Cooler vs Fridge

[Dunks001]

I’m using a Goal Zero Yeti 500x and Dometic fridge. Not as useful as your setup/app.

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[Lost1wing]

Arb freezer with the extra battery is the way to go. I ran a 12v outlet to the cargo bed and use it to power the fridge freezer while driving. When at the camp site or grocery store, I plug in the extra battery . I haven't used a cooler since in the Gladiator. I could have tried a less expensive option and been just as happy from what I seen here.

 

[ttn333]

I have not used a cooler since my first fridge 10 years or so ago. I first had it in my 4runner full time with a dual battery system. Unfortunately I couldn't do that with the open bed on my Gladiator. But that's being remedied. I'm expecting my Alucab canopy to come in end of the month. It's so nice to have a cold drink whenever and wherever I am. My plan is to make it super easy to take off at a moments notice. Get out as often and as much as possible.

 

[GOCAMPN]

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

I'm not sure what you're asking me here, haha.

 

[MattK]

I've had an RTIC 45 for many years now and the only real difference I feel between all similar brands is the user and how it's used. It's all how you pack it. If you're going to be around ice for most of your trip it doesn't really matter. If you're not going to be around ice for up to a week you must pack it correctly and use the right ice.

My trips down to Mexico where I've been in the middle of nowhere desert base camped for two weeks (you didn't bring it, you don't got it type of trips) I use large block ice and even freeze water bottles I can drink later. Cube ice sucks for this and will just melt away in a couple days (I'm talking winter desert days here which are still hot but not summer hot). I also half bury the RTIC under the truck so it has even more insulation. These are extreme conditions for a cooler but it translates to a few day trip between ice stops.

1)Use big ice blocks and frozen items at the bottom.
2) Pack the rest of your stuff with the most reached for items at the top. Plan your meals - and pack the items for the meals later down the road more towards the bottom. Freeze what you can for those meals / pre-cook meals and freeze them.
3) Fill all the gaps. Air is the enemy. Use smaller ice to fill in the gaps. Some people stuff newspaper as well but it becomes a mess.
4) Don't open it! I know I know but you know what I mean. Be intentional don't just go rummaging around looking for snack leaving it open and stirring the contents and air up.

After all this has been said. I now use a Iceco VL45Pro/Bluetti EB70S/Bluetti 200watt solar panel and have no regrets making the switch. Things stay cold, powered and I can put more food and drinks in the fridge because there's no ice taking up half the capacity. I can even restock the fridge with warm drinks to cool them without fear of raising the temperature and meting ice. Game changer.

One more note on the electric coolers -I have used it to save my food in the fridge and freezer when we had an all day power outage at my apartment. The apartment refrigerator sucks and was hot by end of day. So it's not just for camping and the battery/fridge combo saved me a few hundred dollars in food waste.

 

[Sprinkler-Fitter]

I'm not sure what you're asking me here, haha.

You said you don’t mind if your stuff gets warm. I don’t want warm yogurt or milk.

 

[MPMB]

This year we moved to a fridge, a BougeRV. And since we started camping in April, when it's still cold, the wife got a heated blanket. So we needed to power that. AMZN had Ecoflow Rivers on sale, so we have 2 of those, 1 with the additional battery.

Just before our big vacation (2 weeks in Glacier, Grand Tetons, and back to Glacier), I installed a 100w solar panel on top (JCR Offroad 1/2 roof rack) and fed the wires in through the window. We were in bear country, so all food had to be inside vehicles.

We hiked up to the Sperry Chalet for a night, and came back down. So we had to run the fridge, unmonitored and alone, for about 50 hours* with minimal (20 mins) of engine charge time.

I had the solar panel feed the big River, feeding the little River, to the fridge. We didn't get the best sun (trees to the E & W in the parking lot), so we didn't get full charge, but it made it almost 2 days.

It was a time crunch to get everything working, so I don't have the set up perfected. I did have to clean the panel after a few days driving through dusty roads. The panel would charge pretty low (single digits), but when clean and in sunlight, it'd charge ~50kw (i think it was kw). 4-6 hours in sun would charge one of the Rivers.

A while ago I wired a plug in the bed, it's an AMZN-sourced panel with voltage meter, 2 USB plugs, and 2 12V plugs. I can charge our Rivers back there, or run the fridge, or run the SUP air pump.

*We arrived at the campsite in Glacier at 11pm. In the morning, packed up and drove to Lake McDonald parking lot to hit the trail by 8am. After a night at the Chalet, we hiked down in the morning after breakfast, arriving at the parking lot sometime around 12:30-1pm.

 

[ttn333]

It's 50w. It's probably wont get more than 80w. You should move it around to get the best sunlight through out the day to get maximum charge. Also make sure the fridge is running of the 12v plug for better efficiency. I've that most fridge use about 45w max during the day and much less at night. Also keep the fridge covered (insulating fridge cover) and under a shade. Makes a huge difference.

 

[GOCAMPN]

You said you don’t mind if your stuff gets warm. I don’t want warm yogurt or milk.

“Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man.”

Haha I totally get your point, I have always maintained my ice pretty well. But everyone carries different stuff, I personally don't bring perishables. I mostly cook canned foods and MREs, any stuff that needs to be used quickly I just use on the first day. Like I said that's just me though, I can and have easily gone 6 months+ without milk. One day I'll have my fridge and all will be great, installing my Softopper this week!

Edit to delete a quote, stupid phone. Lol.

 

[charravi9o]

Powered coolers can usually cool 30º below ambient temperature, while a fridge can cool up to 90º below ambient temps similar to the RV solar panel . The fridge is by far the better choice here for any travel in hot climates.

 

[onewhippedpuppy]

Interesting timing, I just purchased a BougeRV 12V fridge for my boat. Our cooler fits under a seat and I can’t find a proper rotomolded cooler that will fit in the cavity, it came with an Igloo that is garbage.. Based on feedback here it sounds like I’ll be very happy with the fridge.

 

[DickensCPA]

I don't have a fridge, although I'd like to have one, just not sure with my time and commitments I could justify long enough trips for one. On the other hand I have NEVER had much luck with coolers. I have 3 Yetis - a big one, a bigger one and the medium size one that's like a bag with a zipper. I have 8 of those reusable ice packs as well.

I will pre-cool my Yetis before a trip and can't hardly make a 30 minute drive to my campsite without the ice melting and the ice packs thawing. We probably have 8 total of the tumblers and thermos Yetis and they don't keep ice in my drink very long either. I will say if I'm fishing a tournament and get on the water at 4AM my coffee stays hot until I'm finished with it.

 

[ChrisNLA]

I don't have a fridge, although I'd like to have one, just not sure with my time and commitments I could justify long enough trips for one. On the other hand I have NEVER had much luck with coolers. I have 3 Yetis - a big one, a bigger one and the medium size one that's like a bag with a zipper. I have 8 of those reusable ice packs as well.

I will pre-cool my Yetis before a trip and can't hardly make a 30 minute drive to my campsite without the ice melting and the ice packs thawing. We probably have 8 total of the tumblers and thermos Yetis and they don't keep ice in my drink very long either. I will say if I'm fishing a tournament and get on the water at 4AM my coffee stays hot until I'm finished with it.

These days, if you can afford a Yeti, you can afford a fridge.

I paid $250 for my 30QT Alpicool fridge. Some days it rides in the bed, some days it rides in the back seat. Keeps my food cold and dry. I don't even use an extra battery - just plug it into the truck. Long as the truck runs every 18-24 hours for a short bit, its fine.

Most of what I use it for is day or weekend trips.

 

[zuki_dan]

I just waded into the fridge market. Bought the 37 pt fridge from Setpower for about $320 in sale. Going to use it on the first road trip this weekend. Also purchased a Ecopower river 2 pro to power it while not on vehicle power.

Fridge cooled to 34 degrees in about 20 minutes from ambient. Compressor is also rated to 40 degrees of operating angle! The 37 qt was the only one that would fit under my tonneau cover though otherwise I would have gone bigger.

I have always used coolers and will be happy to be done with the ice situation and worrying about food getting wet in a cooler.

 

[Freems]

I have had a ARB fridge/freezer for close to ten years, I boat a ton year round, grandkids baseball tournaments from spring to late summer, (out 2-3 days with travel) and wheeling trips in between. I haven’t bought a bag of ice virtually the entire time. The ARB plugs into the boat’s batteries setup and I have a stand alone group 31 first interstate marine battery for the bed of the JT. (it will go three days in the sun on a full battery charge). The math for cost of ice over time with my use time is clear, invest in a fridge.

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