EHU and coolboxes and a month in France

[ncjustbecause]

We'll be in Brittany for four whole weeks this summer. I'm really bloody excited .

We've been camping for four years and have never had EHU. Have an Iceytek and never even thought of electric. Last year we went to France for 2 weeks and EHU and an electric coolbox were right at the top of my wishlist during the mandatory post-camp debrief.

We only really want them for charging mobiles and for a mains coolbox. The Iceytek just didn't cut it for us and it was really depressing trying to get it cool enough after the first few days. We were thinking of using the coolbox for milk and food and the Tek for booze.

But investigating EHU isn't inspiring me. We'd have to run cables about the tent, and I don't even want the coolbox in the tent anyway. We've just bought a 4.2 xl base seconds - not even sure if there's access points for cables?

What's the alternative? I can prob survive with a solar charger plus the car for the phones. But I need to keep food chilled. I've looked at gas fridges but they just scare me. I was thinking 2 Icey Teks at same time, but I'm not really sure why.

watching with interest

PS a whole 4 weeks - jealous!

we've got the smaller base 4.2 and run the cable up and over the groundsheet between the lip and the tent sides - does the xl work in the same way or is the ground sheet sewn in?

personally I would get ehu and hire a fridge. Costs more but is more convenient, less possibility of food spoiling in a heatwave, able to shop less and (most importantly) an ice box so you can buy ice creams from the supermarket rather than individually on the site - saves us a fortune.

We have an expedition fridge that can run off the car ( a Land Rover) if you fit a second battery and also on the mains at a site. We've had a gas one in the past - it was rubbish and couldn't even keep stuff safely cold in Scotland(like you I was also a bit scared of it) and various electric coolboxes - same problem with temps. We got the mega fridge for our 3/4 week trips through France and its amazing and can even freeze stuff but pricey and huge.
I'd take the advice of cheerup and hire a fridge - at least that way you have more room in the car to bring home wine and cheese!!

Yes - there's a separate ground sheet that electric could run through. Thanks cheerup, I haven't put tent up yet so can't visualise anything yet

I need to get electric, don't I? Last year it was really annoying having to think about getting ice most day, and I hate stuff getting warm in cool boxes.

We have lots of room in car (unconverted Bongo with back seats removed) so size of kit not a problem.

Camping Claire - how long could your fridge run off the leisure battery for or did you just plug it in when you were driving?

Hire when you get there?

ncjustbecause The fridge is electric so has to be plugged in but if the car is on split charge it'll happily run for two days if the engine isn't running. We always seem to either use the car in that time so it recharges and starts again or get a connection on site. Think they're really meant for cross desert adventures so it is fab!! It's called an Engel if you're googling but honestly...just hire one on site!! Camping gear is also my business so I have an excuse for having 'stuff"!!