RAV4 Camping?

[tx2sturgis]

The fridge is good for when a trip is longer than 1 load of ice.  The hassle of getting just the right amount of ice, and keeping food out of melt water, increases as the square of the number of days out.  True fact I just made up.

True fact it is indeed! 

Not to start a cooler vs ice chest war (which might happen) but for a week or maybe two weeks, an ice chest works well, especially a high quality and fairly expensive one. Yeti, Orca, Engle, etc. 

The cheap $39 ice chests from the big box stores are worthless for anything more than a few days.

[Kyz]

Roamer, it's pretty big so for just an overnight, I think I'll be ok with just an outdoor chair/small table.

Shadow, agreed! I'm just going for 1 or 2 nights to start with. If I were to take a long drive/long trip (like to cooler areas in the summer) then the fridge would be perfect. As is, it will take up too much space I think.

Now to shop for the right size/good brand of an ice chest. I feel like that should be in person, not online.

[rvpopeye]

I was looking at some of these thinking about a smaller one for a freezer . I spotted this one ~12x12x24 and only 26# dual zone and 21qt , danfoss/secop compressor.
So it might be a possible replacement for the big 40qt one completely...

https://www.amazon.com/ICECO-Portable-Re...RydWU&th=1

[RoamerRV428]

Kyz a night or 2 out will show ya so much

You could for that short time rely on canned/easy packaged food too. You easily got this!!

[shadowmoss]

I guess I should have mentioned my fridge is a 24qt, so not that big. Big enough, but it fits. I also have a Bluetti power station that I plug it into, and plug that into the cigarette lighter. These are things that can be figured out as you go along. I do see folks using one of these smaller fridges to freeze the blue ice packs to put into a larger cooler. Again, this works when the trip is longer than someone wants to deal with getting ice.

[Kyz]

I think my fridge is 54qt because I bought it when my rv fridge crapped out. It's 12.5" by 23" but I don't have the height. I'm wanting something smaller than that, maybe 1/2 the size to sit on the front seat for the short trips.

I have a jackery 1000 and a 600w rockpals. I also have a 12v plug in the back that I can use for the fridge (when I decide to take it) while I'm driving and a couple up front to charge the battery banks if needed.

I got the bug netting for windows/sun roof/back door today, but the rain is coming tonight/tomorrow (of course) so not sure when I'll get to test things out. But I'm hoping to camp out in the yard next week for a mini test.

Food has to be keto so no prepackaged stuff. I've got 1 overnight of food already planned out.

[rvpopeye]

The back yard testing is a good way to go.
You already have a fair amount of gear to do what you want to do.
It's always about having that little bit more space........
I've been contemplating removing my passenger seat and building a mini "shed" in it's place......
Maybe you could put your fridge (or something else) there ?

The spoiler to my plan is the doghouse needs that seat removed first to open up the engine compartment. arrrrgh.

[sternwake]

Keeping sunlight and radiation out with friction fit custom made window shade panels can really improve comfort, and privacy.

I have 2 layers of this product, taped together with tyvec tape, a panel for every window, white side in to eliminate that 'impersonating a baked potato' feel.

Nashua flexfix 555 tape is better if one does not mind silver panel edges, or buys the two silver sided version.

https://www.amazon.com/SmartSHIELD-Refle...B07V9BT24C

[RoamerRV428]

where ya gonna go?
a nearby state park or such?

[rvpopeye]

Camping in the rain ?
You must become a tarp-master !
(Don't forget the bungees)