Westy question

[hotvduv]

I just got a sink cabinet for my bus, and comes with stack ice cooler, my question is how reliable is the cooler and how to keep things cold, it only comes with one tray that has a draining hose, am I missing parts? Pls post picks if anybody has some thanks
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JOHN: 3:16

[busdaddy]

There should be a rack with a hole the tray fits in, unless it's the wide tray that slides into the side grooves already, some had a second grate/rack that went below, but it got in the way of anything tall you wanted to keep cool, even if you find one you won't be all that impressed and you'll understand why it's lost.
Block ice usually lasts ~ 3 days in most climates, pre frozen water bottles and other really cold things keep it chilly in there even longer. Pre cool all the stuff you plan to bring and pre chill the ice box a couple days ahead of your trip (frozen water filled milk jugs or those blue freezable ice things) and it'll last a long time. The blue refreezable ice blocks also work when camping and don't result in a puddle under the bus after a day or two, but real ice does work better, you can drink frozen water jugs/bottles when they thaw as well.
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[hotvduv]

That's good to know thanks, I do have the wide tray with drain, but I also have a 60s coleman upright cooler that is a little bigger and and well made that I was thinking to replace the og with but I don't know if that is wise, what do you think?
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JOHN: 3:16

[busdaddy]

The stock icebox works very well, the Coleman won't be any improvement if it's upright too, the downside to either is the amount of cold that's lost when you open the door. Horizontal works better since cold air sinks and it stays in when you peek inside instead of all falling out onto the floor, think of it as a bucket of water, the cold is the water, don't dump it.

If you do decide to ditch the OG icebox extract it carefully, many would give thier left nut for one since you aren't the first to have that idea.
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[notchboy]

All the ice related coolers work real well. The one in my 77 is horizontal and I kept it when I could have put a ref in there.

Its as Busdaddy says - run it like that and youll do well.

The only reason I think of replacing the vertical one in my 74 (different bus) would be to put a modern ref in there not exchange it for the same technology coleman.
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[Clara]

I had an SO-42 with the icebox and thought it was great. I used it on two day trips often. There is a wire basket to hold the ice, and a drip trip with hose underneath to catch the water and drip it out of the bus. I would generally freeze water in plastic small bottles rather than buy ice, and pre- cool items at home before leaving rather than putting warm items in the cooler.
I never thought to ''pre-cool" the icebox.

It is not a refrigerator, it is an icebox.

I liked the little drawer for misc items, the table on the side for camping or hanging out, and it has a handy surface on top to put stuff on, accessible when driving.
Mine didn't have a sink, and the water pump didn't work, so I just brought gallon jugs of water as needed.

( I previously had a 73 westy with sink and working water pump, and it was useful for wash water, but I brought drinking water anyway)

make sure you clean out the icebox as soon as you get home from the camping trip. Don't leave food in there or it gets funky.
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The Obsolete Air-Cooled Documentation Project http://oacdp.org/

[hotvduv]

Thanks guys for the input, you guys are right, make no sense replacing it for the same thing just for a couple of inches more of space, only thing is that it only comes with the one tray, I'll try to find one or two more. are all trays universal or it varies in sizes through the different years
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JOHN: 3:16

[Clara]

I think the wire tray for the SO-42 icebox is not the same as the early bay westy icebox. You may have to measure your icebox to find the width.
Don't put ice in the drip tray, it is too heavy for it and can crack the tray, and then you end up with a puddle on your buses floor.
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The Obsolete Air-Cooled Documentation Project http://oacdp.org/

[busdaddy]

[hotvduv]

About if I freeze a "9x"12 Tupperware with a lid on , would that work to keep it cold?
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JOHN: 3:16

[busdaddy]

Can't hurt to try, I find things seem colder when the ice is exposed but then maybe it's just me, it'd be nice to contain the melt water sometimes. I've used the blue refreezable things for day trips and going to shows, they kind of slide around in there unless you wedge them in with a sandwich or 6 pack of something, it's cool in there but not as cold as a real block of ice. Look at various small storage totes or even gallon milk jugs, it lasts longer when it's a great big block, the saw off is how much room is left in there for bacon and beer?
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[hotvduv]

Ok thanks for all your feed back, I'll try the different thing you suggested and see which one work for me, I'll post after I go camping with my kids to let you know how it went.
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JOHN: 3:16

[DadaCheese]

We'd love to hear your results.

Me, I freeze a large water container which fits in the ice tray. ...and add a couple smaller of those blue things around it.
When traveling in the summer in central California, the melted ice in the water container I can use to refill our water bottles (I recall day trips of 102 to 110 degrees; no exaggeration).

Overall though, with longer camping trips, it's two days before we add more ice (and yes, block ice is always best if you can get it).
I also try to have water bottles, beer, and such already cold before packing the ice box.

I have made improvements to my SO--42 ice box for better insulation. (Documented on page 2 of the thread linked below) but haven't used it enough yet to gauge a difference. Waiting for springtime and more camping.

Please let us know your findings.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3...p;start=20
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Cheese as in the stuff I love to eat.

[BarryL]

[hotvduv]

I sow your post of fridge upgrades,I think is awesome how you fix it up,
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JOHN: 3:16