Cool Box For Use When Carvanning

[minnie76]

I am looking to buy a cool box for when I am on holiday in the south of France to keep extra drinks in so not to fill the not so big caravan fridge. the box I am considering states that it cools to 20 degrees below ambient temperature. does this mean if it gets to 35 degrees the box will only cool to 15 degrees, therefore not really being a cool box?cheers

[gingejbee]

Yes, that's what it means. If you want to "chill" things at a high ambient temperature, you'd need a proper mini-fridge with it's own cooling-unit.

[minnie76]

product description - With a cooling capacity up to 18 deg.C below the ambient temperature this dual powered thermoelectric cooler has many features to offer. In a traditional purist design, its tall and compact shape holds 30 litres of food and drinks and perfectly manages the catering for family picnics or holiday travels. Comfort features include a sturdy carrier handle, which also serves to support the lid, and practical recessed grips

[gingejbee]

The sort of unit you describe is fine for keeping PRE-CHILLED stuff cold for a number of hours. But if you want the performance of a fridge - that's what you'll need (ie one with a compressor).

[jomifl]

Minnie, It means exactly that, but it isn't that bad, I live in the south of France and todays max temp. was 32C. 37C forecast for tomorrow. The night time temp gets down to 20C so your drinks will get cool and will seem cool even at 17C when it is 37C in the afternoon. If you will be staying on a site with a mains electricity supply consider getting a mains adaptor. Some coolboxes come with an adaptor included. If you go to the websites of the big hypermarkets (Géant, Intermarché, Casino, Leclerc, Auchan, and DIY stores Leroy Merlin, and Castorama you may find that you can get them cheaper in France. They are on sale in my local Intermarché, I can check the price if you wish.

[bhg481]

We've been camping for many years all over Europe and the best coolbox we've found is a Waeco Tropicool TC21 - around £160. It will run off mains or 12V and is the only box we've had which really does keep things cold - far better than the caravan fridge.