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  • electric cooler

    Hello,


    I have to come to realize after looking at some used camper trailers, that one good enough for my family is out of my price range. Now back to luxury car camping...

    So, one of my favorite features of the camper trailer was the ability to use a propane powered refrigerator while driving. As this is out of my price range, I am thinking about purchasing an electric cooler. I know it won't be as cold as the propane fridge.

    Has anyone had any experience with the electric coolers? I was looking at the 40Q Coleman model, and purchasing a 110v adapter. I think this would be a good fit for us, since I am about to have a new baby (any minute now!) and already have a 2 year old. I want to be able to keep snacks for everyone and possibly a day or two worth of meals for us in the cooler. We may not be able to actually go camping for a year or two, but I am hoping we can pull off some road trips without eating out everywhere and buying ice all the time. ( I had to stop 3 times to buy ice on an 8 hour road trip, it was very hot out)

  • #2
    Re: electric cooler

    I've owned a couple small ones, but after realizing a good one is $ 500.00, I'm sticking with Amazing Ice.
    “People have such a love for the truth that when they happen to love something else, they want it to be the truth; and because they do not wish to be proven wrong, they refuse to be shown their mistake. And so, they end up hating the truth for the sake of the object which they have come to love instead of the truth.”
    ―Augustine of Hippo, Fifth Century A.D.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: electric cooler

      We have 2 electric coolers, we had each one fail while traveling. We lost quite a bit of food both times. I won't buy another.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: electric cooler

        I don't have any experience with the Colemans, but I do know from reading the reviews on various sites that they seem to have a good bit of trouble with temperature regulation and failing fans. I gave up on buying one because the only ones I see that seem more reliable, like ARBs and Engels, are way out of my budget.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: electric cooler

          Originally posted by tplife View Post
          I've owned a couple small ones, but after realizing a good one is $ 500.00, I'm sticking with Amazing Ice.
          What is amazing ice?

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: electric cooler

            What do you guys think of Yeti and Orca... or others? I don't have that kind of money.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: electric cooler

              . ( I had to stop 3 times to buy ice on an 8 hour road trip, it was very hot out)[/QUOTE]



              what the heck were you using?
              i took a 3 week 7000 mile road trip this summer
              much of it down south louisiana texas new mexico
              yes it was hot
              i used a cheap no name cooler
              replaced ice about every 2 days
              have used styrofoam coolers on past trips never had to refill ice same day

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: electric cooler

                Originally posted by terasec View Post
                . ( I had to stop 3 times to buy ice on an 8 hour road trip, it was very hot out)


                what the heck were you using?
                i took a 3 week 7000 mile road trip this summer
                much of it down south louisiana texas new mexico
                yes it was hot
                i used a cheap no name cooler
                replaced ice about every 2 days
                have used styrofoam coolers on past trips never had to refill ice same day[/QUOTE]

                It was a huge old white igloo cooler. It is a marine cooler that is probably 15 years old. I had it on a hitch mount cargo carrier, totally in the sun. I had no where else to put it, and the a/c in my truck is no good. it must have been 99+ degrees outside. The entire thing was full of all the food for 9 people for 4 days.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: electric cooler

                  I travel with several guys who use Dometic refridge/coolers. They are expensive but they work and use relatively little juice. They are both 110 and 12V. We traveled 2 weeks out west with no 110 drops at any campsites, with no issues . The car is set to charge the trailer batteries while we were driving. You could still set up this setup with a seperate battery for the cooler. Or you can buy Ice. This is one of those, "you get what you pay for scenarios" .

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: electric cooler

                    I currently have 2 electric coolers;
                    one solid state/Thermoelectric (looks very similar to the Coleman); I would rate it as overpriced and ineffectual and would give it a solid avoid rating (the next neighbor that has a garage sale or friend that expresses an interest gets it, unfortunately it is too big for me to pack and ship)... This one barely gets below room temperature, not enough to keep drinks cold.

                    The second is an actual compressor style 12V DC/110 volt AC refrigerator freeze; and seems to work as advertised at least during garage tests. (I favor tent camping and estimate that my aging 35AH camping battery is too small to power it more than overnight; it really deserves a 100AH or larger deep discharge battery & 100 watts of solar).
                    If considering one of these be somewhat careful to get an acceptable size (read dimensions and measure your space) (I made a mistake and got a 43 quart Edgestar, should have gritted my teeth on the price and gotten a smaller size unit).

                    The Edgestars are occasionally available as open box/customer returns at a substantially reduced price from compact appliance... got mine for around $270 last year.
                    Compact appliance has very good customer service.
                    http://www.compactappliance.com/FP43...tcpromotion=cj

                    Enjoy!
                    2006 Jeep Rubicon, TJ; 4.11 gears, 31" tires, 4:1 transfer case, lockers in both axles
                    For DD & "civilized" camping; 2003 Ford explorer sport, 4wd; ARB & torsen diffs, 4.10 gears, 32" MTs.
                    Ground tents work best for me, so far.
                    Experience along with properly set up 4WD will get you to & through places (on existing, approved 4WD trails) that 4WD, alone, can't get to.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: electric cooler

                      Originally posted by Kodiakxj View Post

                      It was a huge old white igloo cooler. It is a marine cooler that is probably 15 years old. I had it on a hitch mount cargo carrier, totally in the sun. I had no where else to put it, and the a/c in my truck is no good. it must have been 99+ degrees outside. The entire thing was full of all the food for 9 people for 4 days.
                      My guess would be
                      bouncing around on the hitch probably opened the cooler on bumps and would let cold air out
                      also exhaust may have contributed to warming it up
                      i kept my cooler car inside closed and covered with a towel
                      Last edited by terasec; 10-29-2016, 05:29 PM.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: electric cooler

                        Originally posted by terasec View Post
                        My guess would be
                        bouncing around on the hitch probably opened the cooler on bumps and would let cold air out
                        also exhaust may have contributed to warming it up
                        i kept my cooler car naide closed and covered with a towel
                        Maybe exhaust played a part, but It never opened. It was ratchet strapped down.
                        Last edited by Kodiakxj; 10-29-2016, 02:18 PM.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: electric cooler

                          Originally posted by Happy Joe View Post
                          I currently have 2 electric coolers;
                          one solid state/Thermoelectric (looks very similar to the Coleman); I would rate it as overpriced and ineffectual and would give it a solid avoid rating (the next neighbor that has a garage sale or friend that expresses an interest gets it, unfortunately it is too big for me to pack and ship)... This one barely gets below room temperature, not enough to keep drinks cold.

                          The second is an actual compressor style 12V DC/110 volt AC refrigerator freeze; and seems to work as advertised at least during garage tests. (I favor tent camping and estimate that my aging 35AH camping battery is too small to power it more than overnight; it really deserves a 100AH or larger deep discharge battery & 100 watts of solar).
                          If considering one of these be somewhat careful to get an acceptable size (read dimensions and measure your space) (I made a mistake and got a 43 quart Edgestar, should have gritted my teeth on the price and gotten a smaller size unit).

                          The Edgestars are occasionally available as open box/customer returns at a substantially reduced price from compact appliance... got mine for around $270 last year.
                          Compact appliance has very good customer service.
                          http://www.compactappliance.com/FP43...tcpromotion=cj

                          Enjoy!
                          I am sorry to hear the thermoelectric doesn't sound like the way to go. They had pretty good reviews on Amazon. And the price is right, but not if it is worthless.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: electric cooler

                            ...Probably not worthless but the best you can expect (based on the tech) is that it will not cool more than 30 to 40 degrees F below ambient temp (though mine never worked this well) and that it will require continuous electrical supply (might work for a road trip but probably not very well at a nonelectric campsite, unless you use a generator).
                            ..I never tried to use it with ice; they (thermoelectric coolers) might make a fair standard cooler as they are a bit better insulated than a standard, (cheap, uninsulated) blow molded, cooler (except where the pelteir penetrates the box)...
                            https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermoelectric_cooling

                            Enjoy!
                            Last edited by Happy Joe; 10-30-2016, 10:24 AM.
                            2006 Jeep Rubicon, TJ; 4.11 gears, 31" tires, 4:1 transfer case, lockers in both axles
                            For DD & "civilized" camping; 2003 Ford explorer sport, 4wd; ARB & torsen diffs, 4.10 gears, 32" MTs.
                            Ground tents work best for me, so far.
                            Experience along with properly set up 4WD will get you to & through places (on existing, approved 4WD trails) that 4WD, alone, can't get to.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: electric cooler

                              I wonder if it would be possible to do this as a diy project.
                              “I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.”
                              – E. B. White

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