Cooler vs. Chiller vs. Fridge - Which One is Better?

Рет қаралды 1,049,780

Күн бұрын

Over the last couple years I have owned plenty of ice chest, then I purchased a Coleman 12 volt chiller to carry with me in my Jeep and recently I upgraded to a 40l Dometic Refrigerators. So I thought it would be informative to give you some of the pro and cons of each and show you how well they hold their temperature. #cooler #frig #chiller
Coleman Chiller: amzn.to/2KlB2XU
Dometic Refrigerators: amzn.to/2lAhCUz
Yeti Cooler: amzn.to/2tFwAvS
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Пікірлер: 1 000

@TrailRecon 6 жыл бұрын

Just one correction that I'd like to clarify; In the video I referred to the Coleman Chiller as having a compressor and it in fact has a solid state thermoelectric cooler with a fan.

@arnebendixen9917 6 жыл бұрын

Glad that you made that clarification. It is also why this type draws so much current and also why the price is so much lower than the refrigerator.

@saddle1940 6 жыл бұрын

The cheapest option probably has zero foam in the lid as well, just an air gap between two plastic layers.

@zerocool2352 6 жыл бұрын

A Peltier cooler? It'll throw of a lot of heat and need good airflow for venting.

@davidjones7206 5 жыл бұрын

TrailRecon I hate the video of the coleman cooler when you buy one it come with a 1.200.00 rpm fan adds up to a cheap fan put a evercool fan 12 and 2.300.00 rpm it works great cooler get cool nicely I had minds for three years when I replaced the cooling fan with a better one it works so much better

@StinkySobaccos 5 жыл бұрын

We've had 3 of the coleman chillers. None of them has lasted more than a season. They've simply stopped working. I won't purchase another.

@arturus 4 жыл бұрын

I don't know if I love or hate your content. On the one hand, they are amazingly thorough and informative; on the other hand, I keep buying things you suggest.

@lastpreatorian418 3 жыл бұрын

Arthur Djahani this makes me scared to subscribe. 😂😂😂

@leyoo7786 3 жыл бұрын

😂

@josephosorio5718 3 жыл бұрын

Quick tip for the cheap cooler. It is insulated in every direction except for the lid. You lose a lot of thru the lid. If you drill a small hole in the underside lid you can inject the foam insulation that is found in cans. I did this to all of my coolers and it made a big difference. Happy Trails.

@larrydillon4841 4 жыл бұрын

In the inexpensive coolers, I use frozen 2 liter soda bottles full of water. Then you can drink the water and it melts slower.

@sabinevillamar-perez7135 2 жыл бұрын

Yes, and the rest of the stuff does not get soaking wet.

@garybrown5769 Жыл бұрын

This is real world craft this 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻

@henrywardell723 5 жыл бұрын

I just spent 15 minutes watching a guy basically talk about fridges to put in your car... and I loved it!!! 😂😂

@glenniz1 4 жыл бұрын

Oh Yeah? Well I just watched it TWICE!!!! Sheesh.....what is wrong with me?

@BC-hc5dq 3 жыл бұрын

@@glenniz1 Pay attention the first time!!!! Geesh!! What's wrong with you?? 😆😁

@Deepak-gt9wd 3 жыл бұрын

me who cant even drive!!!

@Nessal83 Жыл бұрын

As someone who has a Dometic CFX75 and a 55qt Lifetime cooler, I much prefer the Lifetime cooler for 1/15th of the price. With the Dometic, I have to spend another $500 on a power supply. In addition, if the fridge goes down on your trip, you're done. With the Lifetime, I can drive into town and replenish. I was just on a 5 day trip in Death Valley and the Lifetime still had ice up to the last day before we dumped it all. Here is a tip, putting frozen water bottles in your chest will do double duty as a beverage and keeping your food cold. I never have to worry about the reliability of my ice chest especially off road when it's getting shaken to hell especially on washboard roads.

@craigmeloche6424 6 жыл бұрын

1 pro point which you did not mention to the ice filled cooler. Emergency water supply, for radiator, cleaning, even drinking if not contaminated.

@TrailRecon 6 жыл бұрын

Those are all awesome Pro's!!!

@lk-tl7fy 6 жыл бұрын

another pro point, use an old laundry container (we use the tide button push) clean it out, and use that as a hand/pots cleaning station. it works great, sit it up when not in use, lay on its side when using and push the button for clean water.

@manbeastx69 6 жыл бұрын

I was going to make the same comment about extra water for different usages.Cold water from the drain is also a great way to wash up when you are out in the heat doing different things and feels great to splash on your face to cool down.

@GM-pr6vx 5 жыл бұрын

Good point

@elmerluzero3puertastechito501 5 жыл бұрын

the only way to know if it has bacteria in it, is if you drink it and feel bad afterwards, so no...there's no way to know if it's contaminated, you can always boil it but you mentioned "emergency" so boiling it does not apply here.

@danwolf8893 3 жыл бұрын

As a new member to your channel all I have to say is thank you so much for your knowledge and testing of the gear like this so people won't make the mistake of buying something that's going to let them down.

@rachelrichardson7402 4 жыл бұрын

For a cooler I would recommend getting one with handles and a drain to drain the water easily.

@stack4049 6 жыл бұрын

Great vid.. I just purchased the 50 quart ARB fridge/freezer and just got back from a week long baseball tournament with my son and I could not be happier with its performance.. by far my favorite purchase yet. Keep up the good work.

@ronvosick4808 5 жыл бұрын

Excellent choice.

@JosephHerzog 3 жыл бұрын

Every video I watch I fall more and more in love with this channel. I'm learning so much!!

@TacticalMainframe 4 жыл бұрын

I’m amazed the cheap cooler did so well. These types of comparison videos are fabulous.

@LifeBetweenTheDash 5 жыл бұрын

Thx. Great video. Glad to hear how the chiller vs the refrigerator handled under the solar setup.

@jkkrubicon677 6 жыл бұрын

I have the arb fridge freezer and I love it, won’t ever go back to a ice chest or a chiller and I own all three. Great video brad👍

@1menwolfpack550 5 жыл бұрын

Which size did you get

@scruffy281 4 жыл бұрын

I knew absolutely NOTHING about these devices, the pros and cons and etc before watching your video. You have taught me so much. Thanks so much for your help. So appreciated. Now I can make a better decision. Thanks again and God Bless!❤️

@mikeswildoutdoors7279 3 жыл бұрын

Great vid thanks! I learned long ago when gold dredging a week long using the marine ice chest had to send someone in for ice, so years later I purchased the Cabelas Polar 100, and bought an ice maker, most my camping after that was near water, worked great using creek water for the ice, now have the Dometic CFX3 95DZ, what a game changer! OH and for power a few years ago I built a solar generator 400 amp hr 4 Battleborn Lithium LiFePO4 batteries 3,000 watt pure sine wave outback charge controller and 4 sunpower flex 170 panels, runs fantastic.

@outlaw9232 6 жыл бұрын

Very informative and professionally done as always! I was also thinking about the chiller but now I know it will not be suitable for what I need. Your honesty in your reviews is everything! I believe vendors that truly believe in their product should be knocking down your door to do a review. Brad, I hope you love doing all your videos because it is crystal clear a lot of us love what you do and appreciate all the hard work you put in. Thank you!!

@TrailRecon 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you very much! I'm really glad this video was helpful. The chiller has a lot of practical uses, just not in the back of a Jeep on a warm day.

@themagicrat8803 5 жыл бұрын

Excellent and informative review, this helped me a lot, thanks. Another pro for the fridge/freezer, you can use it to temporarily store food if you are defrosting a domestic freezer at home.

@vancedubberly8139 3 жыл бұрын

Love that you talked about power draw and the effect on battery systems. Amp hours and Watt hours are my life lately! Nice detail.

@sarabegay6339 4 жыл бұрын

You're a life saver. I've been going nuts trying to figure out this problem. Definitely going with the Domestic.

@joedeluca8594 6 жыл бұрын

great review! Thank you so much for including the info on running off the goal zero!!!

@MichiganWildcat 6 жыл бұрын

just an observation but I noticed lemonade when in the Rubbermaid buuuuuut the Ale went in the Dometic………..just saying it's about priorities! LOL

@roberttesar805 6 жыл бұрын

GO NOLES

@canonphoto 5 жыл бұрын

MichiganWildcat so happy to see some beer where it needs to be, and appears to be craft beer, not the crap variety

@AgentJRock805 5 жыл бұрын

just another observation ice doesn't get heavier when it melts. It just gets wetter.

@crankyoldcoot7212 5 жыл бұрын

@@AgentJRock805 Thought the same thing initially, but I think he means as the ice melts, there is room for more ice and as you add more ice, the weight increases. The rubbermaid cooler (correct name Esky) needs a drain plug to drain some of the water when you restock the ice. Dont drain it all as the ice slurry is colder than just ice. Beer is best on ice, no doubt in my mind, but I use a dometic CFX50 so much easier when your miles away from a shop. Cheers

@AgentJRock805 5 жыл бұрын

@@crankyoldcoot7212 But you would simply drain the water as you add more ice. Otherwise, why not start out with an ice chest half full of water and ice.

@jeepercreepers54 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you Chief for the great info and help validating my decisions. Going camping in a couple weeks with a Yeti 400, Boulder 100w panels and a Costway fridge from Amazon. I know it's not the Dometic but your pockets are deeper.

@thementalcoach 5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for talking about safe cooling temperatures for perishables. When I was in Hospital Corps School (early 70's!) they hammered into us the importance of safe storage of food a LOT so our guys wouldn't get sick!

@Titantramp4u 6 жыл бұрын

Nice video, and info I was looking for...I really wanted to find out the current draw for the Dometic and now I know...Thanks!

@tipit0086 3 жыл бұрын

Hello - I've been an avid Canoe camper for over 20 years. Sorry, but large water bottles frozen solid outlast ice cubes by a country mile or more. It's especially useful if you're way out there and have no access to new ice. I've had a large all white cooler that's stayed cold for almost 10 days out in nature with large frozen water bottles and I also had two large spaghetti sauce containers that started out frozen. To get the water bottles frozen right, it's important to remove a bit of the water in the large water bottles and even, if you have time, fill them up 1/5th of the capacity, freeze it and the, fill it up the next 1/5th then freeze that again until they are almost full. It takes a while, but prevents you from having bulging bottles from the water expansion during freezing.

@rodneyhowell2703 5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for showing these coolers an fridges.you have been a big help

@ytfeverguy8367 4 жыл бұрын

Sooo informative. I actually demoed the Coleman chiller while boondocking in Sd back in 2014 and I returned it. Nice presentation.

@christophermichaelson9050 6 жыл бұрын

We run an ARB 50L fridge/freezer. It comes in handy during emergency situations (e.g. power outages), or when we are on expeditions without regular access to ice. It's nice to have a tightly-controlled environment for those traveling with us that need to keep medications (e.g. insulin or ABX) at guaranteed temperatures.

@TheDenisedrake 6 жыл бұрын

Great insight on those three! We're trying to keep it simple and inexpensive. We like using a 30 quart Igloo Marine with three 1-quart freezer bags of solid ice. We then add food and two 1-gallon bags of ice cubes on top. We keep it covered with a blanket. We don't carry drinks in it (we drink water, tea, coffee, red wine and bourbon) and limit the amount of perishable foods we bring (mostly dairy & meat). That setup lasts 4 days. A lot of foods we refrigerate at home doesn't need to be chilled (pickles, olives, mustard, hot sauce, zucchini, bell peppers, onions, cabbage, etc.).

@TrailRecon 6 жыл бұрын

Taking less perishable foods is the best way to go and I have seen some amazing meals come from jars.

@Rec_hunt_fish 6 жыл бұрын

I agree with you and recon on this for short trips 2-5 days but if you wish to travel for more than that or take more perishable goods then a dometic (or Waeco as they were called before) is the way to go ,, I have 2 ENGAL's (the same as the dometic just been around longer) one i use as a freezer the other a fridge, I run duel battery's in my car and a 120 watt solar blanket to keep my auxilary battery charged and never had an issue . Its nice to sit in the desert and have ice cream :)

@johnwang9914 5 жыл бұрын

If you keep the ice drained from the melt water, they melt less, perhaps pack them in mesh bags inside of plastic bags and supported from the lip of the cooker perhaps by a hook or tape. Adding salt to the ice can turn the cooler into a freezer, often rock salt are used. You could use a portable ice maker running off the inverter when you have sufficient solar and or generator power on long trips. Just be sure to clean the ice maker with diluted vinegar every few weeks to prevent mold from forming.

@shiuski 4 жыл бұрын

I’m an OTR driver and found your video very informative.

@Jimlovescock 6 жыл бұрын

Great video! I've often wondered how those Igloo 12v coolers performed. Now I know. Thanks!

@matthewtuel2747 6 жыл бұрын

Pro tip on the chillers: put a frozen 1/2 gallon jug of water in there and it will stay at 39-41 for days while it is running. You do lose some space but that has worked out well for me. I would love that fridge, one day I will get one!

@robertrobbins7378 6 жыл бұрын

Excellent Beer Selection

@geneg5712 4 жыл бұрын

Great video I’ve been mulling around the idea of getting something for chilling needs, and appreciate the information that you provided.

5 жыл бұрын

Yes this video has helped as I’m having to travel for three days with milk for my grandson and I also watched a video that taught me the best way to pack a cooler with styrofoam at the bottom to keep the dry ice from cracking the cooler then laying down two packs of dry ice then a layer of ice after yo have everything in add more ice and it saves what’s inside as long as it’s pre frozen for three days. You helped me to see that the cooler I have which is like your first one is actually my best bet for the price and keeping items cool for a three day drive from Texas to new Hampshire.

@notwrkn2mch 5 жыл бұрын

I just did a whole bunch of investigating on the Dometic....... I want one :)

@colinkelley6493 5 жыл бұрын

There is a fourth option. The Coleman "Extreme" series and many Igloo models have such incredible and thick insulation, they keep food frozen for five days. To me, this is a game changer. I think the best, least expensive, and most effective and efficient combo is one of these very efficient ice chests and a portable ice maker, and these ice makers are not very expensive. I put that ice in a flat, thin, plastic container and the food does not get water logged. The ice maker does not use very many watts and you only use it every four or five days. This is what use in my home made camper.

@ezcoreg759 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the time you put into this video.

@harvestofpeace.therese 5 жыл бұрын

Awesome video. Thank you! I deliver produce and was considering buying the Coleman. You just saved me a ton of money!

@brucetaylor4500 6 жыл бұрын

Hey Brad, great review on the coolers. I’ve been using that same Coleman model for 4 years now and even with living in a more northern climate in Alberta we’ve still encountered many of the same cons you mentioned, primarily the amp draw and having to unplug it over night. So, 2 weeks ago I broke down and purchased the Dometic CFX50W 😁 so I expect I will sleep 😴 better at night knowing my food will be cold in the morning and my battery won’t be dead. 👍👍

@brianbouman661 5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for serving!!

@NOWELLSBLESSEDADVENTURES 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the great evaluation on these coolers. Keep up the good work

@lisakirk7937 4 жыл бұрын

Great video! I did the exact same evolution. I have two of the Dometics, also worth mentioning the Dometics will shut off if they think they are going to run the battery down, so they'll never leave you stranded. I have left my smaller Dometic plugged in and running in my pickup truck for a week at a time, and used it as extra refrigerator space!!! The truck has dual batteries, but still, over a week no problem!

@Gizmo42Rodeo 6 жыл бұрын

The size of the Dometic actually worked slightly in my favor. I used to use a 50L cooler which took up a fair amount of space. I got lucky enough to find a Dometic CFX28 (the smallest in the range) on sale for $280 so I jumped on that deal. The dometic is a little bit shorter than the cooler. Even though it's only 28L internally I can put about as much stuff in it as I did the cooler because of no ice taking up space. Well worth the investment.

@reecedye3914 5 жыл бұрын

You should look into Engel fridge/freezers as here in Australia we use them in the transport industry for our line haul trucks and of course the 4wd in the outback

@saladbay 4 жыл бұрын

Very clear explanation and cover all of my questions. Thank for your review.

@DanaePap_official Жыл бұрын

Your video was so helpful, thank you! Been researching what to get for a camper van for longer trips, and you really cleared things up.

@TillDeathDualUsSport 6 жыл бұрын

Great comparison! The Dometic and solar setup seem like an excellent choice. 🍻

@HJKelley47 3 жыл бұрын

Costly deal for a 3-5 day camping trip.

@greym6436 6 жыл бұрын

Great review!

@johnbehneman1546 8 ай бұрын

GREAT VIDEO BRAD!!!! ALL ARE GREAT PRODUCTS FOR ANY OCCASION. GREAT VIDEO AND EDUCATION. THANKS FOR SHARING. I LEARNED SO MUCH.

@glenniz1 4 жыл бұрын

Great information, I'm purchasing a fridge this evening based on your information, so thank you!!!

@keithhodge395 6 жыл бұрын

I got the ARB to use in semi and Jeep love it don’t have chase down ice any more 👍

@TrailRecon 6 жыл бұрын

Using it for 2 rigs... that's whats great about it! I can throw it I the wife care if needed.

@RogerSayers 5 жыл бұрын

Nice video... I own the Dometic 64 quart Duel Zone Fridge Freezer and love it. I can run it on 12 volt or 110 volt. For that past 7 months I've been running it on 12 volt and that 12 volt comes from my solar system battery bank. I love this Dometic unit.

@leewaytoo 4 жыл бұрын

if you run the 12v directly from your 12v fuse panel and cut off the cigarette plug and wire directly you will save some of your battery as the inverter has losses.

@gordonolson1904 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for this. This helped me to understand better the difference between a chiller and a refrigerator. I'm going camping in a few months and now I understand why the chiller's not the best choice for me.

@lionlight777 5 жыл бұрын

Respect from Nor-Cal>Bay Area. Thank You for the upload..👍

@ortiz73caify 6 жыл бұрын

Awesome review but I definitely like the fridge. I have an ARB fridge 50qt and I love it even considering the price and I think it truly is much more adaptable to what you need.

@simpleoverlander 6 жыл бұрын

You sold me on the Dometic .. but that price! You get what you pay for but cold drinks aren’t worth that for me. If I start eating really good on long road trips (no ramen or MREs) then it would be the way to go though. Great vid. Just subbed.

@whatevah 6 жыл бұрын

Nice comparison video! I picked up a portable fridge several years ago, makes long trips so much easier when you don't have to plan around getting fresh ice. And no more soggy lunchmeat! Mine now lives in the Jeep 24/7 unless I need the cargo space for a project. Always stocked with a few Gatorades, waters and Snickers. :)

@vinayakpai4945 5 жыл бұрын

Very detailed review. Thank you so much. Very informative and helpful.

@alexanderweaver9182 5 жыл бұрын

Great comparison video. I guess I'll stick to my Igloo cooler which has served me well for a couple of years now. Cross country and overnight trips (short camping excursions) are what I need for the cooler to handle. Eight hundred bucks for the Dometic is out of my price range.

@OmarLemusTactic 3 жыл бұрын

A lot of cheap ice chests don’t have thermal insulation on the cover. There is a mod you can do that involves making small openings on the inside and filling the space with an expanding foam spray can.

@pdub422 Жыл бұрын

The video I saw that tested that actually performed worse with the foam than it did just empty lol

@thomasmorgan9354 6 жыл бұрын

I run a CFX 35 with the insulating cove, I love it. Will run off a G27 AGM for 5 days at 32F. I love this thing

@supriyashanti9880 2 жыл бұрын

Super helpful! Thank you for the comparison.

@angelfish6184 4 жыл бұрын

great video. Thank you for the infos.. I've been looking for the right one for camping, the domestic is definitely not it. Too big for my car. I enjoyed your video. Subscribed. Hope to see more preview on camping gears.

@waywardescapes4384 6 жыл бұрын

One feature on the new Dometic CFX models you forgot to mention is the USB port. I didn’t think I’d use it much but I use it all the time. It’s a god send. I chose the Dometic for its dimensions. It’s shorter and more narrow than the other brands I considered. And it’s so quiet. I absolutely love mine.

@Gizmo42Rodeo 6 жыл бұрын

It also had the same internals as the ARB for less money. I think ARB recently changed to using their own design and sourced parts instead of repackaging Dometic stuff.

@ctgosey69 3 жыл бұрын

This was a very thorough review! Thanks for sharing it with us!

@mr.bluegrass9723 5 жыл бұрын

Alot of good information. As always.

@markpate9656 6 жыл бұрын

Brad great video and comparison. Excellent point many forget, is the amount of cooler volume taken up by ice. Dometic is a good choice for a refrigerator, several friends have run them for a year or two, without issues. Off topic, but great choice in beers shown, highly recommend Stone Brewery Liberty Station in San Diego.

@TrailRecon 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you! I frequent both the Liberty Station and Escondido Stone Breweries... great spots to relax, get a good meal and a cold beer.

@deangousse2113 5 жыл бұрын

I use the Coleman chiller. There are a couple of things you can do to improve efficiency. First, orient it with the element up so it cools the warmest air inside and let thermodynamics take care of the food below. Second, freeze what you can before packing it. These two things help me keep food safe in there for nearly a week, even when I have to unplug it over night.

@ricardodjr3415 Жыл бұрын

I already tried to put dry ice and freeze things I had it sitting up with the compressor on the top like a mini refrigerator unfortunately perishable foods or certain other fruits like frozen food less elastic less than a day the meat was defrosted and not up to temperature. It's only good for putting apple juice or Gatorade or soda and it prevents the heat on the outside pop into cans of soda from being too hot but using the dry ice to pre chill it is the way to go when you have a bunch of gatorade's Frozen helps out when you want to keep everything chilled and you have to keep it. Have so much are gaps inside which is very hard when you have bottles inside how do you actually fill in the gaps which I think the best way is.. using Ziploc bags using the are locked in a ziplock as a insulator using different sized ziplocks will take care of big gaps or small gaps snack size ones or a quart sized ones you want to fill every gap of space that is not used by a can of soda or drinks

@eripicapiedra5996 Жыл бұрын

The Coleman chiller have a battery ? Or need plug to battery?

@missingMBR 3 жыл бұрын

So happy to see you packing Stone Brewing cans. I live in Australia and Stone Brewing is easily my favourite American beer.

@eviljagtech 5 жыл бұрын

Something I think you should of mentioned is the 40 liter fridge is nearly as big as a 50-60 liter ice chest and that balances out capacity. This means the biggest factor is time it is going to be used. If you going for day trips or weekend events (1-2 d days camping) the fridge isn't worth to money to you and the ice chest will work fine, on the other hand if you are going for long trips with 2+ days out on the trail then yeah, the fridge is the hands down winner. Of course if you want the fridge for the cool factor that is also fine lol, just remember that if you don't need it you might want to spend that 650 somewhere else on your rig.

@Desertpunk1986 Жыл бұрын

True but dear god the sloshing of ice/water in a cooler is enough to drive me insane. 😂 Worth it just to get rid of that sound on the trail. Lol

@erecame 6 жыл бұрын

Trick i use many do not capitalize on. i have a floor freezer, which typically is never full, but large enough to place a cooler in it. before trips with the ice chest i add water to the cooler typically 2-4 inches depending on trip length vs. volume of food/drinks being taken. this works extremely well over the cubes and much more efficient. pack the cooler as needed then just fill in the voids with cubes.... great trick as long as you have the independent floor freezer.

@terrywaters6186 4 жыл бұрын

Brilliant! You can buy a floor freezer for $150 and stock up ice cubes from your refrigerator as well.

@terencejay8845 5 жыл бұрын

I had a number of fly-drive holidays in Florida with my brother and after picking up the car, the first purchase was a cheap polystyrene cooler. Used free ice from the motels we used as we drove around. Nice cold drinks at a rest stop. Suited us perfectly, lasted the trip and we gave it (and other supplies) to the guys manning the rental returns compounds. A wide-brimmed sun-hat always went down well with them.

@Polemic-2525 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the review . And thanks for your service.

@DirtShy 6 жыл бұрын

Oh man! I have used that thermo electric cooler and it just don't cool enough for anything, now I bought a ARB fridge way back in 2011, and after continuous use, it's still working great..the investment is high up front, but it pays for itself overtime. And it's running right now..lol. Ice cold drinks. By the way, it will freeze even when it's out in 100 degree heat and the sun is beating down on it. I'm thinking your fridge is the same way..this is the way to go..

@DirtShy 5 жыл бұрын

@@steveo1240 I set my temp to 27 degrees and it will freeze bottles of water at the bottom but will not do so close to the top, so I shut it off at night and it will loose a few degrees by morning..now I use it 300 days a year and it still runs great..imagine all that ice you would go though..worth the money.

@reck0n3r 5 жыл бұрын

Do you need to run a 2 battery setup for these, or would a single high powered AGM battery do?

@chrisjones2569 5 жыл бұрын

If you drill some small holes in the lid of the rubber maid cooler and fill it with great stuff foam it will work a lot better and it's a cheap and affective upgrade

@malazkm 5 жыл бұрын

How much longer will it keep it cooler?

@ImmortalShiro 5 жыл бұрын

Im thinking the same... Those expanding polyurethanes? :) . If you're adventurous enough, cut the whole thing then use the aerogel instead. Unpractical!? Maybe... Just curiosity sakes. :)

@javaman2883 5 жыл бұрын

This works because most inexpensive coolers do not have any insulation foam in the lid. Some do not even have foam in the sides of the cooler, it's just plastic double wall. That's why cheap ($20) coolers hold ice for 2 days, and more expensive ($50) ones hold ice for 5 days, and even more expensive ($100) hold ice for 7 days. Better foam, better seal, hold ice longer.

@shanepowell5115 4 жыл бұрын

or just get a fat woman to set on it and block the sun

@jamesaa007 3 жыл бұрын

1. Put said cheap cooler box inside of a bigger, cheaper styrofoam cooler box (with styrofoam lid) 2. Fill styrofoam cooler box with just a little amount of water, about 250ml will do. 3. Wet a towel and put it on top of the lid of first cooler box 4. Close lid of outside styrofoam box. Place in shade, preferably on a seat. If putting inside a trunk, place it on something else 5. Restrict opening of cooler box to no more than 4-5 times a day and 30 seconds or less each time. If you need to retrieve and replace something back e.g, then each motion should be under ten seconds 6. Use blocks of ice or frozen water bottles This should keep the ice cold for 3 days.

@anthonybaldewin4573 4 жыл бұрын

wow thank you for your time and effort on this

@godspeed2u 4 жыл бұрын

I have dometic 65 quarts model. Fridge and freezer combo. Using daily for few years. Works amazing.

@glenjamindle 6 жыл бұрын

I only came here because frig was in the title. I think you meant fridge. Mom used to say "frig you" when she was mad.

@Matt-xq6ow 6 жыл бұрын

I've been using a Ice chest since it's cheap and I can't justify a cooler/fridge. Something to take note of though is that I freeze a 1gal water jug and few sports drinks, and use those as my ice. I've noticed that my ice chest stays colder longer(compared to just using ice), and you don't get everything all soggy and wet. This method has worked very well for 4 day long trips in the middle of summer.

@tripleminthehouse 6 жыл бұрын

I agree..I just purchased a Yeti 65 for a ridiculous price...below $200 brand new...(lucky AF) and I've had the same 2 bags of ice since Friday morning, NC HEAT, in the back of my Tacoma...It is now Tuesday...same bag of ice. But I'd still love to have one of these!

@kfstreich4787 6 жыл бұрын

Coolers are great for weekend trips or if you're out for a week or two, if you are out for extended periods the refrigerator starts to make economic sense

@donnadiesburg7451 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks. This is truly informative!

@Jason-hv4eu 5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the great video! I would go with the Dometic refrigerator.

@Blakehx 5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the good info! Do you know of any power units that can easily be run with a solar panel?

@poohonmyspace 6 жыл бұрын

Love to see a dual battery install, with a guide on how to tie in a solar panel charging the house battery.

@TrailRecon 6 жыл бұрын

That is a project I would love to take on, but have to knock out a few other project first.

@TobyCostaRica 6 жыл бұрын

CTEK D250SA is my go to unit for that 👍🏼

@christophermichaelson9050 6 жыл бұрын

The D250SA is a nice unit, but it is only rated to IP65 and would also be a single point of failure for your entire charging system. The Noco Genius GenM2 (underhood and IP68 rated), Morningstar MPPT 40A (obviously in the cabin), Genesis & dual Odyssey Group 34M, and OEM alternator are my go-to. This provides 3 independent charging sources plus a backup battery.

@TobyCostaRica 6 жыл бұрын

Christopher Michaelson good point but after doing 3 vehicle solar setups the D250 is my preferred way. I started off with separate MPPT and Bluesea LVD to allow for 100Amp+ devices but at the end it was smaller/cleaner/easier/cheaper to run the D250 for low draw in the rear like fridges/chargers and use Anderson plugs in the front for the high draw items like a Oxx coffeeboxx with engine running. Ctek makes a quality unit so if things were to ever go south I’d just parallel the starter and service battery. What vehicle are you running that is making 40amps of solar?

@christophermichaelson9050 6 жыл бұрын

2A556FMJ nice screen name BTW. Anyway I don't have 40A of power but I went with the bigger unit so I can run remote panels. The string selection tool helped with that decision. I'm a huge fan of Morningstar because the unit is FCC Class B compliant ... which makes a big difference to our HF, UHF, and VHF radios. Power distribution is with Techflex Insultherm covered 1/0AWG SGX cable, to 3 Cooper Bussman 15303 boxes in various locations. For example, one in the right rear that the Morningstar connects to directly. I ran remote volt and temp sensor wires straight to the accessory battery.

@cdeboer11 6 жыл бұрын

Great video, I was wondering how each type performed. Thanks for doing this!

@malenamonge8849 6 жыл бұрын

Very good information thanks for making those test so in that way the viewers can meditate about what decision to take the kind of cooler system to buy.

@zaccravens757 6 жыл бұрын

I use a dometic cfx-50 for a family of four. I used to have to unpack the cooler, empty the ice/water, and repack in the AM. I now have taken all the hastle out of a cooler in the vehicle. I use it for vacations and kids sporting events. I mix my own Gatorade on site using gallon water jugs chilled to 32 degrees. This thing is fantastic. Never once has it run my stock battery too low to start. Battery cutoff works great! Yes $800 but the convenience and savings in food spoilage is worth it. Have you ever thrown away water logged food? Never again!

@Lumencraft- 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the review. Very helpful. You have "dometic" spelled "domeStic" in the description btw :) I'm guessing spell check did that for you LOL!

@stephentulett1401 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for sharing this. I live in the UK and have just started doing longer trips... :) I have just ordered a dual zone fridge freezer. Smaller fridge on my own or more space when needed. ( The misses...) I was worried about the choice but a fridge is definitely the best choice. Thank you for your great work. :)

@jpb2085 3 жыл бұрын

Well done, super informative and concise. Subscribed!

@gen2-x364 5 жыл бұрын

The old adage "you get what you pay for" stays pretty true in most cases. And doing your homework.

@jlscjwtwich 5 жыл бұрын

The Coleman does not have a compressor. It uses a little peltier unit.

@MM-je1tg 3 жыл бұрын

REALLY

@shwartz166 10 ай бұрын

Thank you for the very informative video. It was very helpful.

@soulsearchmedia 2 жыл бұрын

That was super helpful. Thank you!

@jburr36 5 жыл бұрын

That Coleman chiller does not have a compressor. It is a Thermoelectric Cooler Peltier which is a solid state device

@dsmmike95 5 жыл бұрын

I would like to see how they keep the temps with no power. I know this is a year old

@sharonthetrucker2297 4 жыл бұрын

You did a great job explaining. Thank you

@AndrewTurner251 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much for making this video. I was researching this very thing.

@TrailRecon 6 жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

@NewtonWashinton 6 жыл бұрын

All you have to do is buy a 7 day cooler, build a insulated box to put it in and you pack it with ice your good for 2 weeks ice cold.

@miguelrobb5719 3 жыл бұрын

You are still going to keep opening it and will be lucky to get 5 days out of it. I would say the Coleman iceless cooler is a better bang for the buck. It’s cheap and don’t need ice and can even act as a regular cooler (to a degree) when powered off. I got tired of refilling my cooler with more ice