Cheaper portable refrigerators

[JeffRaines]

I don't think there's any threads on this here -

While coolers are still gonna be the mainstay when it comes to packing meat home due to size, I've been considering buying one of those portable refrigerators to carry food and stuff in... especially while camping during the summer with family. It would be nice to not have to worry about heading into town to buy ice(which isn't getting any cheaper). Granted its a small expense, it would be nice to not have to worry about how much ice is in the cooler on a week long trip when its in the 80s/90s.

There are some really high end units(Dometic and ARB I think is the other one)... however at $800/1000+ that's a lot of money to spend... I do see there are some lower end ones, with some sold at Costco(https://www.costco.com/massimo-enx-12v-e-kooler.product.4000064319.html) and a bunch around this price range on Amazon. The Costco one is especially intriguing due to the return policy.

Anyone have any experience with these? Worth the investment?

 

[rayporter]

no experience with a newer model and there could be some great improvements but the older 12v units killed a battery fast.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

We have sold the Dometics for years, don't have any experience with the others. Feedback on quality and durability is good with the caveat that the majority of our users are mounting them in a motorhome, or ambulance so I don't imagine a ton of off road usage.

Esse quam videri

 

[thegrouse]

I have an ARB, having a fridge was a game changer for camping and exploring. I would try one of those Costco ones, they are great if you have any issues. Can't go wrong.

 

[KBC]

I bought an Edgestar in 2015ish? It’s 12V/120V and it can be a fridge or a freezer. We could easily get a 3 day weekend out of a decent deep cycle and a cheap Coleman solar panel. It’s spent more time as a beer fridge and right now it’s being an extra freezer but I wouldn’t hesitate to buy the same one again. So nice not to have all your food floating after a couple days.

 

[JeffRaines]

I have an ARB, having a fridge was a game changer for camping and exploring. I would try one of those Costco ones, they are great if you have any issues. Can't go wrong.

When I take the family with me we’re usually exploring so moving spots every day or just generally driving around and we want the food with us. With two small kids there’s no room in the back to keep the cooler so it ends up in the bed and we’re lucky to get 36 hours before we need ice again. My thought is we could buy one of those battery banks and potentially a solar panel down the road and just keep it in the truck in the floorboard. While we’re driving it’s hooked up to the truck and when we stop we switch it over to the battery bank.

So nice not to have all your food floating after a couple days.

I didn’t even think about this - but yes that aspect will be nice as well.

 

[Nickofthewoods]

I have this 45L 12v fridge/freezer that I really like and has worked great for me on car camping and road trips. It has an LG compressor so should last a long time. I bought mine for $180 on eBay last summer and now I wish that I had bought a few of them on that deal. Home Depot sells these as well.

VEVOR 12 Volt Refrigerator 45L(48qt) Fast Cooling Portable Freezer with App Control(-4℉~68℉) Car Fridge with 12/24v DC & 110-240v AC for Travel, Camping and Home Use, 48 Quart, Black | VEVOR US

VEVOR 12 Volt Refrigerator: 47.5Qt storage, fast cooling from -4℉ to 68℉, app control, LED light, battery protection, perfect for travel, camping, and home use.

m.vevor.com