Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Gonna Build a Walk-in Cooler...Ideas?

A 12k a/c is more than enough for my 8x8 room. It'll keep it down to 35 with no problem. A 10k would probably have done it but Storeitcold recommended a 12k for my room size. If your insulation is good and air leakage kept to a minimum, it doesn't take as much a/c as you might think. Most a/c's are set to shut down at about 65F. The Coolbot controller replaces the a/c thermostat and keeps it running down to just above freezing or wherever you set it.

Someone mentioned using blue board. When I built mine 3 years ago, the pink board was considerably cheaper here than the blue. You can cover the interior with whatever you like depending on how fancy you want to make it look. I just foamed the seams, smoothed them off and painted it all white. Nobody but my wife and I ever see it so I'm not picky about the looks.

I built a door using 2x6" and 4" of foam board between 2 layers of plywood. It takes time to build it to exactly fit the door opening so take your time and measure carefully. I used foam strips to seal the tiny gaps I had left. It'll be heavy so make a solid door frame and use lots of hinges so it won't sag and drag.

About those cargo containers - They do work great if you properly set up and insulate them but the swinging doors can be a real pain to open and close. Many come to you nicely bent so it takes strong arms to work the latch levers. If yours is that way, you might find it easier to remove 1 or both of the container doors and build one to fit the hole that will open easier.

A couple tips on the insulated box:

Minimize the size and quantity of any framing that displaces insulation.

Minimize the number and size of any air gaps.

Minimize the number and size of any piercings, and use expanding foam to fill any gaps.

Maximize the thickness and quality of insulation.

Install a vapor barrier and infrared reflector beneath the outside skin.

Pard has a air conditioning unit and a coolbot, works damn good. Insulation is the silver coated 2" panels.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zHUM_voEFhA

Pretty good video on the subject

Refrigerated Truck Body add an AC unit and Coolbot.

Probably the hardest air leaks to fill will be around the a/c unit. You can see a lot daylight through one. About all you can do is seal it around the outside of the cabinet. You don't want to be shooting foam inside the cabinet around the unit itself.

Minimize the size of the box's interior.

Here is a container van insulation option that does away with the hassle of attaching studs.

https://www.insofast.com/insulation-panels-for-shipping-containers.html

I can tell you some things that DIDN'T work out well for mine. I't's 12' x 12' wood frame cement slab construction, used a window type AC unit with a commercial temp switch wired in. All that seems to be adequate, if not maybe a little overkill. The big problem...putting a fresh, hot skinned carcass into the pre-cooled room, within 4 hours the cold side fins and coils turn into a solid block of ice from the evaporation off the carcass. Tried fans etc., never found a solution other than drying the carcass to get a hard "skin" before putting it in the cold room. A retired reefer guy told me I needed to duct fresh dry air from outside the room thru the cooler, and vent an exhaust out on the opposite side of the room. I lost interest and went back to hanging the carcass in the breezeway and butchering it in 3 or 4 days.

https://www.storeitcold.com/build-it/insulation-selection-installation/

Cool or has some tips and education.

Reefer vans work fine IF it doesn't cost you a fortune to get it moved to your location and set in place.

IMP-insulated metal panels. MetlSpan is one manufacturer. https://www.metlspan.com/ This is what the vast majority of industrial coolers are made out of. 1”, 2”, 4”, 6” thicknesses. Foam interior with vinyl coated metal exteriors. Hose them down with no issues.

All you need is a buddy that owns an installation service and the “drops” from a few jobs and you’ll be in business.

I’m in process of installing one right now. 30’ wide, 140’ long, Dual pallet conveyors in and out. 17 degree glycol coils the full length. 36 7.5 hp fanmotors. Might be overkill for a few deer and elk though....we bought it used at auction for a couple hundred thousand. Will have a bit over a million in it when reinstalled and running and think we got a bargain.

In the process of building a 6’x10’ x 8’6” high. Planning on using a cool bots and window AC.
2x6 walls
concrete floor
Spray foam insulation
Floor drain
8’ tall steel insulted door
Electric hoist on track outside
Ceiling rail and trolley hooks inside

I’d like to hear more about the proper way and timing to put game into the cooler to avoid the icing of the AC unit.

I had mine ice up just once but I didn't have any meat in it, just fruit we hadn't canned or dried yet. I figured it was moisture from the fruit but I don't know that for sure. The meat I've put in it has always been skinned a while before it gets there so it's crusted over.

Would a size bigger ac unit not work as hard and lessen the chance from ice up. Or is just plain moisture related

This sounds about the right size, scale, and price for my hunting needs. 😂
Lucky for you, you have both commercial and play cooling needs covered. Congrats! 😎

Hey Mark,

Deb & I are planning on doing something like this on the new place !!

We are going to utilize one end, of one side of an existing shop structure. Slab & 3 uninsulated walls & 9' uninsulated ceiling already there.

Not sure that we need the A/C, as typically I'm trying to not let the carcasses freeze, during rifle season. Would be the dux nutz for archery season though !

Been a couple of threads here, on it before too.

I'll see if I can locate.

Caribbean next week !

Caribbean, Paul? Good plan!

Wifey just told me we’re going to Hawaii. She felt left behind with my travel hunts. Girl has a point. Off to an island for us.

I sure wouldn’t think you and Deb would need cooling during your winters as you said...But, for your archery months, makes sense.

I’m torn at the moment between going solid foundation or a mobile unit. If I sell the place, which will eventually happen. Is it worth my costs to have the unit trucked to a different State, or just build another unit at a new location?

Decision...Enjoy the Caribbean with Deb!

😎

Will do Mark, thank you.

When you guys planning on heading to the big island ?

I considered a mobile when I build our cooler. I finally went with a built-in one. I figured that we won't be moving until I'm too old to hunt anyway. I'm 71 and have no plans on going anywhere until the old carcass gives out.