Question Dometic cooler in basement, keep it or leave it?

[Kevin D Pem]

I would love to have an outside fridge (inc galley). I would gladly trade the outside entertainment center for one. I don't watch TV at all.

This is the whole of the thing. Find room by determining what you personally don't use.

If you are just thinking about the stairs, then get rid of the gym membership, and the cooler

 

[MemoriesByTheMile]

In our experience full timing - it all depends on the size of the inside refrigerator.
We don’t have an outside unit, only inside, and have been fine.

 

[d23haynes57]

If not using it, don't keep it. Someone somewhere would really like to have one and can't afford or justify it new. Sell it to get some fuel money.

 

[Neal]

If removed it would be temporary. Business is not forever. I'm still on the fence about it, we'll see how this upcoming short trip goes before I decide how I'll handle the longer winter trip planned. I only use it for drinks. I've only used this for drinks which has been nice but the inside frig would be sufficient as it's just me. It's just a nicety. I haven't been overly impressed with the Dometic CF-80. I did some research and if/when this one dies I'll likely go to the ICECO brand. I'd need to replace the double-extension slideout tray too that it sits in.

Large Capacity Portable Refrigerator | ICECO

ICECO car cooler large capacity series, more than 60 liters. ICECO portable fridge freezer built for camping, overlanding, van life, and outdoor summer travel.

icecofreezer.com

 

[Kevin D Pem]

I know you're not looking,but you're researching just the same.

So this is how I dissect what I am listening to.

You like having a cold beverage close by.

You like options, but the one you have has issues (as they all do).

So this is My choice and why.

If I'm going to have 3 12 packs stored anyway I want them to take as little space as possible. But I still need to account for the space.

I want as many options checked as I can check with one device. This is the way most nomads build narrative.

So I ask do I want a cold one while I'm in the towed?

What would keep My frozen goods frozen on the trip back from trips to provision?

That makes My research much easier. It also keeps My funds intact.

In this popular science comparison article. Only one thing caught My eye!

So you know what I am looking at pay attention to the oyster product they barely mention, because it's that caught My eye and checks My boxes.

We Filled 7 Coolers With Ice and Left Them for 24 Hours. See Which Brand Held Up the Best.

We put models from top brands to the test to find the most reliable and durable options.

www.popularmechanics.com

 

[DKRITTER]

Basement Fridge is a gotta.
It's my beer fridge, my preference is Shiner Beer and when you get out of Texas there have been several times where it gets hard to find. I set it to 22 degrees and it's a perfect beer.

 

[d23haynes57]

I often camp without hookups and one campground I frequent only has single 30 amp service. While the cooler fridge does not use a lot of power it would be one more thing for me to manage. Traveling alone the inside fridge is fine. I hardly use it. I have it but if I was buying rig now, I probably would not go for the option.

 

[BGMAC]

When Twila and I traveled to Alaska for two months I never thought about needing a fridge outside. We had plenty of room in our fridge/freezer. We bought cases of drinks and keeled about a half a case in the fridge. The rest in an under bench drawer and occasionally rotated out.
I enjoy bourbon and that stayed in the freezer.

Now a portable icemaker was needed and we got a good one. Ice in about 10 minutes and a nice size for drinks.

 

[jagpot]

In your RVing lifestyle, how important is a second/separate cooler from your main refrigerator/freezor? I added a Dometic CF-80 to my right forward basement and have enjoyed it for years solely for keeping drinks cold and easily accessible from the patio. As I'm entertaining longer term travel now basement space is becoming more of an issue having to carry inventory my business ships. It's temperature sensitive to some degree so keeping it in the back of my pickup bed under a lockable cover is not ideal but possible. I'm thinking of removing the Dometic CF-80 and using the right forward basement for storage instead, solely for the business inventory and packing materials. I realize this is partly a business decision, for now, but I wonder what the opinions are on the additional cooler, keep it or store it for now? How much are you using yours if you have one, could you do without it?

Keep it if possible. We love ours and rely on it. Keeps traffic down instead of going inside.

 

[Neal]

Two days into my trip and 9 years into ownership of this coach and the reorganizing never ends. This time around doing better and throwing away things I just don't need, use etc. My Ventana has the dinette setup which offers quite a bit of nice storage so I found a good setup so far for the business inventory I need to carry, at least for starters. The overhead storage is essentially unused so that offers good space too. I know I've been on long trips and have been amazed at how much you can carry in these things, it just takes serious puzzle solving. Need to go through the basements next and the final puzzle which is always puzzling is the under bed storage. My spare parts which is way too much junk, and other things. I really need to work on that which is the weekend chore. But so far so good and the Dometic will remain until space is critical.

Getting settled back into the RV has been a bit of a thing but feeling a lot better today than yesterday. Back to comfortable and enjoying the RV life again.

 

[Rollin Ollen]

Two days into my trip and 9 years into ownership of this coach and the reorganizing never ends. This time around doing better and throwing away things I just don't need, use etc.

I think modern man/woman are genetically packrats!! We considered ourselves minimalist once we began full timing eight years ago. We started with a 28 foot Class A and a year ago moved up to a 33 foot Class A. It didn't take us long to acquire more stuff to fill those empty storage bins! Now we are looking to see what we can shed because I am concerned we are packing un needed weight and we have come across quite a bit that can go. Thit brings on the "reorganizing phase". That means for the next little while I will be trying to remember where a certain item is instead of knowing exactly where it should be.

Glad to hear you are getting more comfortable with your new lifestyle.

 

[Neal]

Just finished phase 18 of the reorg. When you have things and later shed them, some parts of those things hang around. Blackstone griddle accessories, Keurig accessories, duplicate utensils, on and on. Been quite the day of shedding. Not talking about the one that sheds a full coat daily!

Inside is about done. I reminded myself under the jack knife sofa is some nice storage too which is where inventory for the long trip this winter will go. Basements up next, not today!

 

[Underboss]

Setting up the new Dutch Star. I made a location spreadsheet. Now I can go to the sheet and find where I put something instead of going through everything.
Then, after I finished that spreadsheet, I started to move things around for the third time

 

[Neal]

Yeah, it's amazing how often I can't find something in this small space of a RV.

 

[Rollin Ollen]

Setting up the new Dutch Star. I made a location spreadsheet. Now I can go to the sheet and find where I put something instead of going through everything.
Then, after I finished that spreadsheet, I started to move things around for the third time

You had me at the beginning!! I thought what a good idea a spreadsheet would be.......and then!