khargis
Junior Nomad
Posts: 33
Registered: 5-31-2009
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block ice vs. 12volt koolatron
hey folks, been workin our way down from oregon the last couple months and almost gettin ready to cross over and making final trip checks. anna and i
have been contemplating whether to invest in a 12volt cooler or just hope for ice. what is the word down south as far as availability for block ice?
thanks!
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David K
Honored Nomad
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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If you are driving every day or have a solar battery charger for when you are parked, the Koolitron is nice (or FridgeFreeze better). Otherwise, your
battery will be drained by the Koolitron (ask me how I know this, LOL).
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khargis
Junior Nomad
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yes yes, i failed to mention that i put in a aux. deep cell battery that i have an inverter hooked up to,
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BajaDanD
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Plenty of places to get ice just dont eat it.
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BajaBruno
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It's been a few years, but my experience was the same as David K. I made the mistake of leaving a 12volt cooler plugged in overnight and it totally
flattened a truck battery. Since then, I've gone to ice.
Christopher Bruno, Elk Grove, CA.
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chinolbz
Newbie
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Registered: 10-9-2010
Location: Lake Havasu City, AZ
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My inexpensive 12v cooler only cools 30-40 degrees below outside temp. Not good enough for meat or beer on a hot Baja afternoon. I purchased an Engle
and couldn't be happier. I keep it at 34 degrees and it only draws 2.5 amps. Chino
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Marc
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Mulege & Loreto are easy for block ice.
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Pompano
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I have an Engle that cools the beer down and 'stays cool', too...but that's a big expenditure...AND a block of ice is almost free and will last 2-3
days (if you keep her from opening the dang lid every 15 minutes). Blocks are readily available in most towns over a couple thousand. Storeowners
often freeze the 1 gallon water jugs for the tourist/camping market.
Search and ye shall find the block ice.
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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tiotomasbcs
Super Nomad
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Location: El Pescadero
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Big ice house here in Todos Santos. Out N of San Jose near the aeropuerto there used to be one, too. 5 day coolers will actually last 5 days if
you're careful! Tio
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Borregoman
Junior Nomad
Posts: 81
Registered: 3-4-2009
Location: Mission Viejo, CA
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GO COMPRESSOR FRIDGE
By all means....go buy a compressor fridge, such as a Waeco, Engle or ARB, it was by far the best $800 I have ever spent.
NEVER have to worry about ice again.
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khargis
Junior Nomad
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Registered: 5-31-2009
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thanks yall for the info!
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BornFisher
Super Nomad
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Last time I bought ice from the casa de hielo, I got 1/2 of an iceberg for $2! Filled my huge cooler so full I couldn`t get anything in there!
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MMc
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With a good Ice chest (Extreme or Marine) and a some closed cell foam you good to go for 4-6 days no problem. Put the drinks in another chest. The
cooling down of drinks and opening up the chest are your killers. We add salt to the drink chest to super cool the drinks. Ice is available just about
anywhere there is power full time.
[Edited on 10-31-2011 by MMc]
"Never teach a pig to sing it frustrates you and annoys the pig" - W.C.Fields
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Bugman
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I did the ice thing for years and finally purchased an Engel fridge/freezer 5 years ago. It was a big expense but sure wish I had bitten the bullet
and done that sooner. That being said, you can get block ice and it is usually cheap but you may have to do some hunting for it. 
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Phil S
Super Nomad
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Registered: 10-28-2003
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Mood: After 34 years. Still in love w/ my wife
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The only ice I had found over the years in the 'easy search' was in the tiendas was cube ice in plastic bags. Guess I've got to look for an Eagle if
I'm going to continue to drive back & forth for the next ten or twelve years. I'm sure I will stop driving when I reach the 'big 90 years'!!!!
Anyone ever had any trouble getting car insurance after you reached 90 (Baja insurance that is)
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defrag4
Senior Nomad
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Registered: 2-5-2011
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I recently picked up a 12v fridge, looking at the price of the ARB/ENGELs I decided to go with a Waeco CF-13, only $315 and can hold plenty of
beer/food/wine for 2 for a few days. It about the size of small cooler. I am loving it. It has an auto-shutoff if your battery drops below a certain
voltage so you dont wind up stuck.
Here is the one I got http://www.americanrvcompany.com/Dometic-CF-018DC-CF-18-Waec...
I believe they recently got bought out by Dometic but they are Waecos from Australia
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mcfez
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8678
Registered: 12-2-2009
Location: aka BN yankeeirishman
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Ice rules! Everything is crispy cold.
Here's a tip I do when on the road: Pile all of your sleeping bags around that cooler box......that ice will be there till dooms day!
Old people are like the old cars, made of some tough stuff. May show a little rust, but good as gold on the inside.
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Hook
Elite Nomad
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Location: Sonora
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| Quote: | Originally posted by MMc
With a good Ice chest (Extreme or Marine) and a some closed cell foam you good to go for 4-6 days no problem. Put the drinks in another chest. The
cooling down of drinks and opening up the chest are your killers. We add salt to the drink chest to super cool the drinks. Ice is available just about
anywhere there is power full time.
[Edited on 10-31-2011 by MMc] |
I would not put all marine ice chests in the same category as the Extreme or Max category. Extreme and Max are proprietary names for Coleman and
Igloo, respectively. It's their five day line.
I recently bought about a 40 quart Igloo Marine chest and it was very inefficient on my last summer trip. I measured it's side walls and it was 3/8"
thinner than my old Igloo Legend of virtually the same size. Maybe they are using better insulating materials, you say? Not in my experience.
I'm going true Extreme or Max next. Prefer Igloo, as they seem to make better hinges and handles.
I have an Engel style, too. It's great for food or freezing fillets. But I am a firm believer in having an ice chest solely for non-dairy drinks.
Something you can open and close to your hearts content.
An Engel style cant do it all. Not enough room, too inconvenient in how it organizes things; vertically. Plus, the temp of cold beer is not a good
temp for many veges, especially leafys.
And, yes, you're committed to a solar assist, a separate battery or running some type of genny/alternator every day.
[Edited on 11-2-2011 by Hook]
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