Why spend so much on an ARB fridge or Engel Fridge instead of electric cooler?

[BrettDez]

http://www.igloocoolers.com/Thermoelectric/Thermoelectric-Small-Group/Iceless-28

I saw the above electric cooler, and am thinking, though smaller than my 50 quart goal, it is ALOT cheaper than an ARB Fridge.

So with this in mind, why does everyone invest in those ARB or Engel fridges instead of much cheaper electric coolers?

 

[brianwj]

I have the Coleman version of that and it's ok for inside the house but the problem is they only cool to about 30deg below outside temp. That made use inside the car prohibitive for anything above 60 with ought adding ice.

 

[Rexsname]

Because the coolers cool to a tempurature something below ambient. I think it's 30 degrees or so. So, if it is 70 degrees the cooler will cool to about 40 degrees, nice. But, if it is hot outside, say 90 degrees or so, it sucks! Plus they are a HUGE drain on the electrical system. My battery was absolutley stone dead after one night at OvEx10. Now that I have an Engel 45 I can run the fridge about 2 days and still start the truck.

The coolers are not worth it.

REX

 

[flyingwil]

I've written a handful of articles on this topic...
Most are a bit outdated, but still there: http://www.expeditionportal.com/equipment/equipment_reviews/fridge/Research/index.php
http://jpfreek.beta.richweb.com/2010/08/30/selecting-a-portable-fridge-for-your-jeep/

An electric cooler is going to be a Thermoelectric (TE) coolers work electronically without the use of Freon, compressors or evaporators. In a thermoelectric cooler, direct current is applied to a semiconductor which makes one side of it hot, and one side cold (which is known as the Peltier effect). Typically these units have the ability to either heat or cool.

Thermoelectric units draw a large amount of current (4.6 Amps) and can only cool to about 30 degrees below ambient temperature. Most units do not have the ability to freeze, or maintain a steady internal refrigerated temperature. Consequently they take many hours to cool a warm bottle of water.

Most of the articles do not include some of the newer players to the US Fridge market such as the New ARB line, Ironman 4x4 Ice Cubes, Evakool, Indel B, ETC... If you have specific questions on them or one vs another feel free to give us a call at the shop and we can help you narrow in which fridge would be best for you if you decide a fridge is a better choice over a cooler.

 

[BIGGUY]

I had one. It worked okay. I used it part of a summer and winter in my truck. Then spring came and I went to Moab for 2 1/2 weeks and I used it. It wasn't that great and stuff wasn't cold but slightly cool if that. I couldn't keep food in it except for maybe lunch I was taking on the trail as it wasn't cold enough to keep things from spoiling for a longer time. A month or so after using it in Moab it died. My friend that went with me had the same one and his only lasted a couple of months more. I looked at what I paid for ice during these trips and Scout trips with my nephews, camping etc. and using two coolers usually and the cost of the "electric cooler" and it only made sense to buy an Engel. It only took a couple of years of use to pay for it. I can now have cold, not cool drinks. I can keep food from spoiling or carry a lunch. I don't have to dump water or fish stuff out of it when the ice melts. I can take and carry ice cream or popcicles on a trail run in 90* weather as a treat for everyone. It just made and makes more sense for me.

A secondary function of these is using them to pickup groceries at Sam's club which is a 180 mile drive for me or fresh fruits and veggies at the roadside stands when down that way. I also used them to store some extra pork for a couple of months when a mix up gave me two whole pork at once instead of one in the spring and one in the fall. My house freezers were full and I would have lost a lot of meat and money without the fridge/freezers. They way it ended up, I only gave a good friend two plastic shopping bags full of pork.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Another article to add to your reading agenda:
"12V Freezer-Fridges - Do they bring the heat?"

 

[I Leak Oil]

If the electric cooler was sufficient we'd all be running them in our house instead of a refrigerator.

 

[BrettDez]

I appreciate the responses everyone. Thank you!

 

[lowenbrau]

I had a Coolatron back in the 90s before I saw the light. One trip my copilot accidently plugged the cord in backwards and we opened the fridge (oven) a few hours later to 120 degree drinks. Days later, it still hadn't recovered (despite draining the batteries each night) and we drank warm stuff the whole trip.

Shortly afterward I bought a discounted factory demo from Weaco and have used it regularly every since. It now has broken hinges and latches and has lived in my rigs through Alberta summers and winters but even though it is now the 'backup' cooler it still does freezer duty on the longer trips and does so more effeciently than the Engel which was supposed to replace it. I guess it has cost me about $20/year to own. Pretty cheap, I think.

 

[Colin Hughes]

My Engel and now ARB fridge (became an ARB dealer, had to switch brands) are the best camping purchases I have ever made. It stays in the Disco year round and gets used all the time.

 

[Dave Bennett]

Bought an Engel from SE 6-7 years ago... it still freezes ice cream if I want and beer is always ice cold. Best mod to the truck by far.

.02

 

[Corey]

I ran two of those Colemans back in the 90s, but plugged into shore power at sites.
They are the equivalent of leaving your headlights on, so there goes the battery.

Bought the old school ARB fridge several years ago, and I have ran it up to five days before starting the rig.
Very energy efficient.

 

[Utah KJ]

ARB hardly consumes any power because it's already so cool.

 

[flyingwil]

ARB hardly consumes any power because it's already so cool.

Ha ha ha!

 

[matthewp]

Why? 'Cause beer's worth it!

I've had an electric when I was an OTR driver. It only really "cooled" when I could idle to keep the ambient temp in the cab down.