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01-02-2020, 12:36 PM
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#1
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: Oklahoma City
Posts: 171
M.O.C. #23433
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Countertop Ice Maker
I have been thinking about getting a countertop ice maker for our 330RL. My husband has to have ice in about everything. We have trays to make cubes in the freezer but we have to stay up with it to have enough made. Does anyone have one of these portable ice makers and if you do which make/model? I have seen a few around at Camping World, Sam's, Costco, Amazon and all have mixed reviews. We boondock at times so I know this will only come into play when we have hook ups. I also know that these things only make ice and we would still have to store it in the freezer after it's made.
I would appreciate any recommendations. Thanks!
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Troy and Tracy Chaddon
2019 Montana High Country 330RL
2005 Ford F-350 "Bulletproofed"
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01-02-2020, 01:38 PM
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#2
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Established Member
Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: Trussville
Posts: 36
M.O.C. #24494
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Hello Rambler My wife loves ice in everything she drinks. We purchased one 4 years ago for our original Montana. We moved it to our new Montana even thou it has an ice maker in the refrigerator that takes a few hours to make at best. We leave it on counter when traveling, plug it up when we open slides, add bottled water and have ice 6-8 minutes later before you get setup completed. Feed it water and empty ice to freezer as it fills. Usually have some extra when we pack to leave with both of us using from it.
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01-02-2020, 01:38 PM
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#3
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Established Member
Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: Trussville
Posts: 36
M.O.C. #24494
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Hope this helps
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01-02-2020, 02:51 PM
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#4
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Site Team
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Carmichael - CA
Posts: 7,366
M.O.C. #4831
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Most of the counter top ice makers are made by one China company. Take a look at the schematic on the back cover and it will look identical to all the others. That said, they vary in price depending on the source and the size (9 cube v. 12cube?). Target has them cheaper than Camping World.
We have had one for 10 years. We use it all the time, even when boondocking. We run the generator daily for a few hours to charge the batteries and use that time to make ice. It makes ice pretty quickly, but as you know, it is an ice maker, not an ice keeper. Bag the ice and store it in thr freezer to harden before use.
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Carl (n Susan)
There is more to life than fuel mileage.
2012 Montana 3700RL Big Sky Package towed by a 2015 Ford F350 6.7L PSD 4WD CC LWB
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01-02-2020, 04:03 PM
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#5
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Montana Master
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Hixson
Posts: 3,436
M.O.C. #11397
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I had one for a while and must say that it operated as it should but I didn't care for the ice it made mainly because it didn't last long in a drink. I also wasn't fond of having to tend to the unit and bag the ice to store. Sold mine and went back to buying bagged ice as we don't use much. Am very happy with the ice maker in our current Samsung residential though.
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2018.5 Montana 3791RD
Full Timers 9/1/2010 through 1/16/2020.
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01-02-2020, 07:14 PM
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#6
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Box Elder
Posts: 4,701
M.O.C. #12947
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We had one for about four years, originally to make ice for Becky after she had a knee replacement. Transferred it into the trailer and it worked great. Then, last year, it started to slow down. Purchased this one from Amazon, and it's a bit smaller than the other one, but makes ice twice as fast. We also make and freeze the ice in ziplock bags in the freezer. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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Bob & Becky
2012 3402RL
2012 Chevy 2500HD D/A CC 4WD
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01-02-2020, 07:18 PM
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#7
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Austin
Posts: 2,419
M.O.C. #21044
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The ice ours makes is great for our cocktails. I like it because it’s soft enough to crunch without breaking a tooth. The residential fridge in our unit also makes good ice but it’s like trying to chew on cold granite...great for ice tea.
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MikenDebbie Aggie ‘77 in the sticks near Austin TX
2019 Chevy 3500 High Country DRW
2018 Montana 3921FB
Aussie Gus + Texas Heeler Jimmy
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01-02-2020, 07:32 PM
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#8
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Montana Master
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Menifee
Posts: 1,109
M.O.C. #22986
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We have one, love it works great and is quick to make ice.
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2018 3920fb 2020 GMC Denali 3500 4x4 Duramax, 10 speed Allison. LB SRW, Firestone air bags with Airlift wireless onboard compressor. Anderson Ultimate Hitch. MX4 folding cover. 50gal titan in bed transfer tank. Onan 6500 lp genset installed by me ! Had: 2 HF 3500 Inverters with Parallel Kit
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01-03-2020, 06:33 AM
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#9
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Upstate NY
Posts: 1,788
M.O.C. #14547
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With a HC, you probably have a 1200 series Norcold fridge. If so, why not install their optional icemaker. It's ~108 bucks at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Norcold-Inc-R.../dp/B0031XQRE6.
A countertop version is nice but that's just more to store (probably wet!) when traveling plus uses more counter space when at a CG.
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Dave W
2014 Montana High Country 343RL (Sold!)
2011 Ford 6.7 Lariat CCLB (Went to PU Heaven)
2019 F150SC XLT SE Sport,w/full tow package
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01-03-2020, 06:48 AM
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#10
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Established Member
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: Mesa
Posts: 44
M.O.C. #25528
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rohrmann
We had one for about four years, originally to make ice for Becky after she had a knee replacement. Transferred it into the trailer and it worked great. Then, last year, it started to slow down. Purchased this one from Amazon, and it's a bit smaller than the other one, but makes ice twice as fast. We also make and freeze the ice in ziplock bags in the freezer. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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I bought one for the same reason - knee replacement. We like the ice maker because its fast and makes chewable ice. I'm a fan - worth the small cost.
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01-08-2020, 01:59 PM
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#11
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Established Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Westport
Posts: 15
M.O.C. #14458
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I bought one and used for a few years. It works great and it has been passed on to our daughter. The only Con is the room it takes up on the counter. We are fortunate the
RV Park is in put in another ice maker near our rig so we use that instead of our portable.
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01-08-2020, 04:57 PM
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#12
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Seasoned Camper
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Simi Valley
Posts: 71
M.O.C. #10801
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Portable ice maker
We have had one for about 6 years. We keep in in the big storage compartment. We have run it on a 800 watt inverter and it works great. When the batteries start getting low I fire up the generator. We have another inverter inside our rig and use that one also for the ice maker at times and keep it on a little computer table the 3150 came with next to the t v
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01-08-2020, 08:50 PM
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#13
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Established Member
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Isle of Palms
Posts: 42
M.O.C. #23714
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$100 at Walmart. Makes ice in 8 minutes, on the boat, or in the camper. Stash bags of it in the big freezer for later use.
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01-09-2020, 07:42 AM
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#14
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Established Member
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: Rexburg
Posts: 10
M.O.C. #23466
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Get the Opal
I got my wife an Opal about 5 years ago we were still living in a "sticks-and-bricks" home. It works great at making Nugget ice. She is still using it in our full time RV adventure. She keeps it in the cargo hold basement on the starboard side of the rig. She gets about 4, 1 gallon zip lock bags of ice a day from the thing. I was skeptical at first since they are not cheap, but the way it has lasted, I am glad I did not get a cheaper model. Here is a link.
https://firstbuild.com/products/opal/
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Summers
2015-3440RL
2500 Ram Mega Cab
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01-09-2020, 04:50 PM
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#15
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Omaha
Posts: 256
M.O.C. #17319
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We bought a new Fridgeidare yesterday from Walmart - $99. Says it makes 2 sizes. I can't tell much difference in large or small. I think the lg stay frozen longer. 7 minutes to make 9 small or 15 mins to make 9 large about the size of your thumb, with a hole in the middle. Machine looks well made. Has a drain plug in the bottom to drain everything.
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01-09-2020, 05:42 PM
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#16
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Bee Branch
Posts: 2,620
M.O.C. #20693
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Quote:
Originally Posted by whutfles
We bought a new Fridgeidare yesterday from Walmart - $99. Says it makes 2 sizes. I can't tell much difference in large or small. I think the lg stay frozen longer. 7 minutes to make 9 small or 15 mins to make 9 large about the size of your thumb, with a hole in the middle. Machine looks well made. Has a drain plug in the bottom to drain everything.
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Same one here. Good machine. Ice is crunchy which I really like. Full time for over a year, runs full time, no issues.
We have ice maker in Residential fridge that makes the half moon ice but prefer to use bottle water in the counter top model. We only use the residential for coolers in the summer.
We are remodeling our sticks and bricks in Arkansas and I am such a fan of Sonic flake ice that I plan on installing a $3,000 ice maker in the kitchen there! Hard to beat the flake ice if you like a crunchy eatable ice.
__________________
James & Irene Wilson
Bee Branch, AR.
2017 Ram 1 ton diesel duallyCrew Cab/Long Bed
2018 Montana High Country 381TH Garage Full of Toys
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01-10-2020, 08:25 AM
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#17
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Puyallup
Posts: 512
M.O.C. #12948
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Can't remember the particular model, but ours has worked great. We got it for our boat when we were still motoryachting ..Now in the landyacht. DI'd learn from another RV friend to have it make the largest cubes possible. They now last as long as the cocktail. Good hunting to you.
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2018 3820FK Legacy Package
2013 3750fl
2019 Chevrolet 3500HD High Country Dually
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01-10-2020, 02:23 PM
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#18
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Montana Master
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Tacoma
Posts: 1,567
M.O.C. #20475
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Got ours at on sale at Lowe's about 3 years ago for $69.99 still works great.
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Bob & Carol Washington St
2017 HC HM352RL 2018 Dodge 3500 laramie CC LB 4x4
Curt Q25 with puck system, Factory air bags
Happy Trails
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01-12-2020, 07:49 AM
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#19
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Seasoned Camper
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Little Slice of Heaven..Missouri
Posts: 98
M.O.C. #19731
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I may be in the minority here, but it has it’s faults as well. Like others mentioned, it makes ice quickly similar to hotel ice machines. It isn’t very dense, and it will recycle almost constantly. We found it to be a bit noisy since it runs most of time considering the ice melts somewhat quickly. Like someone else mentioned it isn’t a freezer to hold ice. Bottom line is will recycle the ice over and over if you don’t empty it and refill. We have a residential refrigerator and buy bag ice and store it in our large freezer. We don’t use ours anymore.
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2018 Montana 3721RL
2018 Ford F350 6.7 Turbo Diesel
Life Comes Down to a Simple Choice..Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying
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01-12-2020, 09:22 AM
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#20
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Bee Branch
Posts: 2,620
M.O.C. #20693
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mosnowman
I may be in the minority here, but it has it’s faults as well. Like others mentioned, it makes ice quickly similar to hotel ice machines. It isn’t very dense, and it will recycle almost constantly. We found it to be a bit noisy since it runs most of time considering the ice melts somewhat quickly. Like someone else mentioned it isn’t a freezer to hold ice. Bottom line is will recycle the ice over and over if you don’t empty it and refill. We have a residential refrigerator and buy bag ice and store it in our large freezer. We don’t use ours anymore.
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If you mean "dense" as in hard solid ice, then you may well be running contrary in preference to a lot of us who like ice that is soft, crunchy and edible. To me at least the soft "flake" ice you get at many Sonic drive ins is the best ice on the planet. So much so that I plan to spend $3K on an ice machine that makes it during our sticks and bricks kitchen remodel!!
You are right though that the countertop models are somewhat noisy and do run constantly. But I don't think they use much electricity (not that I care about that).
__________________
James & Irene Wilson
Bee Branch, AR.
2017 Ram 1 ton diesel duallyCrew Cab/Long Bed
2018 Montana High Country 381TH Garage Full of Toys
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