[VAC] Re: refrig

["Dr. Gerald N. Johnson, electrical engineer" <geraldj@xxxxxxxxxx>]

The last trip that I needed to keep food cold, I used a foam cooler with
ice in the back of the truck. Ice there lasted longer than in the
refrigerator, though encasing the initial ice in recycled plastic milk
and water jugs cuts down on the melting and running out on the carpet.
With liberal use of canned and dry products (such as hot chocolate mix
for drinking) I've gone several days without the need for much ice.

Lighting a refrigerator at every stop can get to be a pain. Running on
12 volts while on the road doesn't often work out to be practical
either, though with the modern refrigerator it is possible.

If and when I spend a lot of time on the road instead of visiting
relations, I will probably have to do something about a better
refrigerator. I'm suspicious that the modern 12 volt compressor operated
refrigerator will take about half the electrical energy of an absorption
cycle refrigerator with the same quality of insulation, but that the
insulation quality should be much better these days to make that battery
operated refrigerator quite practical.

Gerald J.