CaspersCruiser
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 11, 2016
- Messages
- 918
- Fluid Motion Model
- R-27 Classic
- Hull Identification Number
- FMLT2709G112
- Vessel Name
- Cookie
- MMSI Number
- 368203460
The performance of the freezer in the Nova Kool refrigerator installed in our 2012 R27 was marginal. I recently made a modification that turned it into a real freezer.
The back of the freezer on the model installed on our boat was open and the front was closed with an uninsulated metal flap. I decided to try to close up the back and insulate the door flap.
To close up the back, I first measured the inside width and height of the freezer compartment. Then I transferred those measurements to a scrap piece of 3/4” thick styrofoam garage door insulation and cut it out by scoring it with a razor knife and finishing by sawing it with serrated knife. Next, I cut the corners off the piece and mended all edges with aluminum HVAC duct tape. The styrofoam insulation comes faced on both sides with plastic film so after mending the edges, there is no exposed styrofoam.
When I took the styrofoam piece to the freezer, to my delight, it slid right into place perfectly with enough friction that it stayed there.
I insulated the door flap with a piece of scrap Reflectix polyethylene bubble insulation. I cut it to the height of the freezer opening and twice the width and then folded the width in half to double the thickness. Then I taped it to the door flap using the HVAC aluminum duct tape. It closes up the front of the freezer just about perfectly. I don’t have a photo of the door flap insulation.
Last week, we took a five-day cruise on the Tennessee River and found that the modification works great. When you reach in the compartment, it feels just like when you reach in your home freezer. It kept chicken breasts and meatballs frozen solid. We keep a flexible ice tray in the freezer that produces six large cocktail-size cubes. It not only froze that solid, we were able to put extra ice in a Ziplock bag and it stayed frozen solid.
It’s nice to have a real freezer on the boat, however small it may be.
The back of the freezer on the model installed on our boat was open and the front was closed with an uninsulated metal flap. I decided to try to close up the back and insulate the door flap.
To close up the back, I first measured the inside width and height of the freezer compartment. Then I transferred those measurements to a scrap piece of 3/4” thick styrofoam garage door insulation and cut it out by scoring it with a razor knife and finishing by sawing it with serrated knife. Next, I cut the corners off the piece and mended all edges with aluminum HVAC duct tape. The styrofoam insulation comes faced on both sides with plastic film so after mending the edges, there is no exposed styrofoam.
When I took the styrofoam piece to the freezer, to my delight, it slid right into place perfectly with enough friction that it stayed there.
I insulated the door flap with a piece of scrap Reflectix polyethylene bubble insulation. I cut it to the height of the freezer opening and twice the width and then folded the width in half to double the thickness. Then I taped it to the door flap using the HVAC aluminum duct tape. It closes up the front of the freezer just about perfectly. I don’t have a photo of the door flap insulation.
Last week, we took a five-day cruise on the Tennessee River and found that the modification works great. When you reach in the compartment, it feels just like when you reach in your home freezer. It kept chicken breasts and meatballs frozen solid. We keep a flexible ice tray in the freezer that produces six large cocktail-size cubes. It not only froze that solid, we were able to put extra ice in a Ziplock bag and it stayed frozen solid.
It’s nice to have a real freezer on the boat, however small it may be.
