made a few like this. He even cut fridge freezers in half and sheeted in the end. They did a lot of fishing trips and this was to bring it all home.
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i have a 100ltr techni ice ,mate has a 120ltr techni ice and 2 other mates have ice cool they are all prety well on par. block ice always makes them work awesome!!
we have a 60lt techni ice box that works well :cheers:
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doesn't the salt lower the freezing point of water?
Yep it does. When Daniel Fahrenheit was setting up the 0 degrees reference for his temperature scale, he used the freezing point of water mixed with salt. Whereas when the Celsius scale was set up Anders Celsius used pure water. This is why 0 deg F is lower than 0 deg C.
I'm sure you all wanted to know that.
Anyways, I have the good old Coleman esky which is usually good for about 2 days with party ice. Never tried it with block ice. When I pick up the Tropical Esky from Bill I'll give it a go.
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doesn't the salt lower the freezing point of water? Perhaps the salt slightly metled the ice without increasing its temperature, thus increasing the surface area in contact with the cans, and causing them to cool quicker...
:cup:
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Thanks everyone for all your advice!
Wow- so many choices!
I like the prices of the Techniice compared to the EvaKool!
Would this be a good deal???
80 + 40 + 12 LTR TECHNIICE = $264
http://www.techniice.com/2011/iceboxes/index_iceboxes_classic.asp (http://www.techniice.com/2011/iceboxes/index_iceboxes_classic.asp)
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Thanks everyone for all your advice!
Wow- so many choices!
I like the prices of the Techniice compared to the EvaKool!
Would this be a good deal???
80 + 40 + 12 LTR TECHNIICE = $264
http://www.techniice.com/2011/iceboxes/index_iceboxes_classic.asp (http://www.techniice.com/2011/iceboxes/index_iceboxes_classic.asp)
Look pretty good. Do you need all of them?
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I remember seeing a magazine test all the known brands ... I think it was CamperTrailer Australia and the ice box that won was the Coleman Extreme.
and yes i was surprised too. It out did ALL the Fibreglass iceboxes.
having said that ... what eva you buy make sure you have block ice that's been frozen for longer than 24hrs.
Cheers
Craig
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we have a 60 litre techni ice for drinks works much better with block ice as mentioned, also we used this esky when touring the cape, it contained all our meat that was cryavaced(spelling) we just toped up the block ice when needed.
cheers Ryan
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Thanks everyone for all your advice!
Wow- so many choices!
I like the prices of the Techniice compared to the EvaKool!
Would this be a good deal???
80 + 40 + 12 LTR TECHNIICE = $264
http://www.techniice.com/2011/iceboxes/index_iceboxes_classic.asp (http://www.techniice.com/2011/iceboxes/index_iceboxes_classic.asp)
yep it is a good deal. i bought the 80lt and kicked myself later for not getting the package with the 3 sizes.
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Tips for using ANY esky.
1. Use deep frozen 1 month + old ice. Block ice with minimum 2 litre volume. Old milk containers are a treat for this. Saves carting extra fresh water also.
2. Keep the esky drained of water. Water is ice that is warm.
3. Keep it out of the sun at all costs. We had 3x 40deg + days last year and kept our eskies covered in wet towels as the evaporation kept the esky outsides cool.
4. Keep them closed and make sure the seal is ok. One of our tropicals needs a new seal as the lid is warped for some reason.
5. Take heavy frozen items as these are also ice blocks ie meat, pre-cooked meals etc
If the techni-ice check out on wall/lid thickness then yes they are cheap.
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Look pretty good. Do you need all of them?
Well *need* is a very subjective word! ;D .... but perhaps we could use the biggest one for everything, the middle sized one full of ice (like has been suggested) and the baby sized one for.... um... maybe if we go for a picnic???
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Have you checked out the "downunder (http://myswag.org/forum/index.php?topic=11002.msg163746#msg163746)" icebox for sale in the 'General Classifieds' area. ;D ;D ;D
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I have a 60litre techni ice, i dont use their long life ice blocks its leaves film of crap over my food.
My 1st trip out with it i went into the Vic high country, i bought a solid block of ice at Bairnsdale and covered it with a wet tea towel. I spent 3 days in 40c temp in and out of the ice box for beer of course then traveled home to Melbourne poured off a bit of water from the melt then went up to the Grampians for 5 days. Still had ice left on the return trip home.
Not a bad piece of kit.
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Tips for using ANY esky.
1. Use deep frozen 1 month + old ice. Block ice with minimum 2 litre volume. Old milk containers are a treat for this. Saves carting extra fresh water also.
2. Keep the esky drained of water. Water is ice that is warm.
3. Keep it out of the sun at all costs. We had 3x 40deg + days last year and kept our eskies covered in wet towels as the evaporation kept the esky outsides cool.
4. Keep them closed and make sure the seal is ok. One of our tropicals needs a new seal as the lid is warped for some reason.
5. Take heavy frozen items as these are also ice blocks ie meat, pre-cooked meals etc
If the techni-ice check out on wall/lid thickness then yes they are cheap.
I have an issue with point 2 of your tips Jon...
I'm no scientist but I believe water & ice can co-exist at the same temperature. A little thing called "Latent Heat"(sometimes called "Hidden Heat") is responsible for the change in state from solid to liquid & vice versa, although no change in temperature is evident.
I therefore never drain the water out of my esky until I absolutely have to. That water is the same temperature as the ice until every last bit of ice has melted! Even after that it will keep things cold for ages. Draining the water is just throwing away cold mass & therefore cooling potential.
The water also has the added benefit of 100% surface contact with the items in the esky you want to cool or keep cool.
Sure there's a downside...you can get water in everything if you dont have your tucker sealed in plastic containers & the labels come off everything, but I know what a bottle of VB looks like(I've seen heaps of 'em). I dont have an expensive esky but I can usually count on losing the last of the ice (that's party ice) on the 4th day of camping. Thats restocking with beer & cans of soft drink every day too. I've now got an 80l Waeco too so all the tucker goes in that & a few drinks to "pre-chill" for the esky. That'll save the ice even further I hope. Even with the ice gone drinks will still stay cool for a couple of days swimming in the water.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phase_transition
http://zonalandeducation.com/mstm/physics/mechanics/energy/heatAndTemperature/changesOfPhase/changeOfState.html
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Thanks Darren....you just saved me from upending the spare room looking for my old high school books!
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Ah yes, a nice theoretical discussion on energy transfer.
The point about change of state is very true, this does occur with no temp change. Change of state from ice to water absorbs 75 times the energy used to raise the water temp 1 deg.(based on mass)
My point is if you get a block of long term ice from a deep freeze, it is at approx -20degC. A change of state will NOT occur in pure fresh water until 0deg in perfect circumstances. Surely if the ice bulk is -20 and the water is 0 then removing the ice from the water will slow the thaw.
You point about thermal contact is also true. That is why party ice does not last because the huge surface area versus relatively small mass enables quick heat transfer and therefore melting of the ice. Ideally if you could freeze a sphere of water in space, due to the minimal surface area vs greatest mass, it would stay frozen for longer than equivalent mass of ice in any other shape.
In refrigeration, ice is actually an insulator to heat transfer from cooling coils and needs to be removed by automatic means. When the automation fails or cant keep up, water is used to thaw the ice because of the heat transfer through contact.
Back to the esky situation, if possible, a large sphere of ice suspended above the melt water is the perfect solution ;D
I still stick by the removal of melt water from the esky if you have still frozen foodstuffs in there.
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I have heard mythbusters did show on this and proved the ice will last longer if drained?
Cheers
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I have a Icytech, a Evakool and a Waeco icebox.
The Evakool is ten years old, the Icytek about four years and the Waeco is new.
They all hold ice really well and the difference is minimal except that I would say the Evakool is slightly better.
After ten years the hinges have only just broke on the Evakool so I reckon I got my moneys worth out of it.
I usually throw the Iceytek in the boat as it appears the most rugged of the three.
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As ice is ice from 0 to -273 c it is difficult to know what your ice supplier has his fridge set at (probably not 0 kelvin).. True about phase change being partly theoretical as if you had a 10kg block of ice you could direct an oxy torch at one spot and probably get localized boiling….
As the main aim is thermal mass perhaps a piece of granite or steel cooled to -20 instead of frozen water. Bit heavy though.
Or do what I do. Use an Engel
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Use an Engel
Must be hard freezing the Engle and getting it into the esky..... >:D :laugh: :laugh:
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Must be hard freezing the Engle and getting it into the esky..... >:D :laugh: :laugh:
Boom tish!
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gday all,
wondering if anyone has bought/seen/used the ice boxes from the Factory 2nds store seen here Evakool Ice Boxes (http://www.evakoolstore.com/), the prices seem reasonable compared to prices i looked at in Bundy BCF yesterday.
cheers
Tommo
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I picked up a Waeco Cool Ice 68 Litre Esky brand new for $140 on clearance at a camping show this year, I checked the price a few weeks later at another camping store where the same Esky in 68 Litres were going for $280, so keep an eye out for specials.
I have the smaller 25 litre square version also for day trips or work. I've found these eskys to be good with no complaints.
I use the gel ice packs for day trips and have used 2 litre milk containers filled will saltwater and frozen into large blocks.
Cheers
Campfire
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Tommo, I have a 60l Evakool icebox from the 2nds website.
Cannot find any fault with it, still not sure why it was a second.
Keeps drinks colder longer than any other Esky i've owned.
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I can rave about my Techniice box.
we have an 80ltr i think it was, just went away on the easter break and only used bag ice and it is still holding up well today.
Plenty of coke, wild turkey, smirnoff double blacks and meat and milk.
The cans are still cold today.
saw an advert for them in the tag trader when we were hunting garage sales.
Couldnt find any good garage salls but we came home with a good ice box.
and strength wise, i sit on it and stand on it fine. The side handles are well shaped for lifting.
Gecko
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Tommo, I have a 60l Evakool icebox from the 2nds website.
Cannot find any fault with it, still not sure why it was a second.
Keeps drinks colder longer than any other Esky i've owned.
just what i wanted to hear :cup:
thanks for the replies
Tommo
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Despite previous comments about poor sealing, I strongly recommend the orange Tropical Ice Boxes.
Website here: http://www.tropicaliceboxes.com/shop/1/tropical-ice-boxes.html (http://www.tropicaliceboxes.com/shop/1/tropical-ice-boxes.html)
Best bang for buck ice boxes in my opinion.
Also consider their factory seconds. Me and a few mates have them, and between all of them we've never figured out what the defect is..
They're also sold at various fishing and boating stores as resellers, as well as Repco stores around the place.
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Evakool x 500000. I have a Tecniice, Tropical and 2 Evakool Ice boxed one 120lt the other 40lt. The Evakool out performs the other two in every regard. You just have to look after them a bit.
I only use the others for chucking in the trailer, wood carting etc, short trips when they will get knocked around.
Regards
jas
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I have an Evakool Ice Box.
Good light weight unit. Over the years the hinges have failed. I just bogged it up with resin and sanded smooth and pop rivetted some hinges into it, that's worked for 6 years odd now, handles are still ok though a bit of flex when its fully loaded. If I can't get block ice I use a 20 kilo re zippable dog food bags, Pedigree is the brand I think. They hold a full bag of ice in its own bag and keeps the whole lot contained and doesn't fill you food up with water. I also deep freeze the meat and stuff a week or so before in sealable containers with their own freezer bottle / pack. All in all the esky is dry and cold for three or four days. Also for the Evkool eskies that are like the one in the first post the lids off vanilla essence bottles work well for the drainage plug if yours is broken.
Cheers
Nomad
:cheers:
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I have an Evakool Ice Box.
Good light weight unit. Over the years the hinges have failed. I just bogged it up with resin and sanded smooth and pop rivetted some hinges into it, that's worked for 6 years odd now, handles are still ok though a bit of flex when its fully loaded. If I can't get block ice I use a 20 kilo re zippable dog food bags, Pedigree is the brand I think. They hold a full bag of ice in its own bag and keeps the whole lot contained and doesn't fill you food up with water. I also deep freeze the meat and stuff a week or so before in sealable containers with their own freezer bottle / pack. All in all the esky is dry and cold for three or four days. Also for the Evkool eskies that are like the one in the first post the lids off vanilla essence bottles work well for the drainage plug if yours is broken.
Cheers
Nomad
:cheers:
Mine also have failed in the latches, and they are a bit fragile but from a cooling/cleaning point of view they are unbeatable IMHO.
Regards
Jas
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Has yours got metal latches or the rubber ones? Mine has the rubber and has been good so far. Rather than stuffing around with resin and hardener you can get quick dry resin and pump it into the old holes and give it back its strength, re drill and rivet / screw and should be all good.
I have to admit mine has been mistreated over the years so looks a bit shabby but when it gives up the ghost as a decent esky I will probably still use it as a storage box as one form or another.
:cheers:
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Has yours got metal latches or the rubber ones? Mine has the rubber and has been good so far. Rather than stuffing around with resin and hardener you can get quick dry resin and pump it into the old holes and give it back its strength, re drill and rivet / screw and should be all good.
I have to admit mine has been mistreated over the years so looks a bit shabby but when it gives up the ghost as a decent esky I will probably still use it as a storage box as one form or another.
:cheers:
Mine had the rubber ones but I tore them off sliding it in and out of the vehicle on a fridge slide and catching it on stuff (my fault) I pumped the holes full of sikka flex and just added bungie fasteners and buttons to it (same as boat canopies). This has done the job on the 40lt to date. I just pulled one of the fixed part of the latches out of the 120lt (8 years old) the other day so will probably go the same way with it.
Thanks for the info.
Regards
Jas
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I have an 80 litre Waeco esky, and an 80 litre waeco fridge/freezer. The esky holds ice for nearly 3 days when it is full of other items.
Regards
Tjupurula
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check the classifieds on here, there might be one there. :angel: ;D