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Fridge dilemma(s)

OllieChristopher

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Well in all fairness the knock offs haven’t been available all that long do we don’t know how they will hold up. And it’s not like 1 example is the rule. Everything on this forum is antidotal with not much to back it up.
How very true Michael. I purchased my BoughRV quite a few months ago and would buy another in a heartbeat. It's been banged around, dropped, tipped, plugged in and out and beat on. It has a 3 year unconditional warranty. For a 28 liter at just over 200 bucks what's not to like.

Now if I was to have a fancy dedicated slide out unit in a Jeep I might go something like an ICECO. Only because they are local and have a no hassle warranty as well.

I'm not putting down from Engle or Dometic. It's just the price point for something not all that important to me is too much. For myself a cooler is nothing more than a luxury that is not necessary for an enjoyable trip.
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Interesting. So you plug it in the Jeep and theres no risk of depleting the battery? I wouldnt want to risk this in the middle of nowhere.
My ARB fridge will run for 3 days and the Jeep will still start. The ARB fridge also will shut off before the battery gets to low to start the Jeep.
 

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@mnjeeper did you end up getting a fridge? What was your solution?

I'm with you that I really hate ice and wet, soggy shit in the cooler. Ice also isn't so easy to come by when you're out properly adventuring!

I picked up the Dometic CFX45 last year and have been very happy with it. It sounds like you're single, so there is likely extra space in your Jeep. I removed the 40% rear seat and replaced it with a fridge platform. Everything fits tight and like it is supposed to be there. Easy to access food or drinks by opening the rear door, and the front passenger (usually my wife) can reach back while driving to get snacks or beverages out. Also still room & seatbelts to get 2 passengers back there in a pinch (comfortable for 1).

I bought a Bluetti 600w lithium battery and 100w solar panel to power the fridge, but after a few trips, I now just connect it to the 12v plug in the rear of the Jeep. I've had it run for 2.5 days without issue before starting the Jeep to move camps, and that is likely about as long as we would go without some exploratory driving. We keep the battery with us as back-up and to charge random accessories, but it is rarely used.

Our plan this summer is to spend some longer weekends on the boat, and REALLY looking forward to having the fridge onboard (powered by the Bluetti) and not having to deal with ice.

Where are you in MN? I grew up in Detroit Lakes and the XJ in my avatar came out of Moorhead. I used to travel quite a bit to Duluth, up the North Shore, around the Iron Range, Voyagers, etc. before moving to Montana in the 90s.
 

REDSEAL199

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I would be curious as to anyone's thoughts on the Setpower Fridge. I have a buddy that has used one for several years with no issues. It also has the voltage cutoff settings hi,med,low.
 

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@mnjeeper did you end up getting a fridge? What was your solution?

I'm with you that I really hate ice and wet, soggy shit in the cooler. Ice also isn't so easy to come by when you're out properly adventuring!

I picked up the Dometic CFX45 last year and have been very happy with it. It sounds like you're single, so there is likely extra space in your Jeep. I removed the 40% rear seat and replaced it with a fridge platform. Everything fits tight and like it is supposed to be there. Easy to access food or drinks by opening the rear door, and the front passenger (usually my wife) can reach back while driving to get snacks or beverages out. Also still room & seatbelts to get 2 passengers back there in a pinch (comfortable for 1).

I bought a Bluetti 600w lithium battery and 100w solar panel to power the fridge, but after a few trips, I now just connect it to the 12v plug in the rear of the Jeep. I've had it run for 2.5 days without issue before starting the Jeep to move camps, and that is likely about as long as we would go without some exploratory driving. We keep the battery with us as back-up and to charge random accessories, but it is rarely used.

Our plan this summer is to spend some longer weekends on the boat, and REALLY looking forward to having the fridge onboard (powered by the Bluetti) and not having to deal with ice.

Where are you in MN? I grew up in Detroit Lakes and the XJ in my avatar came out of Moorhead. I used to travel quite a bit to Duluth, up the North Shore, around the Iron Range, Voyagers, etc. before moving to Montana in the 90s.

I haven't bought one yet. Changed directions a little and have a squaredrop being built. I am totally torn. It's a literal gamble of half price vs known reliability. It may be a coin flip here, but I will show what I end up with and report good/bad.

I'm in the twin cities for now...I wonder why weekly. For a few reasons. I love time on the range, and hope to get a lot this summer when my camper is done.

ETA. Funny. From the OP to now I went from trailer, or no trailer, to back to trailer and forgot the change. I'd have had my camper by now if I stuck with my original plan.
 
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nsfw_andy

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I would be curious as to anyone's thoughts on the Setpower Fridge. I have a buddy that has used one for several years with no issues. It also has the voltage cutoff settings hi,med,low.
Setpower is just the more budget brand of Iceco without the good compressor. I went to their SoCal warehouse to check out their open box items for sale and both brands are owned by one company.

Anyhow, I picked up an ICECO VL45 and it fits perfect in the back of the Jeep with a tailgate table. I’ve been running it 24/7 in the house as well to use as a mini fridge for beer 🤣
 

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Interesting. So you plug it in the Jeep and theres no risk of depleting the battery? I wouldnt want to risk this in the middle of nowhere.
If you have the tow package and use the aux switches for your fridge then your Jeep will shut off the fridge before its battery gets too low. No, we're not perfect and sometimes forget to shut it off after an excursion.
 

roaniecowpony

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I've been thinking about getting a fridge as well. From what I can determine from all the anecdotal comments and from websites, Dometic and ARB are the top of the heap not only for their build quality, but their customer service.

Engle would be my third choice, not because they aren't built as well as the other two, but because I can't find much on their customer service. My brother has an early ARB marked Engle built 35qt steel body that has been solid and reliable for decades. He also has a 50 qt new style ARB plastic body with no problems.

I like the 35qt for the two of us for traveling where we want some sandwich meats etc. It is big enough for what the OP described his uses would be in his original post. But if the room is available, a 45-60 would be nicer. I've been eyeing the 45 qt size.
 
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It is big enough for what the OP described his uses would be in his original post. But if the room is available, a 45-60 would be nicer. I've been eyeing the 45 qt size.
For the record. Since I made this...things changed. I have a travel trailer on order. When I get it, biggest fridge that fits the galley is what I am buying.
 

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One thing we've come to like is having two fridges. Both get loaded at home; the Jeep fridge gets drinks and snacks, the camper fridge gets most of the food and condiments.

Sorry to hijack your fridge thread but who's building your trailer?

We've been looking at trailers for several years. Last May I found a good local deal on a very lightly used A-frame pop-up. Not as rugged as what we want, but it works well as a base-camp and there was no 12-36 month wait time.

Looked at Moby1/Vorsheer locally but there was some shady shit going on there (this was right before they rebranded). SoCal Teardrops were rugged and got us going that route first, but the quality control (esp door fit/finish) didn't match the pricing in my opinion. Hive and Teton-X were just getting started then BOOM blew up with Covid and 24+ month waits.

After last weekend's trip to southern Utah my wife now wants dirt bikes and a trailer for those, so now I guess either find a really small toy-hauler or custom build something minimalist with a drop-down bed.
 

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Setpower is just the more budget brand of Iceco without the good compressor. I went to their SoCal warehouse to check out their open box items for sale and both brands are owned by one company.

Anyhow, I picked up an ICECO VL45 and it fits perfect in the back of the Jeep with a tailgate table. I’ve been running it 24/7 in the house as well to use as a mini fridge for beer 🤣
Oh good. I'm not the only one running the VL45 in the house as a beer fridge! :LOL:
 

hardtop

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No rush, I am prepping for next year . My plan is to have a squaredrop or teardrop with a rear galley. Normally, I am with the "buy once, cry once" but I have read a few places that dometic shares the same compressor ace iceco on some models...at quite a price difference. This is primarily for food, because I hate melted ice even with best efforts of sealing food. Beers can go in a cooler, unless there is room. So, my questions:

1. How do you size??
2. Try the "lesser" brand?

I am thinking since I won't be far from civilization, 2-3 days of food is fine, 1-2 people. Add in the possible "meal for 8" which would sort of equal out since if I cook for a group, I'd have dinners coming.
This:
https://www.amazon.com/ICECO-Portab...dchild=1&keywords=iceco&qid=1633449290&sr=8-3
Or this:
https://www.amazon.com/Dometic-CFX3...d=1&keywords=dometic+45&qid=1633449411&sr=8-5

Big price difference. Done some reading, and lots seem happy with both brands. The above examples would cover food and beer...so it saves me dealing with that. Does anyone bother with a second cooler? Not that beer isn't important...but food safety is more important. I am leaning towards 45qt or so and if I wanted to go longer without a store, I can. I have plenty of home coolers I could bring for beer and keeping drinking water cold. But, a 50qt generally lists as holding 84 cans. Seems I could do a 35 or 45 and have LOTS of room for food and drinks.

I do lean towards one fridge for beverage and food since if I build smart it can be in the trailer and move to the Jeep (with careful slide selection). I guess my main thing, do I buy brand name, or no? I worry I'll save a few hundred, and then lose it when I step up if there are deficiencies. Freezer is NOT needed for me.

Size by looking at your cargo room and get the biggest refer that you can fit.

With the lesser brands, it is a gamble that can pay off especially on low budgets. But it may not be as easy to get warranty work or replacement parts.

I used an ice chest and moved up to the Engel MT45. It is a plane jane unit. No bluetooth, no apps, no driain, no light switch. It has a knob to control the temp and all stainless hinges and latch. I spent a month researching all the refers and picked the best one for me. If you are a manual guy, look at thier owners manual and other documentation on their site. It is impressive.

I picked the metal Engel for its design, construction, quality and efficiency. They galvanize dip the sheet metal and then paint it. I wanted that because I knew it would scratch and get beat-up like all my other overlanding gear and I didn't want rust.

The second thing that is going well with it after 1.5 years of use is battery usage and balls/power. It is pretty amazing. I only have a 12ah LIFEPO4 battery and that is more than enough for overnight usage. At first I wasn't sure if the unit would be as strong power-wise as ice, but given enough time it will freeze anything I put in there even at temps above 107F (max I have been in so far). Engel has their own compressor made in Japan and it is one of the best, if not the best compressor on the market. It has been in below freezing temps (teens) and over 130F (locked in my rig in the summer) and no issues.

The other high-end brand is National Luna. But they are in Africa. Engel is in Florida.
 

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Size by looking at your cargo room and get the biggest refer that you can fit.

With the lesser brands, it is a gamble that can pay off especially on low budgets. But it may not be as easy to get warranty work or replacement parts.

I used an ice chest and moved up to the Engel MT45. It is a plane jane unit. No bluetooth, no apps, no driain, no light switch. It has a knob to control the temp and all stainless hinges and latch. I spent a month researching all the refers and picked the best one for me. If you are a manual guy, look at thier owners manual and other documentation on their site. It is impressive.

I picked the metal Engel for its design, construction, quality and efficiency. They galvanize dip the sheet metal and then paint it. I wanted that because I knew it would scratch and get beat-up like all my other overlanding gear and I didn't want rust.

The second thing that is going well with it after 1.5 years of use is battery usage and balls/power. It is pretty amazing. I only have a 12ah LIFEPO4 battery and that is more than enough for overnight usage. At first I wasn't sure if the unit would be as strong power-wise as ice, but given enough time it will freeze anything I put in there even at temps above 107F (max I have been in so far). Engel has their own compressor made in Japan and it is one of the best, if not the best compressor on the market. It has been in below freezing temps (teens) and over 130F (locked in my rig in the summer) and no issues.

The other high-end brand is National Luna. But they are in Africa. Engel is in Florida.
Absolutely cannot go wrong with an Engel, I picked up mine in 2003 and it still works as good as the day I bought it.
It spent many, many dusty or rainy days in my open top TJ, been in brutal heat in Moab during the summer months, freezing cold in Alberta Winters and everything in between
 

swozey

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How quickly do your fridges heat up once they're off 12v?

I've been surprised at how quickly my ICECO VL35 heats up, nothing scientific but I feel like it shouldn't go up 10-15 degrees overnight in 20-40* weather. Sometimes I even crank it down to 22* and I wake up and it's high 30s/low 40s.

Am I expecting too much? I got stuck once with a dead battery so I'm paranoid of it running all night at this point (also run solar panels and an Ecoflow now). I'm assuming I can't compare the insulation/cooling off-energy to a Yeti, etc.
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