We've got one of the above ice-boxes which is deep blue in colour - 50 litre. We didn't think about the colour when we bought it but find that if left sitting in the sun it will get extremely hot on the outside. (still keeps the beer cold!!)
I know you can buy white ones but this one works really good even in the sun, so I wonder if I removed all the fittings from the exterior and then either spraypainted or brushed it with either oil/sovent based or acrylic paint would it adhere?
Either that or glue some white plastic annexe material ( the plastic flexible stuff) on to the tops and sides. Maybe even make a white zippered canvas bag for it. Wouldn't look the greatest but then we want efficiency not appearance.
Other than keeping it out of the sun, does anyone have any other ideas?
How about a small bit of portable shade using a large golf umbrella? I don't think any fridge should be in the direct sun - they have to work too hard.
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jules "Love is good for the human being!!" (Ben, aged 10)
Maybe just get one of those silver windscreen shades and spread over top with something to hold in place. I put one across my cooler in the back of the Prado when doing any shopping in the big smoke, works well.
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Live Life On Your Terms
DOUGChief One Feather (Losing feathers with age)
TUG.......2014 Holden LT Colorado Twin Cab Ute with Canopy
DEN....... 2014 "Chief" Arrow CV (with some changes)
Jules...umbrella is too much temptation for grandkids and the esky tends to be mobile and gets moved from tent to tree to creek to trailer etc as the tribe moves. Dougwe...the windscreen shade might work - I want to keep it simple - basically a colour change to improve efficiency so if I cut a shade so it could wrap around the sides and top of the esky and attached maybe with double-sided tape it might work. May have to careful at the edges. Grandkids are the wildcards here as they sometimes....well, acts as kids...'gimme gimme that's my one' etc so it needs to be kid-resistant (nothing is kid-proof). Re no hear/see...we read of Greens Lake and dream. Next big trip will be next year to Perth so might see you somewhere along the line. I've attached some pics of esky.
How about getting a spray pack of Chrome and give it that nice shinny look.. the worst that can happen it will come off sometime down the track and need redoing..
I have a tin caller KROMEBRITE liquid chrome enamel and it is made by CRC Industries Sydney.. it is a 400gram tin so there should be enough for a couple of coats and some left over for touch ups later..
Thanks Bob and Frank - more possibilities. I'm pretty sure I uses Kromebrite on a kids bike and the problem was that it left a silvery mark on your hands if you rubbed it. Maybe cover with clear lacquer. Then as Frank says, solvent based and probably best not to have it near foodstuffs.
I had another thought - I could make a 'slip over the top' box - like a sewing machine or water pump cover with no bottom. Make the top from 5 ply the exact shape of the esky lid and then sides of 3 ply. Take the sides down to about 20mm of the dirt. Paint the lot white. Then I'd have the white colour plus the airgap insulation. To get a beer out I'd lift the cover off, sit the bag of king prawns that I have to remove to reach the beers at the bottom on the top of the cover, get the beer then replace the prawns. This would keep the prawns or more likely sausages out of the dirt. Hang on, if I had prawns in there I'd keep them out anyway.
Could also be used as an emergency stool or a campsite table. Upside down with the open bottom on top it would serve as a box to carry stuff in. The uses would be endless.
More suggestions appreciated
The box has some possibility's if you made the lid to open (hinged one end and latched the other) it would make it easier to get your much cooler beer out of the fridge and when it came time to pack up the fridge would fit in the box when it was up the other way..
You could pad the top so you could use it as a seat and then you would also be guarding the prawns and beer...
You could try joining a couple of those silver windscreen shades together, and make a insulated cover for it, just slip it off when you need access to the cooler.
Bob - great idea....hinged from the side sounds better than lifting the whole box off. Padded seat is a bonus. Disguised as a seat it might make the beer and prawns safer.
Lance - I know you can sew those shades together as I made one up for a side window once...your suggestion would be light, easily to use, easy to store when not in use (fold it up). Also easy to make with scissors and the sewing machine.
I like to keep things simple but I'm a sucker for gimmicks....multi-purpose side hinged cushion topped hard cover sure is tempting and a great gimmick around the campfire - silver shade cover is simple and effective etc.
Thinking, thinking.
Thanks for the suggestions - I'll post up what I eventually make.
