Camping Fridges - Pros and Cons

[Key-Lock]

Fridges are great, and pretty much outperform an ice chest on every level.
However, over the past couple years I've gone back to the ice chest. Maybe it's just me, but I prefer the simplicity and primitiveness of it. On my trips, I rarely stay more than one night in one place (two max). I've found that the ice in the cooler will last longer than my fuel supply, and for the most part, where there's gasoline there's ice.
I do keep a lunchbox cooler full of waters during the day and beers at night so I don't have to open the chest much.
Ziplock freezer bags mostly solve the soggy food issue.
I'm also another one that enjoys the feeling of pulling a cold beer out of the ice!

Dennis

[MarcFJ60]

I'm also another one that enjoys the feeling of pulling a cold beer out of the ice!

Dennis

See! I'm not the only one.

Fridges certainly have many advantages and I don't regret the purchase of mine. I think they make even more sense with longer, more remote trips. This won't apply to me until the kids get older. But I may do what several of you have done and bring a small cooler to keep the kids drinks handy.

[5Runner]

If my whole rig went off a cliff (without me in it) and I had to start my build over with a stock vehicle...the FIRST mod would be the dual battery and the fridge, PERIOD.

The only downside I have found is similar to yours, but different. We used to keep a bag of "clean" ice for mixed drinks. We like to fill a couple nalgene bottles with mixed up margaritas...but you need ice. I like to mix a little seven and seven some nights in lieu of beer...but you need ice. I am working on some ideas with dry ice and a small cooler to be able to bring some clean ice...at least for the first night.

There is nothing better than NO SLOPPY WATER. I freaking LOVE it.

Using the 120V cord and filling the fridge the night before...AWESOME. Can't do that with a cooler.

The extra capacity is HUGE for me (by not using space for ice). We do 5 night trips with no restocking with a family of 5. It used to take two large coolers to pull that off. Now we can fit it all in the fridge.

I would consider a dual battery set up as required. I am planning for supplemental solar power.

I don't know if I will ever go back to coolers...why?

[BigSwede]

It's all about the perceived value of having refrigeration with you. I personally was happy to give up soggy coolers...

Here's a rough idea of what a decent setup would cost:

ARB 47L/50Q Fridge - $785 from Amazon.com
Kirkland Deep Cycle Group 27DC battery (RC:160) - $80 from Costco
Yandina C160 Automatic Battery Combiner / Isolater (160a continuous, waterproof, lifetime warranty) - $140 from Yandina.com
85w RV Solar Kit w/ wiring, z-mounts and Morningstar controller - $256 from ul-solar.com
Blue Sea Systems Fuse Block - $40 from Amazon.com
Misc wiring - $50

Total cost: $1351

To me, that's pretty damn cheap when you figure a decent lift kit probably costs that much and doesn't necessarily get you the same benefit. With this setup you can basically not have to start the vehicle until you run out of beer to put in the fridge. Run your interior lights, run your radio, charge your laptop, whatever.

I personally used this setup everyday for about 4 months last summer, with 0 problems. Have sold the van since, but the system is still going strong.

That sounds like a nice setup, and if I needed refrigeration every day for 4 months then a 12V fridge makes perfect sense.

FWIW $1385 is more than 5 times what it cost to lift my Trooper 3".

[4x4junkie]

There are couple things I didn't really anticipate that I dislike about fridges.

First - You're somewhat married to your power source. Most cases, this means keeping the fridge in the car. But when camping with smaller kids, it can be difficult for them to retrieve a drink and you need to keep the car unlocked. I have cargo drawers in the back of my LandCruiser, and it can be a pain to get stuff out of the fridge due to the height. I have started bringing a second battery so I can leave the fridge out as I would a cooler.

I solved that with about 18 feet of #10 AWG landscape lighting cord from a home improvement store (making of a longer 12 volt power cord). This lets me set the fridge outside near the vehicle (also allowing relocation as required for shade). I measured about 0.25 volts drop at the end with my Edgestar 43 Q running, which shouldn't be enough to affect it's operation.

Second - You need adequate power. Your car's battery will run most fridges for a day, maybe two. But how far do you want to push it before you harm your battery or are left stranded? Or do you factor in the cost of a dual battery setup? Having a second battery, not even a dual battery system, has alleviated some of this anxiety, however.

As mentioned, dual batteries and/or a solar panel is the way to go here (I have both, though even without the solar, I could get 3-4 days straight without starting the engine no problem).

Third - this one is really minor, but it does bug me a bit. I love grabbing a drink out of the ice cold slush in a cooler. I don't know why, but something is missing when I grab a drink out of the fridge. It's too sterile. I want the beer label to peel off from soaking in ice water for two days.

Mixed feelings here...
On one hand, you're absolutely correct... Just doesn't seem as chilled cold when there's no ice & slush falling off the drink's container.
OTOH, I've somewhat solved that issue by partially pre-freezing certain drinks before departing from home (this works best on non-alcoholic drinks such as Gatorade). Even after a few days there will usually still be some slush inside which gives it that ice-cold refreshing feeling (I keep my fridge one degree above the point where my milk, eggs, etc. turn icy, so the drink's slushy state lasts a long time).

On the plus side, I no longer have to deal with the package of raw bacon floating in the cooler and tainting everything.

Completely the reason I bought a fridge (that, and not having to chase after ice every couple days). Fully worth the cost IMO.


Hopefully that can help.

[jdzl]

That sounds like a nice setup, and if I needed refrigeration every day for 4 months then a 12V fridge makes perfect sense.

FWIW $1385 is more than 5 times what it cost to lift my Trooper 3".

There are always outliers. :P

I figured the AEV 2.5" lift kit for JKU (springs, shocks, track bar) runs about $1000 (with FCA brackets) and that's considered on the entry-level side of things by a lot of people (cost-wise, not performance-wise). But yeah, $275 for the same thing would've been nicer.

[Scoutn79]

When I first saw an ARB fridge/freezer and the price tag of $700.00 at the time. I thought people had to be out of their minds to pay that much for a "fancy cooler" and there was NO WAY I would ever pay that.
WELL!!!!!!!

I have had my Engel for 7 or 8 years now.

CONS
price...long since forgotten
Battery drain...dual batteries cure that and since I rarely stay in the same place for more than a couple of days it isn't a big concern.
PROS
Not having to plan a trip or days out around having to run into town to get ice...and at $4.00 gal gas it gets expensive not to mention a pain.
No water logged food.
Can add items that are warm (drinks) and open close as much as I like without worrying about loosing the cold air inside.

I purchased mine originaly for a 6 day trip to the Maze District of Canyonlands in Utah.
For me once I paid the CC bill I have never looked back, one of the best investments for camping I have made.
If you figure the price of the cooler then the inconvenience/time/gas and ice cost to keep a cooler full of cold water/ water logged food to me it pays for itself in a few years ( OK not literally but figuratively)
The only time I don't use it is during hunting season...and then I have a harder time keeping things from freezing than keeping them cold....
I use my Engel 3-4 weeks a year.

I still use a cooler for trips of only 2 or 3 days. I fill 2l soda bottles with water and freeze them instead of using ice. Nothing gets soggy and I always have ice cold water, I drain the melted water out of the bottles as I need it.

There are situations and circumstances for both. Figure what is easiest for you where you are going and go with that. I have to admit that for many the cost of these fridge/freezers is hard to stomach.
Darrell

[jim65wagon]

I love grabbing a drink out of the ice cold slush in a cooler.

.....and right there next to your beer in the slushy water is your bologna sammich wrapped tightly in plastic but still somehow all water logged and gross.....no way an ice cold beer can make that sammich taste better!
.
of course we've only managed to use our new fridge on one trip, but it was awesome!

[Utah KJ]

Second - You need adequate power. Your car's battery will run most fridges for a day, maybe two. But how far do you want to push it before you harm your battery or are left stranded? Or do you factor in the cost of a dual battery setup? Having a second battery, not even a dual battery system, has alleviated some of this anxiety, however.

I have been working on a solution for this that will cost a fraction of a dual batt set up, takes up no cargo space, set and forget, will extend the power supply output and get you home when the fun is done. It will also work with a dual batt system if you already have one and make that system work even better! I have a prototype in my 4Runner since November and it does work and hasn't caught fire yet.

[5Runner]

I have been working on a solution for this that will cost a fraction of a dual batt set up, takes up no cargo space, set and forget, will extend the power supply output and get you home when the fun is done. It will also work with a dual batt system if you already have one and make that system work even better! I have a prototype in my 4Runner since November and it does work and hasn't caught fire yet.

Is this a riddle, or are you going to tell us about it?