Refrigeration & Food Storage
What’s For Dinner? Food is an integral part of our lives. It’s the focus of many holidays and celebrations within groups of friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors. - There is no reason we can’t still “celebrate” with food while living as a Full Time Nomad, however, carrying all that food around in an RV, Skoolie, or Van does present it’s own set of challenges.
Fridges and Freezers come in all shapes and sizes, but when space is limited we might need to get creative in storing cold foods, as well as dry-goods, spices, and condiments. There are several options, and we’ve tried to cover all the bases below. Click the images to compare and find the right solution for You!
Want the Easy Answer? Have a look at our Simple Skoolie Kitchen Article for a quick, easy, and inexpensive way to a fully functional Kitchen!
Refrigerators (household, 120v)
The first thought is usually to just go get a standard 120v Household Fridge. We already know how to use them, you can easily pick one up from your local Big-Box, or even pack out the one that you already have. Once on The Road, however, you will almost certainly find that you use your Refrigerator space much more efficiently and sparingly. - Before you drag “Ol' Betsy" out the door and try to wedge her into the bus, consider these slightly smaller units that are substantially easier on space and power.
Tech Tip: Bear in mind that with a Household Fridge you will have to leave the Inverter on all the time to create 120v Power. This means a continual draw on your Battery Bank. - To minimize this, we suggest you use a Secondary Inverter that will handle just over the Wattage load of your Refrigerator (typically 800 watts or less). Dedicate this Inverter to the Fridge (leave it on), so that you can turn your Primary (house) Inverter Off when not using other 120v appliances. (See Solar 101 for more.) - Even better, consider a smaller, more efficient 12v Fridge that will save a ton of power in the long run. Scroll Down for options.
Compact and unique
If you are new to the Nomad Lifestyle (or if you’re on the road with a family of 6) you might laugh at these suggestions, but if you’ve been out here for a while, you’re probably wishing that you had started with something smaller from the beginning.
Unless you are a hardcore foodie or a large family, you’ll be surprised at how little Fridge space you actually need. - Here are some unique compact options that fit well in tight spaces, and still show a little style.
12-Volt Cooler / “chest-Style” refrigerators
Whether it be for power consumption or spatial concerns, many people go with a 12v “Cooler” or “Chest-Style” Fridge, thereby skipping the Inverter entirely and running directly from the Battery Bank. Prices and Capacity are comparable to a smaller 120v Fridge, and since warm air rises and cool air falls, these are far and away the most efficient. This is not only our recommendation, but what we actually use on The Road. - Scroll Down for more info and some Dual Zone Fridge/Freezer Combinations.
From The Driver’s Seat: If you’re shopping for a full-size 12v refrigerator, we highly recommend going down to your local RV/Marine supplier and actually putting your hands on one before making the purchase. Given the cost and capacity, we would consider buying 2 (or 3) smaller Chest-Style units and scaling up or down as needed. Rec-Pro does carry a good one, though. Click the image to check it out.
Tech Tip: To save a ton of space, most condiments can be stored at room temperature. Seriously! Next time you stop at a roadside diner check out the ketchup, mustard, A1, Tabasco, and even mayo at the waitress station. Yup, those bottles live right there overnight!
Skoolie, Van & RV Freezers* And More
The old rusty Cadillac off of grandma’s back porch isn’t quite going to work in a Skoolie, but you don’t have to give up your ice cream or Hot Pockets. - All of the 12v fridge units shown above actually hold their own as freezers as well. You can save money by getting 2 of those and using one for a fridge and one for a freezer, or check out these Dual Zone options!
If it’s mostly cold drinks that you desire, we’ve included a great little countertop ice maker that should keep up with even the thirstiest of patrons.
Tech Tip: Most Full-Time Nomads are limited in freezer space, so Ice can be hard to come by. We’ve found Blue Ice and this reusable ice pack to be invaluable.
Yeti Cooler, Coleman Cooler, And…
You’re going to want a decent Cooler on the road, especially if you drink a lot of beverages. Not only will it limit the number of times you open and close the Refrigerator, but they can double as storage space when not in use.
The Yeti Cooler, of course, is the “gold standard”, but there are a lot of competitors on the market, and frankly, we’re happy with the old Aluminum Coleman Cooler we got at a garage sale 20 years ago.
From The Driver’s Seat: Ultimately you’ll make this decision based on space, needs, and power. Most old-timers will tell you that a decent Cooler, a small Fridge, and a good can opener will be your best friends on The Road.
Space Savers and Storage
These are just a few of our favorite storage items. There are many more on the RV Accessories Page. Of course, for many of us, nothing beats good ol’ Mason Jars.
From the Driver’s Seat: *We intentionally didn’t include any propane refrigeration units here. Chances are, if you are shopping for these, you’re looking for a replacement for an existing RV, and that is something best handled at a licensed service shop - with a repair warranty in hand. As always, it’s your choice, but with the advances in solar technology and energy efficiency, we’re just not big fans propane refrigerators. You can certainly find them by clicking any of the links above, but please do your due diligence.
Please Support Skoolie Supply by shopping through our Amazon Links. (Even if you don’t buy what we’re advertising, we still get a little bump.) - Watch for new Merch coming soon, but for now have a look at the Swag Page.
Prefer to Donate? Please Click Here: Support Skoolie Supply. Thank you!
As always, check back often, and don’t hesitate to drop us a line if you have a favorite in any of the categories above that we missed.