Fridge (and accessory) recommendations (7 Viewers)

[linuxgod]

I am DONE with a cooler full of ice and water soaking burger juice into my fresh food and beer can lids, and I'm looking at purchasing a fridge for my next summer trip. I know everyone loves Dometic and ARB, but I'm curious what other successful setups people have. In addition, what accessories do you highly recommend.

I'm on the fence between a cheap ($200-230) Euhony or Vevor knock-off 58 quart fridge vs a dual zone Iceco 65. Iceco seems to have some stellar pricing on open box/refurb units on ebay (roughly $300!) but shipping is INSANE (roughly $600!) I'd love to find a solid used Dometic or ARB or Iceco but that seems pretty unlikely around here. I have a 100 quart Igloo cooler, and typically throw 2x 20# bags of ice in it (~20 quarts), so ~65 quarts for a dual zone seems like the right size if not a tad small. I'm open to other manufacturers and options but 65-75 quarts is ideal (+/- a few quarts). I saw a youtube video comparing the Secop/Danfoss compressors with the knock off Chinese ones and the runtime seems to be about 2x, plus I trust Chinese unbranded crap as far as I can throw it (because even if the compressor is good, when the panel goes out you're boned). That said I can buy a lot of $200 amazon warehouse 60 quart chinese units for the cost of an $800 Iceco or $1200 Dometic. Yeah I know go Dometic or ARB and buy once, cry one, but $1000 is a LOT of crying...

In preparation I ordered a refurbished Ecoflow River 2 as they're $300 through ebay right now (EcoFlow RIVER 2 Pro 768Wh Portable Power Station LFP Certified Refurbished | eBay - https://www.ebay.com/itm/145074928569). Props to that 20% off sale. I plan to run the fridge off that and run that off a switched circuit so as to avoid running down my starter battery.

I grabbed a couple molle panels from Grey Man Tactical so I can build a real divider around the fridge. Right now I have a 2nd row divider as well as one mounted atop my drawer to separate the trunk in half, and the Kaon attic shelf. So these will act as a shelf over the fridge and to the side of it. 27.25 X 19 RMP™ - https://greymantactical.com/products/27-25x19rmp. I did some really jenky stuff last year in Utah with a rubbermaid bin lid and some 1"x1" railing stiles to create a platform so I wouldn't have to remove my bins every time I wanted into the cooler. and I hope to make this more... professional. (pic of the red lid and wooden legs below)

What other recommendations do y'all have to simply my life? Note that I probably will run the fridge setup from April to Oct and then remove it for the winter as my wife likes to use the 3rd row sometimes and I often find myself hauling crap from Home Depot in the winter, so flexible/removable ideas are stellar.

 

[GOLIGHTLY]

If you ARE considering the budget brands, my AstroAI has been chugging along for 3 years now, at least just vouching for that one.

 

[AgentOrange]

I've been in love with the 2 IceCo fridges we have. The one in my 80 has done several hard trips and performs great. A decent fridge makes trips so much easier

 

[eatSleepWoof]

I always prefer buying quality, proven products. Buy once, cry once, and enjoy a product that works well.

The first thing you need to decide on is the exterior size constraints that you have in your setup. How will you store it, how will you slide it out/use it. That'll instantly limit your options. Then decide on single vs dual zone. Then start looking at the options that are left.

I had an ARB fridge that I was very happy with, and all things being equal, would get another. SnoMaster and NationalLuna are even higher-end brands (vs. ARB).

That said, a year ago I picked up a cheap, chinese knock-off for an absolutely stupidly low price, and it worked just fine during the time I had it. It lacked options that more overland-focused fridges have (like proper tie-down points), but it did its primary job (cooling) just fine.

If you want slider recommendations, I used an AluCab fridge slider with my ARB and was very happy with it.

 

[Fisher23]

I have an ARB 73 zero dual zone under warrantee I'm selling .. will PM you.

 

[Fisher23]

Just FYI I would not go the power station route myself.

Small Lithium battery like this:

Valence U1-12RT 12.8V 40Ah Lithium Iron Magnesium Phosphate Battery | High-Capac | eBay

The Valence U1-12RT 12.8V 40Ah Lithium Iron Magnesium Phosphate Battery is a high-capacity, deep-cycle battery that is perfect for a variety of applications, including RVs, solar systems, and more. 40Ah capacity.

www.ebay.com

and a dc to dc 20+amp charger is way better IMHO. (I use a 40 amp dc to dc for faster charging)

On my setup a put a 100watt solar on the roof, and a solar controller charging the aux battery (lithium) and it will run the fridge forever without driving.
Driving an hour or 2+ will recharger the lithium.
No solar & no driving it runs about 3 days in hot weather.

 

[NYC570]

A lot of the Chinese fridges from brands like BougeRV, ACO, Bodega, Vevor, Newair etc, are made by Alpicool, which also sells under its own brand. I've had a 55L Costway branded one with a no name compressor for a few years and it hasn't skipped a beat. I also have a higher end and larger dual 75L Newair one with an LG compressor and it has been good as well.

 

[linuxgod]

Just FYI I would not go the power station route myself.

Small Lithium battery like this:

Valence U1-12RT 12.8V 40Ah Lithium Iron Magnesium Phosphate Battery | High-Capac | eBay

The Valence U1-12RT 12.8V 40Ah Lithium Iron Magnesium Phosphate Battery is a high-capacity, deep-cycle battery that is perfect for a variety of applications, including RVs, solar systems, and more. 40Ah capacity.

www.ebay.com

and a dc to dc 20+amp charger is way better IMHO. (I use a 40 amp dc to dc for faster charging)

On my setup a put a 100watt solar on the roof, and a solar controller charging the aux battery (lithium) and it will run the fridge forever without driving.
Driving an hour or 2+ will recharger the lithium.
No solar & no driving it runs about 3 days in hot weather.

Yeah I considered that but I’m trying to go clean and simple and easily removed if I need space to haul kids. I built my own LiFePO4 battery in my camper. 271Ah for about $500. The ecoflow is expensive comparatively but should run a fridge for at least 1.5 days if I’m parked, possibly longer. The inverter will be handy as well. The refurb ecoflow was $300 for 768wh, or 60Ah nominal. I have an extra flexible solar panel in my camper pass through I can add on if it makes sense. If I decide I want more power in the future I may go DC-DC and a straight LFP battery tho.

 

[linuxgod]

A lot of the Chinese fridges from brands like BougeRV, ACO, Bodega, Vevor, Newair etc, are made by Alpicool, which also sells under its own brand. I've had a 55L Costway branded one with a no name compressor for a few years and it hasn't skipped a beat. I also have a higher end and larger dual 75L Newair one with an LG compressor and it has been good as well.

Does the LG compressor draw similar amps to the Chinese knock offs or to the Danfoss/Secop? If the fridge is cheap enough ($200 or so) power consumption is probably my big open question with those.

 

[Ratchey]

I had an Indel B for 5 or so years that worked flawlessly (still have it as a rental item for my trailer). I replaced it with a bigger IceCo 75pro dual fridge freezer. I like the bigger size and the ability to run 2 fridges/ 2 freezers / 1 of each or turn either compartment off for more power savings.

 

[NYC570]

Does the LG compressor draw similar amps to the Chinese knock offs or to the Danfoss/Secop? If the fridge is cheap enough ($200 or so) power consumption is probably my big open question with those.

From what I've seen, my 75L one with the LG compressor draws similar to the comparable sized ARB. They draw between 40 to 80 watts depending on settings. I'm not sure if you can get a 75L dual zone one for $200 though.

 

[TLC2013]

@linuxgod i recently made the switch to a 12v fridge/freezer. Well worth the investment. I have also been using that same model ecoflow to power the fridge. Been happy overall but took some trial and error to get my set up dialed in.
I have two fridges now go figure. Been happy with the iceco dual zone 65. Picked it up during a black friday sale. Usually there about 25-30% off. Then a few months later snagged a 2nd hand Snomaster from a local member. Its a beast and has a handy remote to monitor and set temps. Its my go to now. If you were closer that iceco could be yours....bummer.
I would recommend one that has an app or a remote so you can moniter power and temp levels. Comes in handy for sure.
I am sold on the dual zone. Being able to carry ice and cold treats for the family on trips is a real luxury. The power usage with the freezer running and set at 0 is significantly more then a fridge set at 37 f.

To charge the ecoflow in the 3rd row i had to run a 12v outlet .Trying to charge the ecoflow off of the built in inverter is a no go. The inverter trips so keep that in mind. A basic 12v outlet will charge the ecoflow at around 110 watts so it will take a significant time to recharge the 700 wh battery.

 

[FrazzledHunter]

Being transparent, I'm a Dometic fanboy. We have a 75L dual Zone and absolutely love it.
Perhaps consider if you go the budget route that reliability and repair-ability might be lower and that you might be more likely to have not only a busted fridge/freezer but spoiled food and a huge mess to contend with while on a trip.

 

[linuxgod]

@linuxgod i recently made the switch to a 12v fridge/freezer. Well worth the investment. I have also been using that same model ecoflow to power the fridge. Been happy overall but took some trial and error to get my set up dialed in.
I have two fridges now go figure. Been happy with the iceco dual zone 65. Picked it up during a black friday sale. Usually there about 25-30% off. Then a few months later snagged a 2nd hand Snomaster from a local member. Its a beast and has a handy remote to monitor and set temps. Its my go to now. If you were closer that iceco could be yours....bummer.
I would recommend one that has an app or a remote so you can moniter power and temp levels. Comes in handy for sure.
I am sold on the dual zone. Being able to carry ice and cold treats for the family on trips is a real luxury. The power usage with the freezer running and set at 0 is significantly more then a fridge set at 37 f.

To charge the ecoflow in the 3rd row i had to run a 12v outlet .Trying to charge the ecoflow off of the built in inverter is a no go. The inverter trips so keep that in mind. A basic 12v outlet will charge the ecoflow at around 110 watts so it will take a significant time to recharge the 700 wh battery.

Thanks. I have a rear 75A fuse box that is (supposed to) only work when the engine is on, so I was intending to tie into that to charge the ecoflow. I think the relay is bad because right now that box shows like 0.1V but yeah I didn’t expect to use the inverter. Anyway that should allow me to recharge at up to the input max, which sadly on the ecoflow is not much more than 100W via DC. I could put an inverter inline and do 900W AC but for my use case I don’t think it’ll be needed as I’m either using it on a weekend trip where I only need 2 days of power or I’m using it on a long overland trip where I’m driving a ton and can recharge it all day. I could always add solar as well.

Wish I was closer to buy your Iceco off you but I’d spend more in gas just to get to the west coast.

 

[linuxgod]

Being transparent, I'm a Dometic fanboy. We have a 75L dual Zone and absolutely love it.
Perhaps consider if you go the budget route that reliability and repair-ability might be lower and that you might be more likely to have not only a busted fridge/freezer but spoiled food and a huge mess to contend with while on a trip.

Yeah I have considered that. On weekend trips it’s mostly beer and other drinks in the cooler so it wouldn’t be the end of the world. On a longer trip I could always throw a bag of ice in there and convert to a cooler so long as I caught it fast enough. But yeah reliability is a concern (as is the variability the cheap models seem to have in temp control).

 

[grinchy]

I got a cheap, generic, small single zone. I think a dual zone would be practical for a longer trip, but for a weekend the small little single zone is fine. An advantage for the small size is that I can easily carry it, even full, so it is easy to load in the house and then put in the truck.

I agree that building a good cage for it so you can pack out around is important, and this spring I’ll be making a better cage for mine.

I got much better performance on the fridge when wrapped in a cool bag/cover, but that may not be as useful in the larger more expensive sizes.

 

[NYC570]

This is a pic of my 75L dual zone. BTW, I don't recommend the Dometic fridge slide. It's too noisy specially when unloaded.

 

[linuxgod]

I got much better performance on the fridge when wrapped in a cool bag/cover, but that may not be as useful in the larger more expensive sizes.

Interesting, the video I saw showed little improvement in run time, at least with an ambient temp of ~75F. I think it was 14 hours on a 500W Jackery for the Chinese knockoff, 28 hours for the Danfoss, and 29 hours for the Danfoss wrapped in a cover.

 

[BadReligion]

After seeing the advantages of a fridge on the Rubicon 10 years ago and being equally frustrated with melted ice, soggy food, and warm beer on day 4, I reluctantly cashed in my Cabelas points on an Engel Combi fridge/freezer (over a Beretta A400 12ga) and quickly realized that was a very wise decision. Back then, not as many choices but people running Engels had them for many years without issue.

It's since been on numerous Rubicon/Moab/Death Valley trips and I haven't had any problems with it. I just run a single battery, 100w solar panel, and jump pack as a back up. If the sun is out 4-5 hours a day or we are driving at least an hour a day, it will run indefinitely.

The fridge/freezer set up is awesome too. Nothing like snacking on ice cream sandwiches in the middle of nowhere in August. You can dial the temp up too and have a dual fridge if desired.

It's also nice to be able to pull the baskets, carry them into your house, and load/unload in your kitchen without making a mess.

 

[TheComedian]

Would also look for a used Engel. Also that kind of fridge you have for a livetime.
Once it is on temp mine takes lile 30-35W and thats it.