xyoverland
[fully disclosed]
- Location
- Virginia
Did you end up with the Iceco? I'm looking at them now.
@TerryD what size is your fridge and does it work out for you?
What Cooler Do You Have?
- Thread starter xyoverland
- Start date
@TerryD what size is your fridge and does it work out for you?
Brunnie
Bumpers Installed
- Location
- Colorado Springs
If I had to do it all over, I'd get at least a 55 liter unit. Currently I have a 45, and by the time you put in drinks, cheese, lunch meat, and some other things you've run out of room. The compressor takes up 25% of the interior space. So I figure that a 55 would be a lot better for us as we head off road for a few days.
TerryD
Total Tease
- Location
- Covington, Va
I don't have a fridge. Wish I did though.
xyoverland
[fully disclosed]
- Location
- Virginia
Do they base the size off the exterior? Depending on who’s going we either take a 22qt or 48qt cooler, so I was looking at a 40L (42qt) Iceco thinking since I won’t have ice packs taking up space it would be enough space.
Do you have a cooler on a slide out tray? I could swear I was looking at one with your drawer systems. Weird.
TerryD
Total Tease
- Location
- Covington, Va
Brunnie
Bumpers Installed
- Location
- Colorado Springs
Size is based off interior space. Prior I had a 48qt Coleman Cooler. What space isn't taken up by ice packs or block ice is now occupied by the compressor assembly.
reaver
Lockers Installed
- Location
- Caldwell, ID
I ended up getting a 42qt Massimo from Costco. Had it almost a year now, and it's been great. We can feed three of us for 5 days from it, if we're smart about what we eat. It's not perfect, but it was only 279 shipped.
For example, the compressor is on the top of the fridge. If I set it at 30 or so, stuff directly below the compressor can be frozen, and stuff in the larger area stays thawed. I could theoretically use this to my advantage but I've not attempted it. There's also no way to tie it down using the handles.
I typically just run a ratchet strap over the top of it, and call it good. It's worked so far.
When we're not camping, it's been pulling double duty as a drink fridge in the living room.
It draws 44w when it's running in normal mode, and about 4 watts in eco mode.
TheCrabby1
I Smell Fishy
- Location
- Burtonsville, Md
Look's like we all know who's gonna be doing all the food prep FOR the campsite with that fancy layout !
I'm really liking that fold down table . I got a high lift bracket there but I carry the high lift on the backseat floor so space is open ??
xyoverland
[fully disclosed]
- Location
- Virginia
Yeah in hindsight I wish I’d spent the extra to get the one with the slide out for extra surface area.Look's like we all know who's gonna be doing all the food prep FOR the campsite with that fancy layout !
I'm really liking that fold down table . I got a high lift bracket there but I carry the high lift on the backseat floor so space is open ??
We have the next size smaller, the 30L Massimo. It's worked well, although I have only used it a few times so far.
I did remove the telescoping handle and wheels on mine since I figured I'd never use them. Was trying to figure out a way to add some tie down points to the thing, but that's as far as that went. Like you said, a strap around / over it works well enough.
xyoverland
[fully disclosed]
- Location
- Virginia
Well.... Amazon has a lightning deal for the Iceco JP40 and JP50. Only $25 difference between the two and the 40 is 3" shorter and that's the only difference. That 3" can be a big difference given the way the lid opens, and since I'm less likely to stack things higher, I'm leaning toward the 40. But not sure.
RamblinRover
First Fill-Up (of many)
- Location
- Littleton Colorado
That does look like a pretty good deal. I keep looking at these but that leads to a 2nd battery or battery pack and solar panels and such. The build for overlanding aspect adds some more $$$$ to a build.
reaver
Lockers Installed
- Location
- Caldwell, ID
I know plenty of folks who run them off of a single dual purpose rv starter battery. As long as you're moving everyday, it should work just fine.
Though kickass products out of Australia are now selling in the US, and have a 120AH agm deep cycle battery for 330. Pair that with a 20A renogy DC-DC charger, and that should give you all the juice you'd need for about 450 or so.
xyoverland
[fully disclosed]
- Location
- Virginia
I actually already have a portable power station and solar panels, and never really had an excuse to break at least the big solar panel out. Now I will! I settled on the 40L after going out and measuring. The 40L will sit just below the seat back in front of it and invisible from the driver seat, whereas the 50L is up by the headrest. That little heigh difference gives me a couple extra inches of play front-to-back to hopefully get it between my tie-down points. And 3" more space for gear and opening the lid. Plus realistically I've never "filled" the 48qt cooler on a camping trip (we prep with vacuum seal bags and don't take much cold food) and that also includes ice taking up space.
reaver
Lockers Installed
- Location
- Caldwell, ID
Well, for a 4 day trip, when I used a cooler, I had a 52qt lifetime. I'd fill it half full of ice (usually two blocks, and two bags). I could then fit enough food for myself and my wife and kid. We usually kept things fairly simple. No fresh produce, etc. The cooler would be full.
Now with a 42qt fridge, we have room to spare. Generally speaking, you can half your cooler capacity for the same amount of food.
Let me know what you think of that fridge. I'm contemplating picking up a second one. That way we can have one in the rig for drinks and sandwiches while on the trail, and keep one in the trailer at base camp.
scoyoc
First Fill-Up (of many)
- Location
- Fort Collins, CO
Ooh, cooler thread. Fun. I’m playing with a 40qt Igloo iceless cooler and a Jackery 500. Testing it out next week.
No pics. I’ll get one tomorrow.
No pics. I’ll get one tomorrow.
reaver
Lockers Installed
- Location
- Caldwell, ID
I just looked that up. Definitely not something you want to use when it's 100 out, and full of meat. That's not a fridge, fyi. Just something to keep in mind.
scoyoc
First Fill-Up (of many)
- Location
- Fort Collins, CO
Totally not a fridge. Fully understand what I'm getting into. I've been camping in Moab in the summer for 15 years using an cooler with ice. This thing is a shoulder season cooler.
scoyoc
First Fill-Up (of many)
- Location
- Fort Collins, CO
My regular car camping cooler is a Coleman Marine cooler, maybe 50 qt. Ice on the bottom and kept in the shade it'll go 5 days in the summer. My boat cooler is an Engle, maybe 80qt. With ice in the bottom and a wet towel on it all day you can get an 8-day river trip out of it if your careful.
Brunnie
Bumpers Installed
- Location
- Colorado Springs
I added a 100AHr deep cycle battery just for the fridge and inverter. It is isolated from the starter battery when the engine isn't running but once underway the relay engages and it is charged from the main system.
reaver
Lockers Installed
- Location
- Caldwell, ID
I get about 36 hours of use out of my fridge off my 540Wh portable power station. I just charge that off the inverter while I'm driving, and plug the fridge into my truck while it's running.
I've not had time to get a deep cycle installed in the X yet. I need to get my trailer usable fiest, before I tackle a second battery in the X.
I used to use a Coleman Xtreme 50 quart cooler that worked just fine with two gallon ice jugs for 3 days in the summer. I upgraded to a Kong 50 rotomolded cooler after watching the videos of cooler tests and reading the reviews and have been very happy. I now use the gallon ice container to precool inside the night before I leave (I live in Arizona) and use the Arctic Ice gel packs and a rubbermaid container and ziplocs to avoid water in the food. My only problem has been when using the Artic Ice Tundra series the food will freeze! So I put them on the bottom and the Arctic Ice Chillin Brews gel packs on top of them. Good for 4-5 days.
I know the serious overlanders all have refrigerators and tell me they would never go back to coolers, but it is my daily driver and I don't really want to mess with a second battery charging system or the permanent slide systems. I mostly camp in one location for a few days at a time and the Kong cooler works very well.
I know the serious overlanders all have refrigerators and tell me they would never go back to coolers, but it is my daily driver and I don't really want to mess with a second battery charging system or the permanent slide systems. I mostly camp in one location for a few days at a time and the Kong cooler works very well.
xyoverland
[fully disclosed]
- Location
- Virginia
This is another big negative for me. If I use the Cooler Shock ice packs that last multiple days, the first night I go to reheat food and it’s a frozen brick. But I have to use them if I want everything to stay cold. The fridge will hopefully fix that.
- Location
- Glenside, PA
xyoverland
[fully disclosed]
- Location
- Virginia
Fits great in the back but definitely a little smaller than I anticipated. This is next to my 22qt cooler. I think it will work well though despite the perceived size.
TerryD
Total Tease
- Location
- Covington, Va
That looks nice! And a pretty decent size for my drawer set. I might have to look into one of those!