Icebox to Refrigeration?

[Capt.Jim]

What is the best way to go?
I don't want to buy one of those mini office or camper type of fridge...
Did anyone of you converted the ice box to an AC/DC refrigerator?

[Stu Jackson]

Most C34s have air cooled WAECO Adler Barbour units.  Locations have varied from lazarette to forward of saloon table.

Sea Frost has been reported by Maine Sail to be one of the best.

Your boat, your choice. 

[KWKloeber]

What is the best way to go?
I don't want to buy one of those mini office or camper type of fridge...
Did anyone of you converted the ice box to an AC/DC refrigerator?

Jim note that there may be some dual voltage, but all I've seen are DC, wit the "AC" simply being the shore charger replenishing the DC when on AC power.  Not really an AC reefer.

It isn't THAT big a deal, mostly boat bucks, to add a reefer, but the key is good insulation -- I don't know how the 34's were -- the 30s were NON existent and have to retrofitted with some (actually minimal is all you can get in there.)

Are thinking of an evaporator plate or a holding plate type?

-ken

[Ron Volk]

Jim,

Most refrigerators installed in our boats are 12V.  Like Stus, ours is a factory installed Adler Barbour.  To keep from working and draining the batteries while in port and having the charger constantly recharging, I and others have added an ac/dc unit to power it when in port while the boat is connected to shore power.  When away from the dock it's just a matter of then operating it off the house bank.  The system design has been written up and probably be found by typing 'ref ac/dc modification'

[Ron Hill]

Jim : There are a zillion posts and articles (Mainsheet tech notes and WiKi) on adding refrigeration itself to a C34. 
Then there are another zillion articles on the battery bank and charging systems (engine and shore power) necessary to support a 12V refrigeration installation.

All there for the reading.  A thought

[Noah]

Yeah, and add to that the debate about staying plugged into shore power to run reefer, etc. when you are not aboard (like I do)...there are volumes of posts to ponder and approaches consider. Some folks just power everything off when they aren't aboard AC/DC and bring fresh "cold ones and/or ice" from 7/11 to sip while they wait for the reefer to cool down. Not my style but...?