Is a 10lb bag of block ice 1-2x a week more reasonable than a solar+fridge setup?

Posted by brainhack3r@reddit | overlanding | View on Reddit | 59 comments

I'm migrating to a 247 overland living situation where I'm going full nomad.

6 months in the US, and 6 months overseas during the winter.

However, my overlanding is going to mostly be me crashing in the woods at night. During the day I'm going to the gym and a co-working facility.

This makes going to the grocery store somewhat reasonable since I'll be close to town.

It seems like a high end cooler + block of ice for 1x person might be more reasonable than a complex fridge+solar setup.

The other issue is that I want to do this via a new camper build that I can't really afford right now since it's $13k.

It seems just throwing in a block of ice might be a more reasonable solution here.

However, you guys have a lot more experience here.

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Ginger_SNAFU@reddit

Ice is harder to regulate temperature. You'll have to pack items in plastic bags because inevitably ice becomes water. You'll need to constantly replace the ice. The ice will take up valuable storage space. You'll need to constantly unpack/repack a cooler with ice as ice works best on the bottom. You'll not get a week out of ice.

A fridge is a complete game changer.

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brainhack3r@reddit (OP)

Thanks.

This is kind of what I'm worried about - that in practice it's going to be super annoying.

I think it might work well for like a Dad and his kids for a weekend.

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Ginger_SNAFU@reddit

I do want to add that dry ice for frozen food is a game changer, but it would have to be replenished, and it's not cheap/limited locations for purchasing. I frequently do 4-5 day trips with frozen dog food. I can get home on the 5th day and the last of the food is just starting to defrost.

I pack the dry ice on the bottom, a piece of cardboard on top (dry ice will destroy plastic bags), then 2 standard ice packs, then pack my individual frozen pre-measured dog meals on top. But again, this is for frozen food, and a double wall yeti-style cooler only getting opened twice a day.

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Unicorn187@reddit

It's great for short term, like a few days or a week camping, but it's a pain doing it permanently.

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Ginger_SNAFU@reddit

Agreed. I do a few 5 day trips per year. So this works fine. I don't have my LC200 set up with my fridge yet, so this has been getting me by.

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fidelityflip@reddit

You become a slave to the ice, and constant leaks in your food packaging means ruined or at least soggy and gross food often. I used to do 3 week trips with just ice and coolers and this is what you live with. Though on a hot day I love dipping into a cooler of ice and ice water for a cold drink so sometimes I bring a cooler just for drinks, esp in the desert.

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Paradigm_Reset@reddit

Slave to the ice is a great way of putting it. I went on a 4 day trip on a frustrating heat wave. I needed to get ice daily forcing me to plan everything around those time consuming trips. Spent way too much time driving, not enough time relaxing.

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aceshighdw@reddit

I'll second this. I just finished up a stint of 10 years living on a sailboat. Started out with the ice cooler scenario but fridge plus solar is way better. The mess, replenishing ice and lost $$ with ruined food will grate on your soul after a while.

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Unicorn187@reddit

A cooler that is going to insulate that well is going to cost almost as much as some of the cheaper fridges.

A solar set up doesn't have to be complicated. Solar panels > charge controller > battery/batteries > inverter > fridge. And this is if you do it yourself. Solar panel > solar "generator" > fridge.

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Amadreas@reddit

Ice also takes up room in a cooler. 45 qt cooler becomes a 30 -35 qt cooler with ice in it. A fridge interior size stays the same, and can operate as fridge or a freezer some models both. A fridge really is a game changer.

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alpine678@reddit

Instead of solar, have you consider an alternator charger with a small power station? This would let you charge as you drive and skip solar. There are tons of power station options that can power a 12V fridge.

Popular alternator charger models: https://reviews.matanich.com/alternator-chargers/

Some power station options: https://reviews.matanich.com/power-systems/vanlife/

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brainhack3r@reddit (OP)

I can't really get the math to work out.

I'm probably only going to drive an hour a day plus I have to either store things in my car or wire them through the bed - which is complicated and takes time.

With this setup I'd only really be able to power the fridge like 2-4 hours per day.

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PNWoutdoors@reddit

That isn't true, your math is wrong.

My 1Kwh battery is what I use for my fridge. When the fridge is cooled to temp, it lasts about 3 days at an average ambient temperature of like 65⁰.

My alternator charger is 800w, meaning it can recharge up to 80% in an hour.

If you drive an hour a day, it could give you about 80% of the time, which in my case is around 57 hours, or 2.4 days.

So with an hour of driving a day and maybe 20 mm minutes of idling here and there as needed, you'd never run out of power. Being a small portable solar panel if you don't want to have to idle during the day.

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brainhack3r@reddit (OP)

Your stock alternator delivers 800w? The Tacoma only delivers 100W and 300W if you hack it.

I could replace it but it's about $350 to do so... so more cost, wiring, etc.

I'm still researching but maybe it's viable vs upgrading to full solar.

However, the solar is eventually free.

I think it ends up being as much headache for either solution in my situation.

If you have an 800W alternator then you're def in a better position though.

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makked@reddit

I use an EcoFlow and their alternator charger with a Tacoma and it charges 800w when driving. If you drive an hour a day, it’s more than enough to top up a battery and fridge in the cooler months. In the summer, depends on how hot it is.

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brainhack3r@reddit (OP)

4th gen Tacoma?

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makked@reddit

3rd gen but the EcoFlow alternator charger works on any car. You just hook it up to your battery and run the cable through the wire gasket in the driver side. Bonus points, it can reverse charge your starter battery to keep it topped up if you’re leaving the truck for awhile.

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Moist_Literature_695@reddit

I have a 105 amp alternator on my astro & can output 600w at idle and with an ecoflow alternator charger

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PNWoutdoors@reddit

You aren't correct about the alternator. You might be thinking about the DC plugs in the cab which are rated to I think 15 watts but generally only give you 100. The built in inverter provides 400 but it is modified sine wave, meaning you cannot charge a power station with it, that's why you need an alternator charger.

The other benefit of the alternator charger is it trickle charges your vehicle battery when the truck is off.

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ZxDrawrDxZ@reddit

Your alternator is not delivering 800watts of power at all times, that's peak charge that your charger can tolerate.

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PNWoutdoors@reddit

Totally agree but if he's driving it should be delivering 800 or close to it, depending on the vehicle.

My truck has a 130 amp alternator, 800 watts would be roughly half of the amperage for the alternator, which shouldn't be difficult when in gear and moving.

But to concede the point, if simply idling my truck has no issues providing 500.

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Marokiii@reddit

My renogy charger charges at up to 50amps, at that rate 1hr of driving a day keeps my battery topped up for my 75L fridge for like 3 days(if its a cool summer day, if its hot summer days than its more like 1.5days)

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alpine678@reddit

1hr of driving probably won't be enough unless you have a high powered alternator or supplement with solar or a normal household power outlet.

Some power stations have the option to charge at a EV station but they tend to be the more expensive models such as an EcoFlow Delta Pro or Delta Pro 3.

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ForisVivo@reddit

Coolers aren’t super cheap these days either, and ice costs add up over time. Remember, you can use a fridge as a cooler too. If you are really hurting for cash, buy a budget fridge like Setpower or similar, plug it in to your vehicle when driving, and supplement it with ice. Then save up for a power station or battery setup, continuing to use supplemental ice as needed when your batteries go flat and you can’t recharge right then. Then save up for a solar setup permanently mounted to your roof so you can continuously charge all the time.

Yes ice is a pain but this approach incrementally weans you off cooler mode.

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brainhack3r@reddit (OP)

Yeah it's funny I was thinking of doing just that :)

Basically, buy a fridge and spend like $300 more but then I can use it as a fridge in the future.

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ElPeroTonteria@reddit

You can buy a simple DC fridge that’ll be dependable for years for a couple hundred and your food won’t be in a water bath all the GD time. Plus it’ll leave you space for food

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CStreeterdit@reddit

Get the fridge.

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tcgJimmy@reddit

It’s getting hard to find block ice

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FrostyPause3610@reddit

Once you go fridge/solar you’ll never look back!!! Equipt1 can show you the way;)

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skinny_tom@reddit

Is there an issue with starting out on ice and then if you decide to move to a fridge, battery and solar, you can? There's nothing wrong with changing plans after a while.

I'm a cooler user. But I don't typically go out for extended durations 1 to 2 weeks tops. I also pack my cooler with dry ice at the bottom-subject to availability. My local grocery store has it and that helps ice last longer.

I also plan my trips around resupply stops, where I know I can get ice, so it's all built in. If I were without a standard plan and long term, the convenience of a fridge seems worth the time effort and money. And that's really what it comes down to, what is the price of convenience?

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brainhack3r@reddit (OP)

Is there an issue with starting out on ice and then if you decide to move to a fridge, battery and solar, you can? There's nothing wrong with changing plans after a while.

The price of the cooler. They're pricey! Even cheaper ones are like $225... the Yeti has a lock so you can turn it into a bear proof container which is nice.

The problem is it's like $400.

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DingleberrySurprises@reddit

Might not be ideal or practical in your situation, but I've got a 12v bougerv dual zone along with a pelican cooler. I'd pre-freeze one Tupperware of ice and put that in the Pelican cooler, and the 2nd Tupperware would stay in the freezer ready to be swapped out. Once the ice melted in the Pelican, I'd swap it for the frozen one in the BougeRv. Since and repeat. I have a Bluetti power station powering the fridge/freezer, which would get recharged when I drive, as well as a 200w Renogy panel for whenever I'd be stationary for a while.

I did just recently purchase these reusable ice packs, each one being the equivalent of 2lbs of ice, sealed and reusable. I'm trying these out this year as they will be more foldable in shape than a Tupperware.

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brainhack3r@reddit (OP)

Thanks.

Since I usually go into a co-working facility what I'm thinking of doing is using an ice pack and just swapping it every day.

So one is freezing, while the other is being used.

Also, this way I can buy a SMALL cooler and just keep basic food with me.

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tecampanero@reddit

It all depends on how much you’re using and for how long. Given enough time the fridge and solar power are self sustainable.

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Naive_Adeptness6895@reddit

Sloshing water ruins your food.

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MotorbikeGeoff@reddit

Fridge and a Powerstation. Figure out how to charge it. My small one can run my fridge for 2-3 days.

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Cruisn06@reddit

As someone who has done this before... dont even bother with even a fancy esky... just get a fridge and go. save so much hassle.

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DepartmentNatural@reddit

I'm never using ice again after going to the 12v fridge ever

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brainhack3r@reddit (OP)

How do you power it now ?

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DepartmentNatural@reddit

Ecoflow river, that's charged off semi flexable solar panels or the truck

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_Hard4Jesus@reddit

Same. It's just such a game changer I could never go back. I use a dc-dc charger for 90% of my trips. But I bought a unit with built in mppt, so if I'm staying stationary for 3+ days I have a portable panel I can unfold.

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Sudden-Ad-8262@reddit

It's not a solar setup. It's a battery bank with a solar charging profile that will keep the fridge running.

TBH solar is pretty inefficient by itself. You should also have a DC t DC charging profile.

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doghousedean@reddit

Solar could be a small ISH power bank, 500wh or something with a blanket solar panel, we ran that set up for a bit and ice gets old fast, others have said but the constant wet food or items will drive you nuts

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jhguth@reddit

i’m never going back to ice, its such a pain and you lose so much space to ice

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Spag-N-Ballz@reddit

I finally invested in a fridge setup and it has been a game changer for camping. It's my favorite thing I've upgraded. Never having to mess with ice or wet food. My bluetti battery charges from 30-100% in about 20 minutes of driving, and I also have a 200w solar panel for days I don't drive anywhere. If I was overlanding/camping full time, I would not want to do it without this setup.

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brainhack3r@reddit (OP)

You must have a high power alternator or an low capacity bluetti.

If I was overlanding/camping full time, I would not want to do it without this setup.

Yeah. This is my main concern which is why I wanted some feedback.

If I'm paying $250-350 for a cooler I'd rather that money go to a fridge if I would just end up hating the cooler.

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Spag-N-Ballz@reddit

It’s the 1800w battery and I have a Land Cruiser 250 which uses the hybrid battery to power a 120v outlet in the back.

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ricardopa@reddit

Buy enough 10lb blocks of ice and you’ve paid for a small fridge…

Plus they’re a mess

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lucky_ducker@reddit

I used ice and a cooler for car camping trips for close to 50 years (never more than three weeks' duration). The I retired, and bought a 12V fridge and an 1152wH power station / solar setup. Never going back.

$3 per block twice a week == $312 per year. Plus the hassle of restocking. Plus the extra size cooler you'll need for the equivalent storage compared to a fridge. My 20L fridge stores as much as a 30 - 35 liter cooler with ice, and the latter is much heavier.

The fridge is also much better for chilling things. If you are putting a couple three warm cans of beverage in the cooler every day, you're going to have a lot of melt and mess. You run the risk of ruining certain foods if they end up swimming in ice water; that doesn't happen in a fridge.

I also like having the flexibility to stay for days at a time in a really remote area without giving a thought to making a resupply run into town.

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Kerensky97@reddit

Even with a block of ice I've never gotten ice to last more than a week in the summer.

If you mix dry ice and normal ice you can do a week. But that length of time is where I'd start to look at a fridge.

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pallidamors@reddit

You won’t believe how convenient an electric cooler is after you start using it. Get a little (500-1000w) battery pack that lives with the cooler and you will never worry.

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Spinal365@reddit

It's a lot more setup but fridge is totally worth it. It's so nice to not worry about your food. Also a fridge is a luxury, you actually can do this just fine backpacking style with out needing to refrigerate anything.

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WeirdVision1@reddit

ICECO makes a 12v plugin or unplug and add ice cooler in one. Choose your adventure kinda product. It looks neat but I haven't used it.

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bacon-overlord@reddit

Really depends on where you're at. I've used a 10lbs block of ice for a week in Montana and it did fine. A 10lbs block did not do fine in utah when I was in the desert with an insulated cooler.

I also just don't like ice for bumby roads when camping. Some many times I open the cooler and find a disgusting cold soup. Now I've got an electric cooler with battery backup. I plug it into the cars outlet when driving and plug it into the battery when camping

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thaneliness@reddit

I’m currently using a $130 EUHOMY cooler/fridge. It’s way easier than dealing with ice. It’s only 19qt but for Not much more they offer much larger sizes. Ordered off Amazon

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okienomads@reddit

If you do it right, you can get setup for under a grand. Over a year of full time travel, you would likely spend that in time, ice costs, and spoiled food. Used fridges are on marketplace constantly and a second lithium battery and a dcdc charger with mppt is not expensive in the long run. Add a small solar suitcase when you can and you are set for years.

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