does anyone bring coolers anymore with full fridges?

[yankeeslover]

now that I have my new 2670 tracer with the full fridge and separate freezer im just wondering if a cooler is needed anymore? it looks like a residential size frige..Dometic DM2652.. just wondering if its ok to fit soda and beer or if better off putting drinks in a cooler outside? how do others here do it? just trying to minimize space if I can..thanks for helping this newbie...

[BOB1964]

We always have extra drinks in the cooler.The fridge is always stocked full. Also,we take the camper straight to storage after our trip,so we have to have a cooler to take cold stuff home.

[69_Avion]

A lot depends on what kind of camping you do. I will drop the trailer off and take the truck and a quad out somewhere more remote. If I don't have an ice chest, how do I take cool drinks with me? If all you are going to do is hang out at the trailer all day then maybe you can get by without an ice chest. Even if I stay at the trailer, I leave a large ice chest on a rack, outside, so I can get a drink without going inside. It works for me.

[shakyjay]

It is usually just two of us and I still bring a cooler. Actually I bring a soft sided one to leave on back seat of truck for water and sodas while out running around and a regular wheeled cooler for ice and drinks. We use fridge for food only. Usually just keep the cooler under the trailer in the shade.

[Poppy___Nana]

Never leave home without at least two - one full of ice and the other full of cold adults bevrages!

[Dtaylor]

Generally, I never carry a cooler. However, we are leaving Monday for a week and I am planning on taking a cooler. The temps are supposed to be in the 90's so I want plenty of water and other drinks iced down and ready to go.

[69_Avion]

We always bring at least one ice chest even after I put a larger refrigerator in my Avion. You can never have enough ice cold water, etc.

[Gdetrailer]

Ever since I ripped out the junky RV fridge and replaced it with a residential fridge we have officially banned the ice chests from our list of things to take.

Ahh.. the freedom of no longer BUYING ice every other day, absolutely priceless! :B

No longer a slave to the ice chest.

[mosseater]

Doug33 wrote:

workhardplayharder wrote:

michael8rc wrote:
We have a 12 volt cooler for bottled water and soda.
Use it on every trip.

X2

Do the 12-volts really work well, especially in the real heat?

As mentioned, the 12 volt thermo-electric coolers will go about 40 degrees below ambient. In the heat of the summer, we run the AC in the trailer and keep the door shut if it's sweltering, therefore, the cooler inside at an abient temp of about 72 will cool down to almost freezing. If it needs supplemental cooling, we use ice packs from the freezer and change them out daily. We have had a 12 volt 40 quart Igloo Koolmate for over 15 years. It needed a fan motor this year (third one!) and found out they don't make replacement motors for them anymore! I found a different model motor that would work and mounted it, and I'm back in business. There are quality units that are claimed to work very well, but are pretty pricey ($500 +) so I'm sticking with what we have for now. We couldn't camp without some extra refrig capacity.

[fla-gypsy]

My TT fridge is sufficient for our needs and I no longer use a cooler

[wrenchbender]

Since I camp off the beaten path I keep perishables in the reefer and freezer, water,ice and drinks in the cooler.

[Cuffs054]

Powderman asks a very pertinent question. I mean, really, just one 12 pack...

[Acampingwewillg]

workhardplayharder wrote:

michael8rc wrote:
We have a 12 volt cooler for bottled water and soda.
Use it on every trip.

X2

X3 although the way I came by this 12 volt cooler is the story. My wife had gone to Walmart and near the dumpster, there was this rather nice looking 12 volt cooler with cord attached......long story short, its was tossed away because the top fan had stopped working, I spent a few bucks on a new computer fan and now I have a way to keep drinks cool outside the MH.

[2112]

Drippin wrote:
We have a 6 pack size Playmate cooler for use in the truck on the road. But when parked the frig in the TT is fine.

X2
We use it for day trips as well.

[tatest]

Road tripping, usually not.

Camping, yes, a cooler full of ice to keep drinks cold, just above freezing. Takes care of anything else you might want to keep chilled around the picnic shelter, rather than running in and out of the RV to the fridge.

[PLR67]

Habemus Quattro wrote:
We have a small refrigerator outside in the camp kitchen where we usually keep drinks and whatnot. We still keep a small cooler on hand for picnics and day trips as well. Always handy to have one around.

X2