Chest freezer in my truck

[eaglemountainman]

Still hoping I'll be able to fly by the time Oct. gets here. Flights out of Tampa to Rapid City are $226, round trip, as of today.

 

[Cbrew]

I’ve seen guys do this in the past. Seems like a good idea to me Good luck

 

[Elkhntr08]

Any issues with the freezer bouncing around in the back of a truck? The plumbing in those freezers can be a little fragile.

 

[packer58]

Iv'e ran a small 7/8 cubic foot chest freezer for a couple three years now and it's a bad ass system. Spent 28 straight days this last archery season and never bought one ice cube, pre-froze a bunch of water and loaded it in the freezer and it became my cooler for almost a month. I ran my EU 2000 every other night and all was good. When traveling i would open my windows on my camper shell and run the generator. Hell, i even use it to keep fur frozen on my extended coyote calling trips. As far as i'm concerned, it's the best damn cooler i own......

 

[Stalker69]

Iv'e ran a small 7/8 cubic foot chest freezer for a couple three years now and it's a bad ass system. Spent 28 straight days this last archery season and never bought one ice cube, pre-froze a bunch of water and loaded it in the freezer and it became my cooler for almost a month. I ran my EU 2000 every other night and all was good. When traveling i would open my windows on my camper shell and run the generator. Hell, i even use it to keep fur frozen on my extended coyote calling trips. As far as i'm concerned, it's the best damn cooler i own......

It’s amazing Isn’t it. So damn handy it’s ridicules.

 

[keller]

I run mine at home year round it has been from wi to ak.wi to New Mexico a couple Times no problems from bouncing around.11,300 miles round trip Alaska lot of 4x4 going off-road fishing and hunting.converted my elk hunting cousin's
After a couple trips

 

[Rich M]

IMO - Spend $75 on a 100-150 qt 7-9 day cooler from Sams or Costco and roll with that. You'll find other uses and such. (Unless if you really want a chest freezer)

We drove to CO 2019 from Orlando and brought home 1 deer. We drove - was a great trip. Used cooler without any issues.

Either way will work and it is up to you. Have a great trip.

 

[Blockcaver]

I bought a small chest freezer at COSTCO for $179 3 yrs ago. Last August I brought a Tule elk home from California to BC in it. Meat stayed frozen for 2 days despite near 100*F in CA and OR and not much cooler in WA and where I live in BC. I took along my large cutting board, knives, knife sharpener and vacuum sealer. Spent a whole day processing my elk with the meat going into the freezer as I packaged each piece. I do take a Honda generator but was able to plug in the freezer at the ranch I hunted.

I built a small generator platform on a piece of 2” square tubing, plywood and ratchet straps that fits the receiver hitch of the truck so that I can run the Honda when traveling (canopy on truck). I did this bringing muskox meat from Yellowknife down to south central BC. I also put unfrozen Dall sheep quarters and cape into the freezer in the NWT 40 miles from sheep camp. I started the generator and within 4 hrs the meat was starting to freeze solid. I ran the generator a few hours a day on the 3 day drive home.

The freezer is a better option than a cooler for warm weather hunts, remote hunts where you can’t go buy ice or keep it for several weeks, etc. It is light enough for me to load it empty by myself and is insulated quite well. And its a freezer!

 

[SaltyBowman]

I run a large power inverter in my truck for this reason. The freezer runs off the inverter when I’m underway and off of a small generator when I’m parked. Be careful ratchet strapping the lid down... you can cause a slight bow in the lid and 6 months later you crack it open in your garage and everything is frosted over.

 

[Stalker69]

Put mine on the trailer so the lid hinge faces the hitch, I’ve never ratcheted it down. I made little “ cleats”( angle brackets with a hook) to hold it to the trailer.

 

[tillastlight_jake]

I think it depends on what you have and what you want/need. Personally I have a big chest feeezer so I don’t see the need to go buy another. Plus I don’t want to worry about having to plug a freezer in. Last fall hauled a freshly processed deer (hardly chilled) from ID to OH. Packed deer in an RTIC 65, a couple layers of cardboard on the meat, and about 10lbs of dry ice on top. Everything was solid when we rolled up to the house.

 

[30 Alk Mag]

Dry ice is great to top off freezer.

 

[Quin]

If you don't already have a chest freezer, I'd consider going that route because a chest freezer is something that is good to have in general. Actually you may want to buy one even if you do take a cooler --- I can't fit a whole deer in my refrigerator's freezer with all the other stuff I have in there.

But thats if you can find one... I was looking at upgrading mine to a larger size a couple months ago... but every store and even on-line was sold out. No doubt related to people hoarding due to coronavirus.

 

[muddydogs]

I do the freezer deal myself, carry it in my toy hauler on a Harbor Freight lawn cart so I can roll it in and out of the trailer. I don't even worry about freezing meat I'm just keeping it cold. I've held deer and elk for 10 days in my freezer at or below 40 degrees.

My usual deal is after harvesting an animal I get the quarters in the freezer and run it until there cold to the bone, I might have to debone elk hind quarters for faster cooling and or getting all the meat in the freezer. During the initial cool down I will move the meat around every 2 to 3 hours so everything is getting cooled and there are no hot spots. After the initial cooling I have found that running the freezer 2 to 3 hours a day will cool things off enough that the temp will hold under 40 degrees for 24 hours in 70 degree day time temps as long as the night temps are getting under 50 degrees. Once home I plug the freezer into a temp controller to hold the temp at 36 degrees while processing. I have a wireless 2 probe frig freezer thermometer in my trailer to keep track of the trailer frig and freezer while camping, once I start using the chest freezer I place one of the temp sensors in the chest freezer so I have a quick check.

Here are a few tips that I have learned. Get a cheap meat thermometer off amazon so you know whats happening with your meat close to the bone. Fill the top of the freezer with something to take up air space and keep it colder between running's. Strap the lid closed to hold in the cold and prevent most animals from breaking into the freezer. Add a spacer in the bottom of the freezer to keep the meat out of the blood, I cut up a plastic pallet and had enough left to make bottoms for my coolers as well. A chest freezer with a drain is really nice for washing out blood or draining it after a day or two. Find a tube that fits in the drain so you can drain the blood away from the bottom of the freezer or in my case keep it from running all over the lawn cart. Small waste can garbage bags work great for putting meat in if you need to debone or find you have time to do a little processing in the field. Frozen gallon jugs or smaller drink bottles help keep the freezer cold when not needed and are great to throw in a cooler to take out hunting plus if you need the room the bottles can be emptied and crushed to save space.

A few years ago I shot both a cow and bull within one minute of each other, got them packed out and hung up for the night. While the other 2 in my party hunted I spent the next 2 days in camp deboning, cleaning the meat and placing it into my garbage bags. Sure was nice to get home and pull out a bag of meat that just needed wrapped or ground.

Here is a pic of the Can Am turned into a scrap wagon ready to head out and dispose of two elk's parts and pieces.

 

[Stalker69]

Just get one of these, no need to remember to turn on and off. Set the temp. any where you want and not worry about it. Unplug it and you have your freezer back.

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A19AAT-2C Johnson Controls Temperature Control

 

[actionshooter]

I have a small chest freezer in a trailer with a 2K watt Yamaha generator mounted to the tongue... Run the generator while driving, I have hauled a bunch of moose and caribou from Fairbanks to Washington.
Works awesome and with luck will be doing it again this year!

 

[Brent]

I've traveled the ALCAN multiple times with a generator running a chest freezer or two in the back of my truck. I've used this set up for hunts too. It's a great idea that works very well.

 

[Rancher]

I do this every year,I go to the midwest and archery deer hunt.Small freezer I bought new at Costco for 145.00,and a honda generator,2000 that I use for my Cpap machine.Usually bring at least 3 deer home as I hunt 2 states.Bone out meat,as required and put it in freezer.

 

[bmod93]

I haven't tried using a chest freezer yet, but this year my buddies and I are trying it. We're not taking a generator or anything though. It will just act as a big cooler.

 

[keller]

buy an inverter and mount it in your truck thats what i plan on doing this year if i get to hunt.