Ice Box modern day use

[azbob]

I'm prepping for Blackstar this weekend and got to thinking on how to best use my icebox in the camper. How do people keep items cold in the icebox for multiple days? What cooler hacks are used? Or is the best way to just buy a block of ice and put it in the to hoping to keep it cool?

I mean, it should be functional. Right?
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[srfndoc]

I don't use it for cold storage.... just for dry food items. Even if you upgrade the insulation it can't beat a modern cooler. The water tank is nice to have for fresh drinking water although many times I've just taken the whole unit out as its much roomier for camping, especially with a walkthru.
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[velvetgreen]

I find the original coldbox barely useful for actually keeping anything cold. I keep it as an original piece but when I actually want to go camping take it out and swap in a Yeti type equivalent cooler.

The 4" thick walls of the Yeti type cooler actually keep things cold for a long time whereas the original coldbox starts melting the ice pretty much immediately.

Just my 0.02

[easy e]

[Braukuche]

I always used mine. Put a big block of ice in there and it keeps stuff cold enough. I'd put meat on top of the ice, and use the storage area for stuff I wante cold but didn't have to worry about going off like cheese, drinks, condiments, fruit,etc.
I always liked it because stuff wasn't sitting in water when the ice melted.
I also used the water pump to clean dishes. It's pretty handy I always thought.
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[busdaddy]

Real block ice lasts 2-3 days + if you don't open the door constantly and sit there looking at stuff. Freeze your own in 2 qt paper milk/juice cartons and peel off the paper, or use a small storage tote for a mould. Hardcore space fanatics could make a custom cardboard box mould and put a plastic bag inside to fully fill the footprint and height of the rack over the pan.
Freeze every other thing you can ahead of time too, like bottled water, juice, etc.., it doesn't take long to thaw one out if you need it, after a few days it'll be close to liquid anyways, but it was part of a team effort on the way there.
A few milk jugs of frozen water in there a day or two ahead for a pre cool also helps.

Mass consumption things like beer are better off in their own dedicated cooler for easy access beside the campfire and to save getting in/out of the bus and icebox constantly.

If the bus is parked on a slope make sure the tray can drain and consider where the drainings will go, a soggy river right in front of the cargo door makes a muddy bus inside, and parking on an extreme uphill will flood the cargo floor back to under the bed, that's fun to step in at 03:00
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[jeremy57ride]

I am all for the vintage camping... but my ice box is our pantry. It is much more convenient to throw a modern cooler in the back.. or we use a college fridge for the week long electric trips. What can I say, our toilet is not a bucket either.
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[azbob]

[pyrOman]

In the Garaj Mahal refrigerator I keep milk jugs in the freezer. The “half gallon” size are perfect! A few of those will last 4 to 5 days easy. Plus keeping the water inside of the jugs prevents the flood that just a plain block of ice creates.
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[jeremy57ride]

[Buggeee]

[velvetgreen]

If money is no object this is hard to beat

https://www.amazon.com/Engel-Portable-Tri-Voltage-Freezer-Plastic/dp/B001SNWCFO

[velvetgreen]

or blow the budget and go hog wild

https://www.amazon.com/Engel-Portable-Voltage-Frid...merReviews

[Braukuche]

[j.pickens]

For a camping trip of more than two days without access to fresh ice, you need a modern deluxe cooler, like a Yeti. Wally World has a pretty good knockoff, their Ozark Trail brand. The small 26 quart unit costs around $70, fits between standard bus seats, and is very well made.
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[mdege]

[azbob]

So the consensus and from my testing is that the icebox works great for a 4 day trip as a place for dry storage. Worked wonderfully. The Yeti kept the food cold and the coleman kept the beers cold with daily addition of ice.

Retro fitting the ice box seems like a bit much effort/money for the size of the thing. I can stick with the yeti.
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[j.pickens]

[OG67westy]

icebox stores a "bighat" lantern, and can of coleman fuel perfectly. I keep a small blanket in there to prevent them rattling. That leaves the tray open for whatever else you care to store...
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[74 Thing]

Put and ice block in there and it keeps for 3 days or so