Portsmouth to Santander, Fridge Strategy

[Jake Royd]

Were off to Santander early next month on the above route.
The fridge will therefore be off for about 24hrs.

The fridge is a Dometic AES tower fridge, 2008 vintage.

My plan is to fill it with food as normal but no freezer stuff but freeze two large freezer blocks before we depart.
These will be put at the top of the fridge compartment whilst we sail.

I'm pretty sure this will work with no spoiled goods.

However , I might be being too conservative , hence asking the question here.

If the fridge and freezer are both full and as cold as possible before sailing will the frozen stuff survive?

Do any kind Funsters have any experience to offer please ?

 

[mikebeaches]

I think you should be OK. However, you could also freeze a bottle of water or two, or even milk. Which would all help.

And if you've got something frozen for your first meal when you get there, that would provide yet more chilling.

 

[DBK]

I wouldn't put frozen stuff in you want to keep frozen for a while afterwards. It may not completely defrost but could get a bit soft. Of course you could just cook it thoroughly and you will be fine.

I wouldn't use freezer packs, just put a litre of frozen milk in the door pocket. We usually take a tupperware of frozen stew to eat on the first night after landing as well.

Just ensure you turn on and load the fridge the day before you leave.

 

[Four of us]

Our fridge and freezer compartment have been fine on this route. Keep the freezer filled up with already frozen stuff and put already chilled stuff in fridge....turn it up high and don't open it unnecessarily... We didn't have any problems.

 

[mike mcglynn]

we froze two 4 litre milks and put in door for same trip as yours and they were still solid when we landed in Spain

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[bigtwin]

I’d agree with what most have said but would put whatever is frozen on the top shelf because, as we all know, cold air falls and provides a better distribution of the ‘heat’.

Frozen milk in the door pockets, while beneficial, is slightly less effective.

Ian

 

[Richard n Ann]

We crossed to Bilbao on Monday, I filled the freezer with;
10 Fish fingers
1 takeaway Curry (Vindaloo hot)
1 steak pie
Bag of prawns
1/2 a Naan bread
1 mini pizza stick
Smoked salmon.

I put a digital thermometer probe in on the side wall half way to the back of the compartment . When we docked 30 hours or so later the thermometer was showing +4°c
Having a rummage through the food, all the less dense and small things like fish fingers and bread were soft but the tray of curry at the back was still frozen in the middle.

So I think if you take dense liquid foods they should stay mostly frozen

PS I've et half the fish fingers already and I'm still here

 

[gus-lopez]

I always use 5/6 litre water bottles left in the home freezer for some weeks so ultra deep frozen .Stick as many in as you can . If not enough room then do it with 1,5/2 liter deep frozen bottles in the door.

 

[Richard n Ann]

One thing I thought of is rigging up the solar panel so that it runs the fridge on 12v just during the day, the 150w panel will just about make what the fridge uses.

A light dependent resistor circuit would switch a relay and connect the fridge when sunny... But I can't be bothered with all that faff

 

[Sundowners]

One thing I thought of is rigging up the solar panel so that it runs the fridge on 12v just during the day, the 150w panel will just about make what the fridge uses.

A light dependent resistor circuit would switch a relay and connect the fridge when sunny... But I can't be bothered with all that faff

We have never had any sun in the ferry car decks!!!!!
Always just get everything as cold as possible and never had a problem

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[Sundowners]

If you are worried about anything that may have thawed out----- cook it and refreeze it

 

[Richard n Ann]

We have never had any sun in the ferry car decks!!!!!

We were travelling poverty class out on the deck you do get a free layer of sea salt on the van though

 

[Jake Royd]

Thanks for your replies.
A good idea to put something frozen in to eat on the evening (we dock at something like 5:30pm)

I can see if we put high density, high mass things in they will survive.

I've got on of those non contact infra red thermometer 'guns' to play with.

 

[bigtwin]

.I've got on of those non contact infra red thermometer 'guns' to play with.

Ahh, a one shot device! They need the door open to measure the temperature.

A roast meat thermometer does the trick well. The probe sits in the fridge and the ribbon cable easily sits between the door and fridge frame.

Ian

 

[Mikeco]

I believe Spain has some shops now.

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[carolyn]

We have a dometic fridge with a freezer compartment. We pack the freezer compartment with a few frozen meals. I freeze 2 x 2 litre cartons of milk. This has worked perfectly well even on the 2 night crossing from Portsmouth to Bilbao. The milk is still not even full defrosted and the meals are frozen pretty hard. I don't bother with thermometers as my standards are low, if it smells OK i'll eat it. I do have a caste iron stomach mind.

 

[DBK]

Thanks for your replies.
A good idea to put something frozen in to eat on the evening (we dock at something like 5:30pm)

I can see if we put high density, high mass things in they will survive.

I've got on of those non contact infra red thermometer 'guns' to play with.

I carry one of these. Useful as a general thermometer but the probe on the wire works for fridges and coolbox.

Chewed by dog is an optional extra.

This is the culprit.

 

[Richard n Ann]

I believe Spain has some shops now.

Yes but do they stock the Captains Haddock Fish Fingers? or Delishious curries from the Gulab at Chesterfield?

We just take things you can't buy. Me Warburtons loaf is another

 

[Al-Di]

Have you thought of asking to be plugged in we do and only been refused once as we were to far away from a socket, and only had 1 lead.

 

[Jake Royd]

Have you thought of asking to be plugged in we do and only been refused once as we were to far away from a socket, and only had 1 lead.

I did not know you could do this.
I guess it maybe really for the refrigerated trucks to maintain their loads?

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[Mikeco]

I did not know you could do this.
I guess it maybe really for the refrigerated trucks to maintain their loads?

As you are carrying more food than the refrigerated trucks you will be given priority.

 

[Northernraider]

I forgot to switch mine off on the Portsmouth to Santander ferry last year.
Everything was still cold when I got to Spain.
That said half the van was out in the open deck anyway

 

[gus-lopez]

I did not know you could do this.
I guess it maybe really for the refrigerated trucks to maintain their loads?

They use 3 phase ,different supplies.

 

[Barclaybasher]

I have a 'student' fridge at home and on the van - just milk and out of date stuff

 

[Reallyretired]

I have radio controlled thermometers in the fridge and freezer so can see temp without opening The fridge was off for most of the day on a warm day in Spain recently due to the angle (one wheel down a cesspit) and the warmest the freezer got was - 7.

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[Dorset Diver]

Does anyone leave the fridge running on gas?

 

[Richard n Ann]

Does anyone leave the fridge running on gas?

No, I wouldn't do that, they tell you more than once the gas must be off. It only takes one faulty fridge to start a fire then they'd all go up in smoke

 

[Melian]

ask to plug in

 

[Cheshirecat57]

Am i missing something, wont the fridge run on battery on a low setting for the journey?

 

[Neckender]

Our fridge is a compressor fridge so we would have no problems.

John.

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