Hi! I Am New Here!

#1

I would like to say hi! HI!

I don’t have a van, maybe in the future.(Although my daughter has expressed a fleeting interest in van life) Right now I have a little tiny homemade travel trailer. I love it! I started watching van life videos on youtube to get ideas for my travel trailer. The way van lifers use the small amount of room they have available is very impressive! Right now I am working on my “kitchen” area. I am looking at small refrigerators. I have room for a small one. No higher than 15 inches, 22 inches wide and 12 inches front to back (depth?). I have a small little solar power box that can power a 12 volt. I prefer it to open from the top.
So far the travel trailer has a gravity water system, with a small sink, and gray water tank. It has a pull out bed/couch for me and hubby. I built a canopy bed for our daughter with a privacy curtain. It has a small little hideaway cassette potty. A shower that I can pack away in a plastic bin with a rechargeable shower head. I have 2 shelves that hold our clothes, food, games, plates, bowls, dog food, hot plate, toaster oven, heater and a/c. We have a little gas generator.
We have taken it out several times since we have had it over the last 2 years. We plan on traveling more. Which is the reason why I am looking for a more efficient fridge that fits in my last little spot. I love this little thing. I didn’t build it. But I have put a lot of work into it to make it more efficient. I hope to get some great ideas!!!

#2

Greetings & Welcome!

If you like your trailer, don’t let the promoters talk you into spending a ton of money on a van. If you want to upgrade, a cheap older motorhome would be a much better and cheaper choice than converting a van. Most low end van conversions cost upwards of $20k including the van, while $5k will buy you an older top of the line MH in excellent condition, and move in ready.

I’m not a fan of 12v fridges. The promoters want to sell you on a bunch of expensive purchases, because they’ll make money off your purchases. I’m not a promoter, I work for a living, so my opinion isn’t swayed by money, it’s swayed by years of experience, and having made just about every mistake in the book.

I’ve switched back to a good old reliable ice chest, and if I need a freezer, I use dry ice. It’s simple, cheap, easy, reliable, requires no power, and doesn’t add heat to my interior during the summer. I’ve probably lost $1k worth of food, and thousands worth of $$$ due to dying 12v fridges. Friends that have 3-way fridges fueled by propane, kerosene, diesel, etc. and vented to the outside do like those, but I’m not aware of any that are top opening or in your size range. It would be easy to get an ice chest that fits your requirements though.

During the hottest parts of summer, I wrap my ice chest in a moving blanket, and my ice always lasts me at least a week. When I had motorhomes, I could boondock all summer on a tank of fuel, where a 12v fridge, all the required solar stuff, and batteries would have cost me more than the motorhome, not just a $20 tank of fuel. This lifestyle can be really great, and cheap, if you do it right, or really bad and expensive if you do it wrong. I’ve tried it both ways and prefer great & cheap.

Cheers!

"Swamp coolers for the win to beat the heat." ~Road Warrior