warm ice cream

Hart_family · 04-22-2019, 07:32 PM

We have a brand new bugt basic 6 cf Dometic fridge/freezer. Not sure if that number includes both the fridge AND freezer, but the freezer is certainly much smaller than the fridge.

I know we have debated whether or not to tow and travel with a propane fridge running. Some think it is fine, others think it is not. That said, we have tried to NOT do it.

However, we still need to keep our frozen food cold in the insulated freezer. The problem seems to mainly be ice cream. (yes - we like ice cream)

Even when I jam it full of 4-5 ice packs (Cooler Shock premium 8-hour lunch packs frozen at 18 degrees F), by the time we get to our destination, all of our ice cream is soft and melty.

This happens after only 2 hours of driving. The fridge part stays cool enough for food/drinks, but the freezer seems to rapidly warm up. It is just ice cream though. The freezer packs are still frozen solid.

Any techniques that I should be considering?

ATCguy · 04-22-2019, 07:53 PM

Ice cream has been a continuing issue for me for the past 5 years...

As you say, never any issues with the fridge... and normally no issues with keeping other foods frozen in the freezer (steaks, microwave pizzas, etc). But keeping ice cream frozen is a constant problem.

Some days, it's hard as a brick... other days a very soft (if not gooey) mess. And novelty ice cream like fudge-cycles or nutty-buddies... forget it. I've quit buying 'em.

I've tried to find patterns, and I can't figure out any. I do travel with the propane on... but that seems to have nothing to do with it. I'll be sitting still at a location for a month... no changes whatsoever... and one day, my Hagen-Daz will be rock hard. Go back the next day... same time, mind you... soft & gooey. Next day, solid again. No rhyme or reason... just the way it is.

I've tried to figure out if a sunny day or cloudy made a difference... nada. Same thing for warm & hot weather, or cool... nada. high humidity outside or low.. nada. Have just given up on trying to figure it out.

I've read various posts about it over the years (Google search has it as a somewhat common issue), with some saying the type of ice cream & butter-fat content has a lot to do with it... others say it's only certain flavors that do it (chocolate stays firm, vanilla doesn't), etc.

One suggestion I have seen, but not tried, is to remove your ice cream from the store container, and pack it into a Tupperware or other type of plastic container. The suggester stated that their ice cream seemed to stay firmer that way.

Anyway... good luck.

Hart_family · 04-22-2019, 09:46 PM

Haha. Sorry you've had worse problems than I have with the frozen treat. If I keep my fridge running w/ propane during transport, I have no issues. (well, truth be told, the ice cream is rock hard and difficult to work with...freezer working too well I suppose).

I just thought the small freezer with premium ice packs would be insulated enough to not have a huge temperature drop over 1-3 hours, but my experience says otherwise.

Thom · 04-23-2019, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hart_family

Haha. Sorry you've had worse problems than I have with the frozen treat. If I keep my fridge running w/ propane during transport, I have no issues. (well, truth be told, the ice cream is rock hard and difficult to work with...freezer working too well I suppose).

I just thought the small freezer with premium ice packs would be insulated enough to not have a huge temperature drop over 1-3 hours, but my experience says otherwise.

Do you put the ice packs on top of or below your ice cream? Cold air falls.
Do you have a freezer circulation fan?

Hart_family · 04-23-2019, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thom

Do you put the ice packs on top of or below your ice cream? Cold air falls.
Do you have a freezer circulation fan?

I put a total of four ice packs in the freezer with the ice cream, each at 18 degrees and frozen solid like a rock. I put one underneath the ice cream container, one on top, and one on each side. I tried to secure them so they would not move around.

Also, the ice cream container was on the bottom of the freezer.

No dice. Still got a milk shake.

I did not use a circulation fan, but I do have one and should probably try that next time. Good suggestion!

Wanderer · 04-23-2019, 03:45 PM

Ice cream needs to be kept between 0 and minus 5 F. Hard to achieve with ice packs for any length of time. Remember that sugar is an anti-freeze.

mjcarte · 04-23-2019, 06:14 PM

Why don't you stop playing around with fate and just eat it before you head out!

I have bought dry ice and put it on top of ice cream containers while we were in transit between places on long trips. DO NOT put the dry ice in contact with any of the plastic walls of the freezer... it will cause it to crack.

Hart_family · 04-23-2019, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mjcarte

Why don't you stop playing around with fate and just eat it before you head out!

I have bought dry ice and put it on top of ice cream containers while we were in transit between places on long trips. DO NOT put the dry ice in contact with any of the plastic walls of the freezer... it will cause it to crack.

Good advice. All of it. Thanks!

Firstime RVer · 04-23-2019, 08:53 PM

We freeze the food destined for our dometic fridge freezer, in our deep freezer. Cant tell you the temperature but you need a sledge and chisel to get the ice cream out of the container. We also freeze about 7 water bottles as well. We turn the TT fridge/freezer on the night before we leave and move the food and water bottles from the deep freezer to the Travel trailer fridge, just before we leave. 4 frozen bottles in the freezer, 3 in the fridge. It has kept our food frozen solid and the ice cream reasonably firm (not soupy) on trips up to 6 hours.. Since I'm not comfortable running the fridge on propane while driving, I bought a 400 watt inverter to use for trips over 6 hours..
Hope this helps.
Pat

franktafl · 04-23-2019, 08:55 PM

you can always get one of those yeti bags (after you mortgage the house to pay for it).

Hart_family · 04-23-2019, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Firstime RVer

We freeze the food destined for our dometic fridge freezer, in our deep freezer. Cant tell you the temperature but you need a sledge and chisel to get the ice cream out of the container. We also freeze about 7 water bottles as well. We turn the TT fridge/freezer on the night before we leave and move the food and water bottles from the deep freezer to the Travel trailer fridge, just before we leave. 4 frozen bottles in the freezer, 3 in the fridge. It has kept our food frozen solid and the ice cream reasonably firm (not soupy) on trips up to 6 hours.. Since I'm not comfortable running the fridge on propane while driving, I bought a 400 watt inverter to use for trips over 6 hours..
Hope this helps.
Pat

Thanks Pat. Good ideas. Like you, I chill the fridge and freezer the day before. Also like you, I freeze and chill everything in the house BEFORE placing it in the RV fridge/freezer. I also use those ice packs which are colder than just frozen water bottles. Ice cream is quite soft after about 2 hours of driving. If I keep the fridge turned on using propane, things are obviously fine. Ambient temperatures outside are about 70 degrees. No one opens the freezer during transport.

Firstime RVer · 04-24-2019, 01:18 AM

LOL the funny part is that everything is fine except for the Ice cream!!
I guess I cant argue with what works!!
You might try using those Styrofoam boxes that they ship the steaks in with a couple of freezer packs. I would expect things to stay frozen for days due to the thickness of the Styrofoam....

Hart_family · 04-24-2019, 01:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Firstime RVer

LOL the funny part is that everything is fine except for the Ice cream!!
I guess I cant argue with what works!!
You might try using those Styrofoam boxes that they ship the steaks in with a couple of freezer packs. I would expect things to stay frozen for days due to the thickness of the Styrofoam....

Haha. I am thinking that the physical laws of the universe are just different for ice cream.

Firstime RVer · 04-24-2019, 01:52 AM

I think you have a point there about the physical laws of the universe are different for ice cream.. Ours always seems to disappear before we know it!!

Pat

Rayt38 · 04-27-2019, 09:31 PM

How hilly is the terrain you are traveling across? Think of how that fridge works on propane, it boils ammonia to make cold. If the flame is not on the bottom of the boiler, no cooling. As that boiler goes up and down hills, it’s not level

Hart_family · 04-27-2019, 09:52 PM

Thanks Ray. I have no issue when the cooling system is on while driving. In this case, the fridge and freezer are already turned off during driving as many feel that is safer. Many RV owners contend that their food, including ice cream, stays frozen for up to 4 hours. My experience is just not consistent with that. I think ice cream is just in a class all it’s own.

sundancer 87 · 04-27-2019, 11:32 PM

Actually, a tube comes out of the absorber tank that connects to the percolator tube that is heated by the flame. The flame is directed on the tube to heat the chemicals so it would take a great downhill angle to move the solution away from the percolator. The act of percolating the chemicals throughout the system doesn't make cold but rather removes heat or absorbs heat to leave a colder environment, hence, the name absorption.
Same principal as air conditioning, the refrigerate and system removes heat and therefore creates a colder environment.

barrymerle · 04-28-2019, 12:31 AM

We do travel with the propane on, and have never had any problems, although there are some bridges and tunnels that you have to be aware of, that the propane tanks must be off. With ice cream, we find that pints stay firmer than quarts, and keep them on the bottom of the freezer, and with a lot of air space around them to stay cold. And yes ice cream needs at least 0 degrees to be very firm, which is pretty hard to have in a 3 way frig. Another big advantage of having a household type frig.

barrymerle · 04-28-2019, 12:38 AM

We also cool the fridge days before a trip, and items designated for the freezer we will put in our house chest freezer days before the trip.

Revere411 · 04-28-2019, 12:34 PM

I read through these comments and wonder why anyone has to add ice packs to a refer that is operating on gas.

If when traveling you have the gas turned on for cooling operation and it is not cooling properly then first thing everyone in this post should do is check your venting.

Sides, and tops of the refrigerator should have 0 inches of clearance. The back if the refrigerator should have 0 - 1 inches of clearance.

I will post some pictures later of how one should be installed in a slide out.

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