Portable Ice Make Question

MrWizard wrote:
I think all portable machines make soft ice
We bag ours and put it in the freezer
The ice machine makes more ice and faster than ice trays
And costs less than buying bagged iced
Where we are today ice is $3+ per bag
Where we were on Monday and Tuesday ice was $5 per bag

Right now we are about 30 miles from the nearest town, on the dead end of a 14 mile narrow twisty country rd
On some of the 15mph turns, I have to straddle the center and take both lanes to make the curve,
There is a camp store, no cell service, but they are experimenting with Wi-Fi, or I wouldn't be connected, I was pleasantly surprised, but I know IT will be on over load status this weekend with the holiday beach crowd
But I digress that has nothing to do with ice, except it is darn convenient for me to make my own

Yup they are soft then they go into a gallon zip loc bag into the freezer, I like em cuz they have a hole in the center and the mixed drink has more surface area to cling to. Yum flavored ice!

I think all portable machines make soft ice
We bag ours and put it in the freezer
The ice machine makes more ice and faster than ice trays
And costs less than buying bagged iced
Where we are today ice is $3+ per bag
Where we were on Monday and Tuesday ice was $5 per bag

Right now we are about 30 miles from the nearest town, on the dead end of a 14 mile narrow twisty country rd
On some of the 15mph turns, I have to straddle the center and take both lanes to make the curve,
There is a camp store, no cell service, but they are experimenting with Wi-Fi, or I wouldn't be connected, I was pleasantly surprised, but I know IT will be on over load status this weekend with the holiday beach crowd
But I digress that has nothing to do with ice, except it is darn convenient for me to make my own

Ka Ron wrote:


We are happy with the job ours does.

Have ice makers improved?..:@

Tried one a few years ago - the ice wasn't very solid (frozen).

Had to go from the ice maker to the freezer for genuine *ice* cubes.

Checked a few different brands - they all were mfg by the same Chinese company.


~

I invested in a dorm fridge a few years ago. It was on sale for $60. I use it at the beach. It has more than paid for itself.
Ice was $2.50/bag, and I was going thru 2/day keeping two coolers. We stay for 2 weeks.

I don't bring it on weekend trips, too bulky to lug around. I prefer the cooler on short trips. I bought the ice maker for that.

Don't waste your $ on a Dometic. Most all are the exact same product with different brands on them.

Ours is a MajicChef bought at WalleyWorld or Target for around $130-140. Have used it for 2-3 years now.

My ice maker will keep up with my I usage as long as I keep emptying the bucket. My ice maker has paid for itself and then some I have not purchased camping ice in 5 years.
Buying ice all week/weekend long adds up quick.
I generally start with a full cooler of ice from home and maintain the ice level with the ice maker once at the CG.
A decent well insulated cooler makes a huge difference in ice usage.

Thanks all for the feedback. I go to Florida once a year and hit the beach all day so I wondered if this is the thing for me. I believe I will stick with bagged ice for now and beef up my cooler to one that has better insulation.

My last trip I used 20 lbs of ice for a 68 quart cooler. I may downsize a bit and get one with better insulation and limit what I put in there. I did go overkill a bit and could put longer term things (gatorades once cooled for the week) into the trailer refer.

That may have been my thread. Just bought a one from SAMs club. On sale for $99.

It started making ice in about 5 minutes. The first few loads were thin, but as it cooled inside the pieces got thicker.

So far I am very impressed with it.

Yes it stopped working when the ice bucket was full.

Ka Ron wrote:
We have a portable ice maker and when the basket is full it does stop making ice.
If you take some out or it melts down it will start again.

If the surrounding area is very warm it takes longer for the ice maker to make ice and to get 33 lbs you would have to empty it on a regular basis.

The one we have we fill bags with it and have them on hand and come miller time at the end of the day we will draw the ice right out of the machine and it just keeps on chugging.

Also, do not leave water sit in the machine for more than two days and clean it on a regular basis.

We are happy with the job ours does.

X2..We love ours also. Happy Camping

We have a portable ice maker and when the basket is full it does stop making ice.
If you take some out or it melts down it will start again.

If the surrounding area is very warm it takes longer for the ice maker to make ice and to get 33 lbs you would have to empty it on a regular basis.

The one we have we fill bags with it and have them on hand and come miller time at the end of the day we will draw the ice right out of the machine and it just keeps on chugging.

Also, do not leave water sit in the machine for more than two days and clean it on a regular basis.

We are happy with the job ours does.