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View Full Version : 12v Auto refrigerators, anyone have one and can make comments on it.



Bill Huber
10-10-2013, 5:05 PM
I just got back from a 2 week road trip and had a cooler in the back seat to keep snacks in for the road. The problem is you have to make sure you keep it iced up and then you have to drain the water every day and then there is the problem of things get wet.

So I was thinking about getting a 12v. refrigerator for the car. From what I have read most of the ones under $200 will only keep a temperature 40 degrees blow the ambient temperature, so that would only be like 50 degrees when its 90 in the car which is not that high in the summer.

Is there anything better out there to look at?

Mac McQuinn
10-10-2013, 5:33 PM
Bill,
My wife and I make 200 mile round trips for supplies we need to keep very cold. We have been using a pair of "Koolatron" coolers over the last 5-6 years and are very happy with their performance. Very quite operation and well built. Some vehicles don't have power to outlets once engine is shut off so check if you're not sure about your vehicle. Some of the "koolers" also function as heaters, something to consider if the need arises.
Good luck,
Mac



I just got back from a 2 week road trip and had a cooler in the back seat to keep snacks in for the road. The problem is you have to make sure you keep it iced up and then you have to drain the water every day and then there is the problem of things getting wet.

So I was thinking about getting a 12v. refrigerator for the car. From what I have read most of the ones under $200 will only keep a temperature 40 degrees below the ambient temperature, so that would only be like 50 degrees when its 90 in the car which is not that high in the summer.

Is there anything better out there to look at?

Robert Delhommer Sr
10-10-2013, 6:35 PM
As long as you do not try to use them in a hot environment they are great. They can only lower the temp so many degrees below ambient and that is it, but in a air conditioned vehicle that should be no problem.

Mike Cozad
10-10-2013, 6:46 PM
We have a cooler that runs of 12vdc or has a power supply for 120 to 12vdc. Works great. always kept things nice and cold without the mess. However, the car doesn't when SWMBO plugs it into the cigarette lighter the evening before her trip to ensure its cold by morning, lol...

Brian Elfert
10-10-2013, 8:25 PM
I have used one before. They are so so in performance when it is 70 to 80 degrees outside. The cooling system they use is very slow to cool and they can typically only lower the temperature 40 degrees below ambient. At 80 degrees it means the cooler will only be at 40 degrees and near the danger zone for food storage. Your drinks won't be super cold either.

We used one just for keeping bottled water in. The cooler was opened a lot so the water was never real cold.

Bill Huber
10-10-2013, 10:21 PM
As long as you do not try to use them in a hot environment they are great. They can only lower the temp so many degrees below ambient and that is it, but in a air conditioned vehicle that should be no problem.

Well here in Texas it does get warm, like hot from April until the end of Oct. it will be in the 90s. When we take trips we get out of the car for an hour or so at a time and the car will be over a 100 when you get back in.


We have a cooler that runs of 12vdc or has a power supply for 120 to 12vdc. Works great. always kept things nice and cold without the mess. However, the car doesn't when SWMBO plugs it into the cigarette lighter the evening before her trip to ensure its cold by morning, lol...

So they will drain the battery over night, that is another problem when we are on the road, like to leave all the food in the car so I guess if I want to start the car the next morning that could be out.


I have used one before. They are so so in performance when it is 70 to 80 degrees outside. The cooling system they use is very slow to cool and they can typically only lower the temperature 40 degrees below ambient. At 80 degrees it means the cooler will only be at 40 degrees and near the danger zone for food storage. Your drinks won't be super cold either.

We used one just for keeping bottled water in. The cooler was opened a lot so the water was never real cold.

I guess then for me and the area I travel in the most it just would not work at all, when it is 120 in the car then the inside of the box would be like 80, not to cool....


Bill,
My wife and I make 200 mile round trips for supplies we need to keep very cold. We have been using a pair of "Koolatron" coolers over the last 5-6 years and are very happy with their performance. Very quite operation and well built. Some vehicles don't have power to outlets once engine is shut off so check if you're not sure about your vehicle. Some of the "koolers" also function as heaters, something to consider if the need arises.
Good luck,
Mac

That was the brand I was looking at but well I think I will just have to keep going with ice.

Shawn Pixley
10-11-2013, 12:16 AM
We picked up a cooler a few years ago. We cool it pre trip, use the 12 volt outlet while driving, and use the 120 volt outlet in the hotel room at night. Works well.

Wade Lippman
10-11-2013, 10:37 AM
I think I will just have to keep going with ice.

We bought one ten years ago and used it once, going back to ice. Sold it at a garage sale for $2.

Lee Schierer
10-11-2013, 11:11 AM
I have one and it works pretty well. As stated it cools about 40 below ambient and it won't cool without power. If you plug it into an power outlet that is in your car that is powered at all times, it will drain your battery over night. I have a 12V adapter that I use at night in the hotel room. If you place the air intact next to an A/C vent it will cool down faster and to a lower temp. Mine will keep stuff frozen if the air temp is 70 or below. It isn't a powerful device so it helps a lot if stuff is pre chilled and you turn it on several hours before you plan to use it.

Jim Becker
10-14-2013, 1:47 PM
I've owned an electric powered cooler (which can also heat) for a long time. They work well for travel. While I never used it much in the car from a time perspective, I never worried about it being too warm since the AC in the car keeps the cabin comfortable during travel and the temperature in the cooler wasn't much different than a "regular" refrigerator--at least not enough to worry about with the small amount of food in it for the period of time it needed to be in there. These units often come with (or have available) a line current adapter to use in a hotel room when you are not actually traveling.

Bill Huber
10-14-2013, 2:09 PM
I've owned an electric powered cooler (which can also heat) for a long time. They work well for travel. While I never used it much in the car from a time perspective, I never worried about it being too warm since the AC in the car keeps the cabin comfortable during travel and the temperature in the cooler wasn't much different than a "regular" refrigerator--at least not enough to worry about with the small amount of food in it for the period of time it needed to be in there. These units often come with (or have available) a line current adapter to use in a hotel room when you are not actually traveling.

The problem is when we stop the inside of the car may get to 100 + degrees. When I say stop this may be someplace we wanted to stop at or it could just be something was saw along the way.

The other thing is I don't want to have to take it into the hotel every night.

I guess the best thing is just keep doing what I have been doing and that is use an ice chest and get some water tight containers. Ice is free at all the motels now so it's not a cost thing.

Rick Moyer
10-14-2013, 4:03 PM
Bill, you could always try one of these: http://www.yeticoolers.com/Camping-Cooler, or one of these: http://www.engel-coolers.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=22 I don't personally have one but met someone who does. He is very happy with his.

Jason Roehl
10-14-2013, 5:18 PM
Perhaps you could use a combination of approaches:

Pre-chill the 12V cooler and all its contents before you leave.
Run vehicle A/C while driving--if you stop for an hour here or there, the cooler should be able to withstand that.
Add ice from the motel in a watertight container during your overnight stops, or even take a separate cooler and fill that with ice at the motels for your occasional stops.

Jerome Stanek
10-14-2013, 6:01 PM
I used to freeze my bottled water and use that as ice along with some tupper ware tubs with frozen water. When the water thawed I would then fill the tupper ware with ice from the motels and my stuff inside stayed dry.

Tom Stenzel
10-15-2013, 1:26 PM
My next door neighbor bought a 12mvolt frig. After using it a few times they tried to sell it at a garage sale. It didn't go so they put out in the trash.

I picked it up, after trying to use it a few times I ended up putting it out in my trash. It just wouldn't cool things down.

I saw the guy across the street lift it out of my trash. I haven't seen it since but wouldn't be suprised if it's still making the rounds in the neighborhood.

-Tom Stenzel

Lee Schierer
10-15-2013, 7:22 PM
My next door neighbor bought a 12mvolt frig. After using it a few times they tried to sell it at a garage sale. It didn't go so they put out in the trash.

I picked it up, after trying to use it a few times I ended up putting it out in my trash. It just wouldn't cool things down.

I saw the guy across the street lift it out of my trash. I haven't seen it since but wouldn't be suprised if it's still making the rounds in the neighborhood.

-Tom Stenzel


On mine, if you reverse the plug at the cooler it will heat instead of cool what is inside, again 40 degrees above ambient. As noted, it is pretty slow, so prechilling or preheating stuff before it is put in really helps. Coming back from South Dakota two years ago, mine kept my frozen pheasants frozen all the way home 1100 miles. Air temp was about 68 degrees. I did plug it into AC power in my hotel room at night.

Jim Becker
10-17-2013, 6:26 PM
The other thing is I don't want to have to take it into the hotel every night.

How do you expect it to continue to keep things cold if your vehicle is shut off? It would run the battery down lickety-split! If this is really a requirement, you'll likely be best served to stick with a regular cooler and ice.