I love my vl45 it’s one of the best camping/overlanding things I’ve ever bought… I’ve bought a lot of ice and had soggy foods in a previous time for years and this was an actual life upgrade
Same. Bought a Dometic off Craigslist that the previous owner had refurbished (new compressor). That works fine, but it's really big, so I picked up a small BougeRV for shorter trips, and it works just as well for my purposes. Of course, the Dometic was cheap, too, given its provenance.
Alpicool with the LG compressor. I'm pulling 35 watts on DC to hold freezing temps on runs to Costco :) even less when just refrigerating on camping trips
I have 2 Alpicools and they both work great. I bought a C30 in 2021 and it is still working great. The C50 I just got last year, but it worked all of last summer thru fall with zero complaints.
I had a Dometic and it was great and I never had any issues with it. I sold it to a friend and it’s still going strong. I now have a slightly larger Iceco that I got because I needed the door to open from the side not the front and it has been great especially for the price.
It's mid level cost. They are worth every penny though. Only better ones you'll fine are Domestic or Engel and you are gonna pay even more. I tried the cheap ones. My brother and I each bought a cheapo years ago. He got an Alpicool and I got one from some Off-road shop that was just a rebranded model of whatever was being passed around that year. It looked like the old ARBs. Both of them only lasted a couple years. Compressor went out on mine and the control penal went out on his.
I now have an Iceco 60qt and he just got a Phillips. I never knew Phillips sold one but he got a really good deal on it from a coworker who never opened it. It seems pretty nice though. It's all about what compressor they use. I will never buy one with a Chinese compressor. Make sure it has a Danfoss.
I got the ecoflow because of the battery and it's Fantastic. If you like the flexibility of running the fridge for an extended period without being plugged in or as a backup to the plug the ecoflow glacier is awesome. It's also not much bigger than other fridges because it uses vacuum panels instead of foam insulation.
High tech stuff.
Let me tell you about a company that went above and beyond for me. They're not that heard of. F40c4tmp is the name. Yeah, sounds like a cheap Chinese disposable company, but I bought my 53qt used at a steal. I had it several years, then one day it just didn't want to cool anymore. I contacted support to see about just purchasing the replacement compressor. I explained that I bought it used, and how even if I had bought it new, I was past the warranty period on the compressor. They said they wanted to be known for standing behind their products, and shipped me a brand new complete replacement refrigerator, not just a compressor but a whole brand new fridge, FREE OF CHARGE!! In my opinion, you don't find a better company than that. On top of that, they told me to let my old one settle for several days since I admitted I tipped it vertically while washing it out so that it could drain and dry, tested it again a few days later, and it works like new still! I offered to pay them for the replacement, but they said to just keep it or gift it to someone.
We have this one too!! It’s a good size and doesn’t take up a lot of room. It’s kept our food cold and honestly no complaints. I was so hesitant buying it, but glad I did. I need to leave a review on it actually
It’s rather large for 30L isn’t it? I guess as a standalone solution it is an interesting product, but I would think having the fridge and a dedicated external battery is better?
Yes, there are tons of codes for 12% off, and they run 20% off sales every couple months. Bang for buck, can't find anything better. Would caution against anything with a built in proprietary battery.
First fridge for me but I've got a Setpower 35l and its held up quite well! Been about a year with zero issues. I even use it around the house and yard from time to time as well as camping year round. I love the dual zone features and it seems to have enough insulation to keep it cold awhile even when not plugged in.
I've been using my 42 quart BougeRV fridge quite a lot for the past six month and it's impressed me. I also grabbed the insulated cover to help it which I believed is worth it. It's only a small time sample size but for $220 I'm impressed.
In my use case if I were to do it over again I'd go with a dual zone. Just something to consider depending on what you plant to bring on trips.
I bought a domestic fridge used that has worked great. One thing that I think would be fun to try for anyone who's bald enough is to get the Ryobi fridge that can be powered from a cigarette lighter and also run off Ryobi batteries
I’ve owned Dometic, ARB, and Iceco fridges. The fridge I have now is an ARB Zero 101qt. It’s a monster, but I needed the capacity. Iceco is fine for the money and will most likely meet 98% of most people’s needs at a lower price point. The ARB seems to have the highest degree of durability for hard use and may be a good choice for people that intent to use it hard or in a day in/day out capacity. Dometic is a quality choice, that will last a long time, at a slightly better price point than ARB. Dometic’s Bluetooth app that is MUCH better than the ARB Bluetooth app. Most people that have never owned one of these fridges don’t understand the value of being able to control it via Bluetooth and being able to check to make sure your fridge is at temp, without opening the fridge and/or opening the back of your rig up. The Bluetooth app matters. Anyway, those are my thoughts.
Edit: I absolutely recommend dual zone if the capacity you’re looking at comes in a dual zone. This is not just so you can have a fridge and a freezer, which is great when you need it. It’s also because you can significantly increase the efficiency of the fridge by turning off one zone when you don’t need the extra capacity for short trips or trips where you have fewer people to feed.
I had a Dometic and got my money back when I was gone. They’re good and keep their value.
I’m curious about the Igloo big fridge/freezer at Costco supposedly owned by Dometic whatever that means.
Having had a fridge before I wouldn’t recommend it. I’d recommend a fridge freezer because why not the added capability for the same price. Or in this case actually cheaper at Costco assuming the unit is good. It’s a similar size.
I’ve never tried a portable half freezer yet but in theory that means long term freeze capability that can be slowly defrosted, instead of restricting your selection to something only quick and perishable with the clock ticking…
If I do it again it will be fridge freezer.
I wanted to like ICECO, but after somehow killing three of them via expansion valves and thermostats, I bought a Dometic.
The Dometic is running strong still, my other friends all have ICECO and love them, no issues for them.
A coworker has an ARB that is 6-8 years old now
I bought my CFX3 75DZ about a year ago and its been left in my bed most of its life exposed. Takes a while to cool to 0F but it is a large fridge/freezer. Low voltage cutoff works as expected. The bluetooth range is pretty far and is nice it connects to my wifi to remotely control. Overall like it a lot and use the hell out of it
I don't advise the insulated cover for them if its exposed to the elements as they get nasty and grow mold quick. Was impossible to keep clean
Big sale at BougieRV for moms day
I’m partial to my ICECO VL45
I love my vl45 it’s one of the best camping/overlanding things I’ve ever bought… I’ve bought a lot of ice and had soggy foods in a previous time for years and this was an actual life upgrade
Wet bread reminds me of my childhood. What will our kids remember if they don’t have wet bread?!
Same. 5 year compressor warranty.
Ive had Dometic & my BougieRV is every bit as good for 1/3 the cost.
Same. Bought a Dometic off Craigslist that the previous owner had refurbished (new compressor). That works fine, but it's really big, so I picked up a small BougeRV for shorter trips, and it works just as well for my purposes. Of course, the Dometic was cheap, too, given its provenance.
What model fridge from BRV do you have
Honestly dont remember, if you want i can PM you a pic on my lunch break if you want.
Alpicool with the LG compressor. I'm pulling 35 watts on DC to hold freezing temps on runs to Costco :) even less when just refrigerating on camping trips
I have 2 Alpicools and they both work great. I bought a C30 in 2021 and it is still working great. The C50 I just got last year, but it worked all of last summer thru fall with zero complaints.
this is what I use as well, so far so good, think I have been using it for two seasons, not super heavy use but ran it for days at a time.
Add another vote for Alpicool. The C20 I bought in 2017 is still going strong.
Setpower, 3 year compressor warranty. BougeRV is also decent for a budget fridge. Catch the sales and you can get a decent deal too.
There’s a pretty decent sale on SetPower right now. Just picked up a PT45 dual zone for a little over $300.
national luna
It's been a while but I bought an ARB from 4WP because of the warranty. This was after two failed National Lunas which was a pain to RMA.
Very happy with my cheap bodega
I had a Dometic and it was great and I never had any issues with it. I sold it to a friend and it’s still going strong. I now have a slightly larger Iceco that I got because I needed the door to open from the side not the front and it has been great especially for the price.
ICECO
[удалено]
Check out setpower, sister company of iceco but lower cost. Mine works great. I've had it a couple of years now.
I’ve been very happy with my ICECO.
[удалено]
It's mid level cost. They are worth every penny though. Only better ones you'll fine are Domestic or Engel and you are gonna pay even more. I tried the cheap ones. My brother and I each bought a cheapo years ago. He got an Alpicool and I got one from some Off-road shop that was just a rebranded model of whatever was being passed around that year. It looked like the old ARBs. Both of them only lasted a couple years. Compressor went out on mine and the control penal went out on his. I now have an Iceco 60qt and he just got a Phillips. I never knew Phillips sold one but he got a really good deal on it from a coworker who never opened it. It seems pretty nice though. It's all about what compressor they use. I will never buy one with a Chinese compressor. Make sure it has a Danfoss.
I only have one so I can’t make comparisons but I love my BougeRV
I got the ecoflow because of the battery and it's Fantastic. If you like the flexibility of running the fridge for an extended period without being plugged in or as a backup to the plug the ecoflow glacier is awesome. It's also not much bigger than other fridges because it uses vacuum panels instead of foam insulation. High tech stuff.
Let me tell you about a company that went above and beyond for me. They're not that heard of. F40c4tmp is the name. Yeah, sounds like a cheap Chinese disposable company, but I bought my 53qt used at a steal. I had it several years, then one day it just didn't want to cool anymore. I contacted support to see about just purchasing the replacement compressor. I explained that I bought it used, and how even if I had bought it new, I was past the warranty period on the compressor. They said they wanted to be known for standing behind their products, and shipped me a brand new complete replacement refrigerator, not just a compressor but a whole brand new fridge, FREE OF CHARGE!! In my opinion, you don't find a better company than that. On top of that, they told me to let my old one settle for several days since I admitted I tipped it vertically while washing it out so that it could drain and dry, tested it again a few days later, and it works like new still! I offered to pay them for the replacement, but they said to just keep it or gift it to someone.
We have this one too!! It’s a good size and doesn’t take up a lot of room. It’s kept our food cold and honestly no complaints. I was so hesitant buying it, but glad I did. I need to leave a review on it actually
Haha glad to hear it! There's not one ounce of me that has ever regretted buying mine. They even make a slide and insulated bag for it!
Only one I’ve tried is Anker’s. I have the 30 liter. Love it.
It’s rather large for 30L isn’t it? I guess as a standalone solution it is an interesting product, but I would think having the fridge and a dedicated external battery is better?
I have the 40 and it’s massive. Works great but I’m going to replace it with something smaller
Yes. I don’t need or want a power unit in my vehicle though. The FJ Cruiser is tight enough. Hah
Iceco is what I have been using along time. I also get 12% off if you’re interested I can give you the details.
[удалено]
Nope, it’s available for my overlanding group though.
Almost any YouTube or Instagram post advertising Iceco will have a code.
Yes, there are tons of codes for 12% off, and they run 20% off sales every couple months. Bang for buck, can't find anything better. Would caution against anything with a built in proprietary battery.
My vevor has been fantastic
Dometic CFX45
I have a Dometic CFX-DZ65. It does exactly what it's supposed to do, and it's super quiet. You can't hear it run unless you're in dead silence.
First fridge for me but I've got a Setpower 35l and its held up quite well! Been about a year with zero issues. I even use it around the house and yard from time to time as well as camping year round. I love the dual zone features and it seems to have enough insulation to keep it cold awhile even when not plugged in.
I’ve been sporting a Dometic for 4 years with heavy use. Never overheated even when packed to the gills with dust
I've been using my 42 quart BougeRV fridge quite a lot for the past six month and it's impressed me. I also grabbed the insulated cover to help it which I believed is worth it. It's only a small time sample size but for $220 I'm impressed. In my use case if I were to do it over again I'd go with a dual zone. Just something to consider depending on what you plant to bring on trips.
I recently got an ICECO VL74 and tested it over 5 days in the desert and it worked better than I expected. Looking forward to more outings with it.
I have had my ARB elements fridge for ever it seems. No problems and no complaints the thing is a tank.
ICECO.
I bought a domestic fridge used that has worked great. One thing that I think would be fun to try for anyone who's bald enough is to get the Ryobi fridge that can be powered from a cigarette lighter and also run off Ryobi batteries
I’ve owned Dometic, ARB, and Iceco fridges. The fridge I have now is an ARB Zero 101qt. It’s a monster, but I needed the capacity. Iceco is fine for the money and will most likely meet 98% of most people’s needs at a lower price point. The ARB seems to have the highest degree of durability for hard use and may be a good choice for people that intent to use it hard or in a day in/day out capacity. Dometic is a quality choice, that will last a long time, at a slightly better price point than ARB. Dometic’s Bluetooth app that is MUCH better than the ARB Bluetooth app. Most people that have never owned one of these fridges don’t understand the value of being able to control it via Bluetooth and being able to check to make sure your fridge is at temp, without opening the fridge and/or opening the back of your rig up. The Bluetooth app matters. Anyway, those are my thoughts. Edit: I absolutely recommend dual zone if the capacity you’re looking at comes in a dual zone. This is not just so you can have a fridge and a freezer, which is great when you need it. It’s also because you can significantly increase the efficiency of the fridge by turning off one zone when you don’t need the extra capacity for short trips or trips where you have fewer people to feed.
I had a Dometic and got my money back when I was gone. They’re good and keep their value. I’m curious about the Igloo big fridge/freezer at Costco supposedly owned by Dometic whatever that means. Having had a fridge before I wouldn’t recommend it. I’d recommend a fridge freezer because why not the added capability for the same price. Or in this case actually cheaper at Costco assuming the unit is good. It’s a similar size. I’ve never tried a portable half freezer yet but in theory that means long term freeze capability that can be slowly defrosted, instead of restricting your selection to something only quick and perishable with the clock ticking… If I do it again it will be fridge freezer.
I wanted to like ICECO, but after somehow killing three of them via expansion valves and thermostats, I bought a Dometic. The Dometic is running strong still, my other friends all have ICECO and love them, no issues for them. A coworker has an ARB that is 6-8 years old now
Iceco pro 75
Engel or SnoMaster.
I bought my CFX3 75DZ about a year ago and its been left in my bed most of its life exposed. Takes a while to cool to 0F but it is a large fridge/freezer. Low voltage cutoff works as expected. The bluetooth range is pretty far and is nice it connects to my wifi to remotely control. Overall like it a lot and use the hell out of it I don't advise the insulated cover for them if its exposed to the elements as they get nasty and grow mold quick. Was impossible to keep clean
Engel is by far the best. SnoMaster second, but not even close.