Dum Question re refrigeration

[Mike]

I have an O'Day 27 -- 4 cubic foot ice box. I also have a coleman refrigerator/cooler. Can I take it apart & install the cooler unit on top of my icechest? Would that work? (I know it soumnds like a dum question, but why not?)

 

[Justin - O'day Owners' Web]

Well . . .

Mike -There is no reason this wouldn't work, but is it really worth the headache? How good is the insulation in the ice box? I'd bet the cooler insulation is better. You may wind up doing a big project to discover you no longer have a functional cooler and the icebox cum cooler doesn't work like you thought. I turned my original ice box into the pantry and use a cooler instead.Justin - O'day Owners' Web

 

[howie]

what i did

when i had my old hunter 27 it seemed easier to just use the cooler for short stays. Once you loaded up the icebox with the food, beer, ice etc.. when your weekend was over you had to unload it all over again to take home leftovers. Maybe use the cooler for beer and the box for food. Sounds like ripping open and using the parts might be its death toll. I know fishing boat folks that use the livewell for the beer and keep the fish in the cooler, no sense in stinking up both since the fish have to come home in the cooler anyways

 

[Peter Brennan]

Worst of both worlds

If that Coleman is one of those thermoelectric coolers, don't. I did this once and it never worked very well. Keep the cooler and buy ice for the icebox or convert the icebox to a real refrigerator.