Real talk, are we just buying chinese knock off junk to save a few hundred dollars today but will be upgrading in a few years to something else? Bc, if so, I'd rather buy once and be done with this. Help me out, fellas. I get that the compressor is the same, but that's just a component, how it's integrated into the unit and the other controls are probably what would fail.
Sort answer is "that is yet to be seen." It's a real possibility. That said, I did a fair amount of research before jumping on the wagon here. Here's the thread I created on another forum:
The 12v Fridge/Freezer Thread
Dometic, Engel and ARB seem to be the "big dogs" in the overland fridge/freezer game. That said, it seems like there are a LOT of other companies that are getting into (or have been in) the game. The more I researched different brands, the more I realized they were pretty much a variation of a half dozen designs. Engel uses a swing compressor, and I believe Dometic uses their own compressor. The rest of the best rated (Including ARB) use the Danfoss a.k.a. SECOP compressor and a handful that get labeled as "best value" run a chinese knockoff copy of the SECOP. The compressor being the most critical part, I wanted to spend a few extra bucks and make sure that I have that compressor.
Another value brand that the "van life" people on YouTube seem to love is Alpicool. I just couldn't bring myself to get behind that one though. The name, compressor, and price tag kept me from being able to cheap out that much.
In the end, I went with the JP40. It seems to be the "Indel B" fridge and just rebranded. It's a tried and true design and compressor and has been around for quite a while. Sure, it isn't the sexiest design, but they haven't changed it much (if any) over the years because it just works. So I figured it was worth taking a shot. In fact, I was about to pull the trigger on the Black Forest 31FF at $350 with no bag before finding this group buy. Less than $50 difference for a larger size and insulated bag included. Score!
As for the other designs offered by ICECO, I can't speak to them. But if they use the same compressor and similar insulation, I don't see how they could be any less reliable.
your iPhone is made in china.
your Android is likely too.
90% of chinese made goods are garbage. some are not bad.
final thoughts- this is a simple device with a good compressor. if something breaks and they no longer exist or refuse to warranty it, any cruiser owner who does their mechanical work could repair or fix one of these. if not, perhaps they could have it repaired by a competent HVAC or appliance repairman. I did my research and gave one of these a shot. If it fails on me and is not repairable, lesson learned.
Pretty much this.
I opened the box to my VL60 Dual Zone today. I was totally excited. The unit was really quite stunning to look at considering how plain it looks in photos. But, as I unboxed it, I discovered a pretty good sized dent. The first thing I thought was...can I live with it? But, as I looked more carefully, I found more damage. I found one of the top corner pieces cracked and severely marred. Needless to say, I was totally bummed. I reinspected the box, and found that the box looks pretty wrinkled where the damage to the fridge occurred.
What was more appalling are the bold warning labels outside the box that indicated; "Handle with care. This side up. Do not drop". But, in the end, that bold printing appeared to have pissed off the delivery people enough for him/her/them to turn it upside down and drop it on its corner. WTF! Reminds me of that opening scene from Ace Ventura Pet Detective
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This is pretty much why I went with the JP over the VL. I figured the plastic body would hold up better long term against damage. You are not the first that this has happened to. I think I read on Amazon review that someone got a partial refund due to shipping damage. In the end, that sucks, but doesn't impact the performance of the fridge. There is a good chance that kind of damage was going to be done by you with years of use anyway. See if you can get a partial refund and enjoy your killer deal of a fridge. You also won't be mad when you put your first ding in it.
I'm not downplaying it. That royally sucks and we'd all be pissed. That said, it isn't the end of the world. I hope they are able to make you a happy customer. Please keep us apprised of the outcome.
If there's one thing that I've seen that ICECO really needs to improve is the packaging on the VL series. Or maybe start getting insurance on the packages so that someone (the buyer) can claim a total loss and get the value of the fridge refunded?
