Cooler vs Fridge

[21Moja]

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[tommyp]

I just got a fridge... how long do they run before killing the battery? Do you run them overnight on just the stock battery? Still have juice to crank itover in the morning? If not... then we need to add to the cost of the fridge- the cost of a dual battery system or a battery box just for the fridge... or lots of solar? We are still getting snow here... and I got the fridge for Christmas... but its like 40 outside...20 at night. I can't really test how the fridge does in 90-100 degree weather all night in the back of the truck...so just wondering what did most of you do to be sure you don't kill your truck battery?

There are cut offs on the fridge you can set. The problem is that setting the fridge with a high voltage cutoff won't run the fridge too long. If you put it on low it will run the fridge for a longer time then it will draw your starting battery down enough it won't start your car.

I run my fridge with a second (third) battery isolated with a kasei 1230 DC-DC plus solar charger $200 mounted on a motobuilt molle panel. You can run the fridge off the main car battery but its not ideal at all and if you don't drive the truck for a couple days it could draw it down enough to not be able to start or your fridge may cut off or both.''

I just bought the largest deep cycle from O'reilys and stuck it into a battery box. I am going to switch over to a lipofe at some point just to save space and weight.

 

[ttn333]

I did something similar with a 100ah lifepo and 20a mppt solar charger with a portable battery box mounted inside a tractor supply utility box. Also mounted to the exterior of the tractor trailer box 2 12v cig, an andersone connector for the solar panel and 2 powerpoles for fridge and diesel heater. Used it this past weekend for a 4 day trip and only had to charge it up once with the solar panel.

 

[Sunnysideup]

I went with a solar hood charger.... I just got back from a 30 day trip. I ran the fridge for 2.5 weeks before the trip and then all 4 weeks of the trip. I just used the stock battery set up and cascadia hood charger. I was in Utah, AZ, CA... and had lots of heat to deal with and it all worked great! In the future I will probably replace stock batteries with high quality aftermarket batteries and keep runing it this way. There were at times three days when I did not start the truck... the solar kept up with the demand of the fridge...

 

[Blade1668]

I went with a solar hood charger.... I just got back from a 30 day trip. I ran the fridge for 2.5 weeks before the trip and then all 4 weeks of the trip. I just used the stock battery set up and cascadia hood charger. I was in Utah, AZ, CA... and had lots of heat to deal with and it all worked great! In the future I will probably replace stock batteries with high quality aftermarket batteries and keep runing it this way. There were at times three days when I did not start the truck... the solar kept up with the demand of the fridge...

I did the Cascadia solar system for about a year then I added a second solar system with "house" battery. The fridge freezer in mine still going over 2 years non-stop set at 34° F / 5°C. Only times it's shut down is to clean it out. I didn't start my JT up or drive it much in last two weeks. Been driving my LJ mainly what little I've been driving. Starting batteries 12.9v house 13.3v at 12:15 am.
Ice is nice for boating or hunting aka packing out game or fish but no soggy stuff otherwise. IMHO.
If I was only using it a few times a year a cooler would be OK.

 

[Mules]

This is a great question, Heavy Duty Cooler vs. Fridge. I think price made my decision easier. The Yeti I wanted was about $400 and the fridge I wanted was about $450 (on sale). I waited for a 15% sale and picked up the ICECO JP42. It's like a Yeti with a compressor.

I installed a $25 kit to make your cigarette lighter run continuous, and the ICECO has battery protection in it, so it won't run down your starter battery.

I'll let you know how it works this summer, but so far a cool gatoraid or beer after a summer mountain biking run is pretty incredible. Most of the time the fridge is flipped so I can open from the outside door.

 

[Delhux]

I went with a solar hood charger.... I just got back from a 30 day trip. I ran the fridge for 2.5 weeks before the trip and then all 4 weeks of the trip. I just used the stock battery set up and cascadia hood charger. I was in Utah, AZ, CA... and had lots of heat to deal with and it all worked great! In the future I will probably replace stock batteries with high quality aftermarket batteries and keep runing it this way. There were at times three days when I did not start the truck... the solar kept up with the demand of the fridge...

Out of curiosity, where did place the fridge in your truck? I have the Cascadia system, and have thought about running a DC line to the bed, rather than using the AC outlets or have the fridge in the cab.

 

[Sunnysideup]

Out of curiosity, where did place the fridge in your truck? I have the Cascadia system, and have thought about running a DC line to the bed, rather than using the AC outlets or have the fridge in the cab.

I ran heavy gage wires to the bed... with a circuit breaker...

 

[Dunks001]

I did the Cascadia solar system for about a year then I added a second solar system with "house" battery. The fridge freezer in mine still going over 2 years non-stop set at 34° F / 5°C. Only times it's shut down is to clean it out. I didn't start my JT up or drive it much in last two weeks. Been driving my LJ mainly what little I've been driving. Starting batteries 12.9v house 13.3v at 12:15 am.
Ice is nice for boating or hunting aka packing out game or fish but no soggy stuff otherwise. IMHO.
If I was only using it a few times a year a cooler would be OK.

Good info. What app is that?

 

[Advntrbound]

I'm in the "Both" crowd. Drinks get a cooler. Everything food related goes in the fridge/freezer.

 

[Mr._Bill]

I don't go camping, but do travel some for work. I have a cooler I've been using for years that works pretty well. I have about a dozen of the blue ice packs that I freeze and then pack in with my drinks. I would put it in the front seat and it keeps the drinks cold for several days. I decided to try a travel fridge and bought one from Amazon for $299. I pre-cooled it and added four of the blue ice packs on the last trip, and it worked quite well. I put it in the middle of the back seat, and was able to reach it while driving. I was able to carry more drinks, and the removable baskets are very handy. I bought a battery pack to connect it to. The shipping time was too long for what I wanted, so I found one at Home Depot for $140. I plugged the battery pack into the back seat outlet, and then plugged the fridge into the 12 volt port on the pack. I left it in the truck plugged in overnight and the next day while at work. I set it for 38 degrees, and it stayed running the whole time. It's not the best solution, but it worked fairly well for me.

https://smile.amazon.com/BODEGA-Refrigerator-Portable-Quart（36L）-4℉-68℉-Compressor/dp/B08D96GJJL/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=travel+fridge&qid=1661862273&sprefix=travel+fri,aps,215&sr=8-6&ufe=app_do:amzn1.fos.ac2169a1-b668-44b9-8bd0-5ec63b24bcb5

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Vector-...Charging-Ports-Rechargeable-PPRH5V/313803269?

 

[Sprinkler-Fitter]

I use a cooler still but I think a fridge would be a great future addition. I fill up on ice as needed, but if my stuff gets hot, it gets hot I don't really mind. I currently use a cheap but big beach cooler I found in Costco. The ice lasted 3 days last Spring from Virginia to Utah before I threw another bag in.

If you really need cold stuff go for the fridge. I'd also suggest a dual-battery setup and a hood mount solar panel/trickle charger.

Isn’t the idea of a cooler to keep things cool?

I know I don’t want warm yogurt or eggs or hamburger or hotdogs, when we go on a road trip we take a cooler a Blackstone griddle and cook on the tailgate a lot of times

 

[bakobobby]

Ditto the above on iceco. Dealing with ice gets tiring especially when you are an hour from any. It also eats up valuable space I would rather use for food and drinks. My iceco is rotomolded and while it won’t hold temps like the yeti or rtic it ain’t far off. On sale was a bit over $400 taxes and all. I reckon I have already saved $20-30 just in ice in the past six months not to mention the extra driving saved fetching ice.

 

[Blade1668]

Good info. What app is that?

It's a app you can download from Google. Car fridge freezer

 

[skindata]

My Yeti has served me well over the past few years. Anything more than 3-4 days though I would definitely get a fridge. Just depends on how long your trips are going to be. Mine are just a couple of days, put the perishable food in the included rack above the ice and you’re good to go.

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