New Ice Box in our Play-Pac!

[Stephen T.]

When we got the trailer, about 2 1/2 years ago, the interior was painted dark purple, with pink trim. Even the skylight was purple! Most of the original cabinet work was there, although near the door there was water damage. The ice box was missing and the counter and ice box hole were pretty butchered.

We also got the counter done, so the front end looks massively better than when we bought it. The before picture, unfortunately, is only from 4 months ago, we didn't take any of the purple interior.





We thought about a small propane refrigerator, even have one, but it's awful small inside, and would require quite a few holes in the shell. The ice box was up front, not the place for a propane fridge! So, I figured out how to fit a very insulated ice box in the existing space. This was pretty tricky, with the slanting walls, and having to fit all the parts through the old door opening! This had to be a "low budget" job, as things are a bit tight around here, business is slow.

I used 2" rigid extruded polystyrene insulation for the main structural parts, and had lots of scraps of 1" left from doing the walls. I also had some thin, sheet aluminum, which I glued to the foam on the interior, to protect it and also as a thermal reflector. In the odd wall cavities, behind and to the side, I filled the space with foam packing peanuts (not the bio-degradable, dissolve in water type!), as it would have been wasted and innaccessable space anyway. Now, there's a minimum of 3" of insulation, with areas that are up to about 5", where the peanuts are jammed.













I still have to build a set of removable shelves for the interior, which is about 3.8 cubic feet. I'm anxious to test it out. How long will ice last? A gallon milk jug, frozen to about 10 degrees, usually is only good for a couple days, in a regular ice chest with pitiful insulation, so this should do pretty well!

We'll get the chance to try it out in a couple weeks, on a cruise up the Oregon Coast to SW Washington for a week.

Steve

[Steve Hilby]

Looks really nice! Did you caulk the joints? And does it have a drain? How will you support the shelves?

[Donna D.]

That looks great, fully functional too. I love it when a plan comes together.

Although I have to admit, I would have loved to have seen some purple pictures

[Stephen T.]

Looks really nice! Did you caulk the joints? And does it have a drain? How will you support the shelves?

Yes, all joints are caulked with acrylic latex.

The one thing left behind from the old ice box was the drain. I'm waiting for the caulk to fully cure, before I cut it off, flush with the low point in the floor. Since we use a combination of "Blue Ice" and plastic milk bottles for ice, there usually isn't anything to drain, except a bit of condensation.

I used weatherstripping for a door gasket, and I'm thinking of a regular window sash lock to close it tight. That won't accidentally come open on bumpy roads, and will compress the gasket.

I'm building the shelves out of thin strips of red cedar, about 1/2" square. It will be a freestanding unit that is removable. We thought about trying to find a shelf that would fit, something like plastic coated metal, but the size/shape is certainly not "standard"!

Steve

[Pat B Ohio]

If you need cheap light shelving, look for locker shelves in the thrift store or on sale at an office supply store. I found some for $1.

[Pamela S.]

It looks gorgeous; VERY nicely done. Hope the shelving plan works out for you.

[olhippiejim]

Originally Posted by Stephen T.

When we got the trailer, about 2 1/2 years ago, the interior was painted dark purple, with pink trim. Even the skylight was purple! Most of the original cabinet work was there, although near the door there was water damage. The ice box was missing and the counter and ice box hole were pretty butchered.

We also got the counter done, so the front end looks massively better than when we bought it. The before picture, unfortunately, is only from 4 months ago, we didn't take any of the purple interior.


Attachment 23069


We thought about a small propane refrigerator, even have one, but it's awful small inside, and would require quite a few holes in the shell. The ice box was up front, not the place for a propane fridge! So, I figured out how to fit a very insulated ice box in the existing space. This was pretty tricky, with the slanting walls, and having to fit all the parts through the old door opening! This had to be a "low budget" job, as things are a bit tight around here, business is slow.

I used 2" rigid extruded polystyrene insulation for the main structural parts, and had lots of scraps of 1" left from doing the walls. I also had some thin, sheet aluminum, which I glued to the foam on the interior, to protect it and also as a thermal reflector. In the odd wall cavities, behind and to the side, I filled the space with foam packing peanuts (not the bio-degradable, dissolve in water type!), as it would have been wasted and innaccessable space anyway. Now, there's a minimum of 3" of insulation, with areas that are up to about 5", where the peanuts are jammed.


Attachment 23070



Attachment 23071



Attachment 23072


I still have to build a set of removable shelves for the interior, which is about 3.8 cubic feet. I'm anxious to test it out. How long will ice last? A gallon milk jug, frozen to about 10 degrees, usually is only good for a couple days, in a regular ice chest with pitiful insulation, so this should do pretty well!

We'll get the chance to try it out in a couple weeks, on a cruise up the Oregon Coast to SW Washington for a week.

Steve

hey steve been reading all the post old and new,really liked your work and we are looking for some of the original curtain clips that snap on a tape and then they slide onto the tracks.would you happen to have any of these clips or know where we could get some Thanks,Jim

[cpaharley2008]

You may want to rethink the drain issue, having a little drain hose could give you more options, as carrying ice it can eliminate the water mess but still allow the ice to keep it cold or any other cold item may leak or spill. Having a drain in my cooler was nice, particularly in emptying or draining any unwanted water.