Off to Spain on Sunday but how do I.....

Apr 3, 2010
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All ready, everything checked and doublechecked. Suddenly realised that I shall be on the ferry for 36 hours. Chilled the fridge on mains hookup for 2 days and then switched it to DC. 24 hours later my ice cubes back to water! Does this mean I can't take any frozen BBQ food? All my pre marinated meat to be left at home?
I honestly thought the freezer would stay frozen if I left the dc on and the fridge switched to dc. Would an ice box do the trick?
 
Jan 17, 2008
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hi grahamh
fridge wont work on dc unless plugged into car with engine running need to run on gas or mains
hope this helps
enjoy your holiday.
 
Dec 14, 2006
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We usually have a two or three day journey from home to final campsite, and we manage to keep stuff frozen using two good quality cool bags, with silver foil inners and separate linings, a smaller one inside a larger. We put them both in the freezer to cool down for 24 hours, then pack them quickly, filling any air spaces with small items. We make sure that they are completely full - over the years making sure that everything to be taken with us is in suitable size containers. Each container is filled to the brim so there are no air spaces inside. We take several packs of frozen orange juice at the top of the coolbags - which is where stuff thaws quickly - and we put a layer of towel, tea towels, or newspaper over the top between the frozen stuff and the lid. We find things in the middle and bottom stay frozen until we arrive on site.
Things won't keep frozen in a caravan fridge and if you use it on 12v it will exhaust your car battery. You can't run it on gas on the ferry, and as the previous post stays it will only work on battery when plugged into the car with the engine running. You could, however, freeze litre orange juice cartons, remove any shelves, and surround any meat with them, and that would probably stay cold enough until you get to Spain.
BUT why bother - meat in Spain is cheaper than here - just take your sauce marinades with you, and make it fresh.
 
Nov 11, 2009
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We use a Coleman Extreme freezer box and do similarly to Val with the packing. It then serves as an additional drinks cooler when on site. The spec is for 5 days cooling and we have used it for a 3 day trip to southern France and there are many reviews of US campers going the 5 days in hot weather and the ice blocks still not fully melted. But this will depend on packing and how often it is opened. On our trip it wasn't opened.
 
Apr 3, 2010
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What a wally I am. Never have used the fridge on Gas which I know I cannot use on the ferry. As Val says I can buy In Spain as cheaply as I can In UK - as I know from earlier trips. I shall pack the cool box with the stuff I KNOW I cannot easily get on the continent surrounded by ice packs and other frozen things that will keep even when thawed.
All now ready and packed for our long adventure. 6 weeks holiday as long as SHMBO doesn't lose her patience with me and it doesn't rain ALL the time. Friends to meet in the Dordoigne and Ile de Rey. See you all in July.
Thanks again for your patience and advice.
 

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