Good clarification:) ICECO's "Eco Mode" reduces power consumption by slowing the compressor, it also reduces higher energy start-ups. We run our ICECO in Eco Mode most of the time. In this mode it averages about 16W consumption (33W @ 50% cycle).

We’re right with you there, we run ours in Eco mode all the time. I think the only negative Eco mode that I see is that it fluctuates a tiny bit more up-and-down in terms of temperature range. In the first few years, we would tend to get frozen food in certain areas of our fridge. so we ended up turning up the temperature and that didn’t work either. and now we just keep it at 37 in Eco mode and put different types of food in different areas of the fridge based on how much cold they can handle. I don’t know if 37 works for all models, but it’s been good for us with the JP 40. We are so close to joining the Bean club again! Really hoping in the near future we can do another adventure with you guys.

🤣 Right! We spend a lot of time in bear country. But not typically with habitual bears in regular campgrounds. I’m definitely going to have to find a secondary location for that fridge when in bear country.

Juice boxes also work as a great drinkable ice pack.

Great idea. Thank you.

What if you have a limited space? Most well insulated coolers are Huge with very small inside. Probably just have a 12v freezer and bring out what you want for the day. keep them in a lunch box to thaw.

I’ll be making a video on this soon, it’s a bit expensive but amazing efficiency and use of space and that’s the oyster cooler

I have the space in my 4Runner and it works out great. Have food for many days.

@@user-jm5dw3gm8y 4Runner NO! RV or Camper YES!

Thank you for the encouraging words, I appreciate it. Looking forward to hearing how your teardrop camper turns out.

We have a large population of active members in the playing with sticks community who use this method. They swear by it. I would love to give this a try, sounds like a good video.

this is what I have been doing for over a year...works so well... also prepare foods ahead of time that go in the cooler when I'm ready to use them and it usually takes about 2 days for those to thaw out, adding extra cooling to the cooler... best part is I can have ice cream or ice whenever I want it.... I have an alpicool and it's very efficient, and wrapped in reflectix....

@@bikingal4283 Thank you for taking the time to share this!

😆 Love it! Good seeing you, my friend. I was interested to see if you’d be able to show up on Sunday. This was part of the reason why I changed the date because I wasn’t getting those early Jennifer comments anymore.

@@PlayingwithSticks Its canada day weekend.. though i was out shopping, came back and checked and logged my comments for you :)

@jenniferstewarts4851 you rock! Up near Alaska everybody called it something else I can’t remember it, like Canada long day weekend or something?

@@PlayingwithSticks Canada day long weekend. just cuz money is canada day so its a 4 day weekend.

This comment is so good. This is exactly why I made this video. I’m in between campers right now so I’ve been camping out of my instant pop-up tent. And I’ve been recognizing what you’re saying. In my pursuit of easier more efficient camping I’ve actually made it harder. I have a lot of reflecting to do for this next camping season.

A good amount of research into others experiences showed me how much of a cash grab there was fore people to " Disconnect" from civilization by getting out doors by tethering the Technology we use to the trips ...there really is a Smart and innovative Gadget that people were making due without that Just make the Trip/Journey easier that have gotten more efficient as well as affordable. And I like the premise of what Playing with Sticks is Doing Pointing that out BUT the Elephant in the Room is Whom these Activities are Catered to. Not just the Obvious Able Bodied but the less obvious " More Affluent" meaning those whom have "extra" OR " Recreational Time Away From Their Jobs. The Barrier For entry to Outdoors Activities....it has even Prompted facebook groups like the one I belong to called "Overlanding for the Poor". People view these advancements as a way to Ease into a Lifestyle that has been Coined as "Roughing it"....whereas Sportsman's ( Hunters, Hikers, Fishers, Spelunkers, Rafters, etc.) have occupied that Space have Went Right Past that Phase dragging the whole industry ( and us) behind it into the tech laden future of features and comforts. Like Hunting when you've brought food on the trip What you are doing out there determines your gear. And all of this could be boiled down to Glorified Survival in an undomesticated place in which case its best to go out in style Most would say given the choice. battery sized air pumps, battery powered fans, lights, speakers, projectors, drones, fridges, all make life easier in the woods or an alley... the key is to utilize them to save time space and effort and if it doesn't do these things then they can be eliminated or swapped but for a lot of people like myself the price dictates whether I will be able to buy them to use in the first place and finding a Goldilocks zone of features, to reliability, cost/space and energy savings is the goal....a goal playing with sticks helps us all at.....but its also easier than ever do to 'knockoff brands" offering comparable things at fractions of the price. I have Euhomy 37 & 48q 12v Dual zone Fridges w/ Bluetooth and wheels and even removable swappable Batteries like power tools...Got Both plus Batteries for $650. Il get another one in the same lineup soon ( 24qt) for another $150 and for $800 I'm set of the next 2-3 years if they hold up. I have 6x Rotomolded Coolers ( yeti Knockoffs) of Various Sizes i got on Clearance for $200. Got a Ecoflow Delta Pro for $2600 with 2x 400w Solar Panels so I feel you on the price tag but that's actually half off and its definitely overkill as I have plenty of Power tools Batteries that have inverters to act as small draw generators to top off anything. After I get the 3x different Ecoflow River2 Series stations off Ebay ( Another $750 probably) il be set but its absolutely not neccesary as I have a essentially backpacking Gear that I've pieced together over the years like solo stoves and such that require no power. not because its better but because its redundant in case there is no power to be sourced and the materials they are made of is usually sturdy like stainless steel and double stitched. where money can be saved save but where quality is needed ....bu second hand.

@allenjohnson4938 you remind me of an independent film we watched in Alaska like 10 years ago. I can’t even remember what it was titled something like “the white man is crazy.” or why the white man is crazy. And it was, I believe, set in Greenland with the Inuit. And the premise of the movie was the Inuit just going about his daily life to survive. And in the background were these westerners spending all this money, hauling all this gear, and putting themselves in situations where they were risking their lives. And the Inuit people just couldn’t understand. Why would these people place themselves in the situation? why do they need all this gear? Why would they risk their lives, for no material gain? The movie really stuck with me. It was cute and funny, but also had the larger meaning. Then I married my wife, May. She looks at me, just like those Inuits looked at those men with their gear. 🤣 I still get a little crazy sometimes, but she does a great job of keeping me in check.

@@PlayingwithSticks Let Me Know if You Ever Find That Title! While I Wont ever Claim To have been Poor All of The People ( Parents and Extended Family)who Raised Me and all of my friends were. Were Black with my family coming from plantations that I stay a mile away from and some obvious Native Heritage in there Somewhere though I have no cultural ties.Pint is they have no qualms about expressing their opinions and every time they are amazed at What is Possible nowadays ...negate the brand name; just the feasibility of situations when a 12v fridge or 20v power tool fan enters the scenario is astounding much less overall positive. They imagine the Harsh times Roughing it was not optional, and as far back as when Off Gridding was just Life...and when a little reprieve from the dark, heat or hunger are just too expensive or out of reach which really brings these purchases into perspective. I can Without a Doubt Say that Americans ( Myself included) are having an Identity Crisis that is Centered on Peoples Differing Perceptions Of Value ( often conflated With "Values"). How People Equate What is Necessary and then Prioritized is under a microscope from all angles because the concept of Monetization has been applied to every facet of life. Inherently those ancient rudimentary ways have proven to be more harmonious with nature and the actual biodiverse environment would then be able to React...but with modernizations and recent bursts of Populations those unclaimed open air Spaces where people can go outside are becoming tainted ( Not Ruined per se but made worse off or brought up for other purposes) by the human experience. The Stuff they make for Backpacking has incorporated a lot of that into their "sustainability" business models but moreover have crafted gear catered to "Less Invasive" Practices Where literally Less (Weight, Waste, Water, Fuel) is the Goal but you get more out out the designs of the Gear. Ive also spent many years watching Survivorman and shows of the like with only about a month of different styles of camping over the years to compare our shared experiences so for me it comes down to Prepping for a Bad Wednesday not DoomsDay.

@allenjohnson4938 prepping for a bad Wednesday, not doomsday. I might have to steal that line.

Great comment! I wish I would have added that to the video.

I’ve been slowly gathering, Bouge RV products over the years. And I’ve come to find it’s a brand I really trust. I didn’t trust it at first because it was so affordable. But what I look for in brands are people that are doing their own research and design and coming up with their own technology. Bouge RV is not just copying people. They’re actually making their own stuff. Everything you described about your grocery runs, it puts a smile on my face because it reminds me of ours. I’ve never done the fresh milk thing, though, that sounds fun.

Thanks! Helpful@@PlayingwithSticks

Good point. For shorter use cases the efficiency isn’t as important. But the price tag is. I’m glad more and more companies are coming on the market with quality affordable fridges. The three that I see a lot of the community using are Alpicool, ICECO and Bouge RV. I’m not sure of the quality of the other two because I haven’t used them, but I’ve used Bouge RV products in the past and have had a great experience with them. It’ll be interesting to see in the comments here, but I think from what I’ve heard in other videos of ours is that people have been having good experiences with their Alpicool as well.

We got a Camco Cam-450 (45 liter) with our pop-up camper and love it. We only use it as a fridge, but it has a dual zone capability. There's also a Cam-550 (55 liter), also with dual zone capability. The Camco Outdoors website has them listed as on clearance, so they can be had for less than $300 new. They seem to be out of the 45 liter, though.

@bobcampbell2074 it’s been so nice hearing of all these different affordable fridges that are working for people

First, thanks for the feedback on the Sunday schedule. Second, always great to hear from you. Third you are such a great use case for this video. For most people this is a good case of how batteries and solar could get out of control if you pick up the wrong fridge for your camping style. For you, you need this setup because of how you camp. You and I have talked about this many times. Your needs are much different then the average camper. But if the average camper picked up my APL55 because they thought it would be the best, beings it was the most expensive, they would be in for a sad surprise. I'm building my trailer out more like you. I will need a lot of solar on my rig. I think if it all can fit I will end up with 560 Watts between the two CGIS panels and the Lightleaf solar on the front. Definitely overkill for most. Even with my JP50 Pro all I would have needed was 200 watts. I love a setup like that. But, I really didn't have a choice. This will also give me the ability to test items like induction cooking, ac, etc. I really geek out on monitoring power consumption. I really like your idea of the small freezer. I may experiment with an icemaker at some point. I see a lot of people switching over to that method. If Bean is on schedule I should be getting my camper in two to three weeks. I can't wait!!!!

@@PlayingwithSticks that is awesome! You also have a number of items that need to be charged like cameras etc. I would love to get away from propane 100%. And move to the induction etc. They're coming out with new solar panel types every day. I looked at those ice makers as well. And they look pretty cool. They draw a lot of energy though. Renergie has a great controller that works well with solar and your alternator energy. That is what I went with. I also went with a 208 amp hour sok battery. I do plan on getting another one. My ideal plan is to be out indefinitely with only having to come in to town for food. I've also put together quite a water filtration system, but all's I need is a UV light to top it off.😁

@sierramantrvlnus big fan of Renogy! I see why you went that direction. There are some companies coming out with their own proprietary alternator charges. The first one I saw was from Eco flow. I think it’s more suited to something like a truck or a van, because you’d have to run it from the vehicle to the trailer. But it’s designed to essentially run straight from the alternator into your power station. Kinda neat. And for those of us with trailers, I guess you could just move that power station to the car when driving and then bring it back. Much more efficient charging vs the cigarette adapter. Your water system sounds very intriguing. The most fancy I ever see when I’m out at the campsite as people with a Berkey water filter 😆

I did run a 6 gauge wire from the car battery to the trailer independently. And so the controller is actually mounted in the battery box of the trailer. It allows the solar and the alternator as in one unit. Saves on space. Although water is very heavy. I do not travel with a full water tank all the time. But if I am heading out where no Creeks Lakes water Etc is available, then I will fill up for coffee in the morning and or showers etc. It's nice to have a clean head of hair. The Berkey type systems are quite bulky and setting up would be a daily thing. So, I got a 120 volt food grade pump that feeds through a sedimentary type of filter, then goes into a two-stage clear Source filtration system which includes carbon filters and a ceramic filter filter filtering it down to that 99.99% clean water, I use it for boiling water like coffee or spaghetti etc. But having a UV filter will allow me to have it as drinking water as well. I do clean my tank regularly. I mean you can drink the water, but adding the UV would be the last thing.

@@sierramantrvlnus With that UV it would just give you that extra peace of mind. Years ago I picked up that UV pen. Probably 10 years ago now. It sounded so cool. But every time I am in the field I just don't trust it. Sounds too good to be true to just wave my magic uv wand around my water and it is good to go. There is something to be said about redududant systems, even if it is only truly redundant.

Thanks for clarifying that about the angle of operation. Sometimes I get so caught up in a quick edit that I forget to put a little clause when I make strong statements like that. I so appreciate the time you took here to share your set up and how it’s working. I was just browsing through your videos today. Once I get the bean, I’m gonna have to catch up on a lot of those videos to start making some of my own modifications.

@@PlayingwithSticks I'm so excited for you! I'm sure you guys will create a fantastic Bean:)

We used our little 21 or 23 quart cooler for a family of 3 for two years. So we get you.

I had a feeling people would say this. I tried to just keep it as simple as possible. No amp hours, joules. I just reflected what the website said to keep it simple. Thank you for pointing this out though.

Yes, like I mentioned in the video those domestics have incredible insulation. There’s a reason why they cost a little bit more. It’s not just a namebrand thing, the craftsmanship and materials used are fit for the job. Thank you for sharing this.

@@PlayingwithSticks Thanks for the extra information. What you said makes sense, especially in light of the last day of our trip as we were driving through Red Bluff when it was 118° outside. The air conditioning in the Sienna blowing on us in the front seats kept us tolerably comfortable, but I was amazed at how hot the other parts of the car got. Nonetheless, the stuff in the refrigerator stayed cold (after running on shore power overnight) even though I had forgotten to turn on the 12 V DC output on the Ecoflow where the Dometic was plugged in.

LOVE the information in this comment. And anecdotally, I don’t notice the little loss in efficiency with my portable solar panels either. In reality, they’re probably more efficient because you’re able to chase the sun easier. I noticed when I had that rigid Zamp panel. Yes, it was portable, but it was so heavy and cumbersome partway through the day I just stopped chasing the sun.

It’s been fun, when we first used ICECO it was this no-name brand that we just took a risk on and now I see them everywhere. It’s that seccop or Dan Foss compressor that I really love.

I’m looking forward to hearing how it goes. That was one thing I thought about mentioning in the video if you have an icemaker, and a cooler it’s a great combination.

Love hearing this! Like you, we were surprised how long we can run on smaller power stations. Especially if you mix that with some solar. About three summers ago we lived in the bean trailer for I think it was 2 1/2 months. We only had to stop for shore power two times and we were only powering everything with a 100 amp lithium battery and a 90 watt zamp solar panel. Mind you, this was in the west with great weather. But I was just amazed. I was telling everybody all summer that the Zamp solar was 150 W and came to find out at the end of the summer that it was only 90. As much as I complained about that thing being so big and expensive, it must’ve been pretty efficient.

Thank you for sharing this. Love the picky eater comment. That is great. We are hearing so much about people's positive experiences with Alpicool.

Tom, thank you for sharing this in both locations! I’ll respond the same to this one as well. Another thing that I will add to Tom‘s comment is that you can do this also with frozen water bottles. Later on that frozen water becomes your drinking water.

@@PlayingwithSticksyes I like to freeze the square Crystal Geyser gallon bottles. Fit nicely in the cooler and works as a water source too.

@@chrisharmon5453 I never thought of doing that. Great idea.

Love hearing this. And I'm not surprised you found something better. Like I mentioned there are unicorns out there within the brand itself and like you did, unicorns between brands. Thank you so much for sharing this. So far I am hearing great things here about Setpower and Alpicool. Seems to be a great bang for the buck.

Another great option that people are doing right now is buying 12 V icemakers. This is something I’m going to experiment with soon as well.

@@PlayingwithSticks I bought one of those, but haven’t used it yet for that. My daughter and son-in-law use it but it does take awhile to get get enough ice. I can time it for you if you want.

@@ramonapuckett3059 Yes, I would love to know how long it takes to make ice. And how much watts it uses. Some people tell me it is very efficient and then others say the complete opposite. I have a feelingn it comes down to brand.

@@PlayingwithSticks oh I’m sure! I’ll get more information and will let you know

@@PlayingwithSticks we did this. Just used it our last camping trip but we are hooked to 120 at the camp ground so no worries about power consumption at all. Saved me a few trips to pick up ice. Makes 26lbs of ice a day if you run it constantly. It has to be emptied…. Haven’t tested that # yet…

I’ve been recently wanting to do a test on how hot it gets inside these galleys. You have a great point about creating an atmosphere inside the galley that’s right for a 12 V fridge.

Yay! I wish I knew about this cooler sooner. I always thought the JP 40 original was the winner of the lineup. I feel like that pro line kinda gets hidden between all their other series of coolers.

@@PlayingwithSticks I think the single zone is the way to go as its cheaper as well. Dont sleep on the rear wheels either. You didn't know you need them until you can easily slide it out and then save your back pulling it. WELL DONE

I was waiting for someone to get that! I was thinking the playing with sticks community might be a little too old for that movie reference.

I’m coming back to loving coolers again now that I’m using more of those frozen water bottles, frozen ice packs, and frozen meat. And like you said if it’s short journeys, I find I’m grabbing the cooler for my picnics and fishing over my 12 V fridge.

Great advice here Bryan. I didn't know that aabout the ARB coolers having the ability to switch between the two. I never know where to keep my AC cord without losing it. I rarely use it, but when I do need it, it seems like I can never find it. Haha.

Yes, I agree with that 40L/Secop statement. And what you mentioned about the walking around is what worries me a little bit about my new trailer. I've been so spoiled with my cooler in the galley all these years. Great tip on the vent. I often wonder how my cooler is performing in that sealed up galley. I may have to test that one of these days.

Love hearing this! Thanks for sharing.

Glad you enjoyed it and good to see you as usual

We actually have a video entirely dedicated to our go20 paired to our 100 Watt panel. I don’t know if you’ve seen it. But we call it our never-ending endless refrigeration set up. You have our vote of confidence in that set up. I don’t know if I’ve seen a video about fridge usage. But it would be a good one. We find these fridges tend to hover 3 to 4° in both directions. We aren’t very conservative with ours, so for the last four or maybe even five years we’ve kept ours at 37°. The big trick is finding out where your fridge is the coldest. We had to get it up to 37 because there’s some parts of our cooler that are so cold. It’ll freeze items. Once you figure out where your fridge is coldest, you kind of build around that based on your food needs. In the obvious way of finding it is, wherever is closest to your compressor is typically the coldest.

I think I've seen that video but will go back and find it.

@jennstuart2031 I don’t think it’s one you need to go back to, because I didn’t really teach how to use it. It’s more just to say, it looks like you did your research well. We studied fridges extensively back then and settled on the Dan Foss compressor. So glad we did.

I am very happy with the Go20. It's just a panic moment in the morning to get a F or E code and the temp of the fridge is at 43 and I'm scrambling to re plug it and get it cooling. It takes a bit of the fun out of camping. I don't understand why the battery doesn't fully keep charging the fridge. The Bouge you mentioned in another answer was the other contender but I didn't trust a cheaper fridge. I wanted to do it once and right. I know now that it's a Good fridge.

Everything you’re sharing here is new to me. I wonder if they have updated the electronics since we owned it. I think we owned one of their first original fridges. The other day we saw that they were celebrating like their fifth birthday or something and May and I realized we must’ve got it right when they came out. So ours was never doing any errors. The problem with ours, and the problem with many brands at that time was that the 12 V plugs kept coming out of the connection. So you would just be hanging out at camp and not realizing your fridge hadn’t been plugged in for hours.

I have a friend who has cut a hole in his galley. He is currently experimenting to see if he can get the camper cooler. He finds the fridge is actually sitting in an area that’s hotter than outside. He’s noticed that it’s decreased his internal temperature of the galley by about 10° on a hot day. Like you mentioned, you can also use insulation around the cooler. But I think the best method is just moving that cooler around to a shaded area. Preferably an area that has proper airflow. But I realize this is kind of a pain in the butt and it’s nice to just have it in the camper at all times. I think it really comes down to where people camp. Where our family camps, our fridge can run nonstop and our battery and solar can keep up with it. But some people, I know their fridge only lasts about three days. And I’m wondering if it’s due to hotter, climates. I’m going to continue to travel in hotter climates to see how it impacts our current set up. We typically travel in temperatures that are over 100° during the day, but because we’re at elevation, we get pretty cool nights which may help make our fridge run longer.

I consider fridges like Dometic and Engel to be at the top. I've had great experiences with Dometic. But, I've also learned just because they are the best, doesn't mean they are all created equal. Like you, my experiences have mostly been with a/c d/c built in dometic fridges. So when I tried the mid-size portable Dometic I was a bit shocked.

I didn’t realize you can disablea zone. That’s a great idea!

Such a great comment. Thank you so much for sharing this Lisa.

Boo! Thanks for sharing this. It’s these real life scenarios that I love to hear.

Great point! A great example are the fridge is we’ve tested. We found that what the manufacturer says they can do and what they can actually do in the field are often quite different. I find companies like ICECO and Bouge RV I like their marketing because they are conservative with their efficiency ratings on their website. While ice Coast rating sound like they’re not that efficient, what I find is that in the field the compressor doesn’t kick on that often. An efficient compressor is nice, but if it’s always on, it’s really not that efficient. 🤣

And I second that solar panel statement. It doesn’t take much in terms of panel size, but it gives you peace of mind.

Thank you I was going to write the same. Which freezer do you use? Happy travels 🌍🙏

I have a Alpicool C9 10 quart frig/freezer.

@@chriss3314 I have a Alpicool C9 10 quart frig/freezer. 👍

This sounds like a good plan. I am still running coolers and ice.

This comment is gold! Would you mind sharing what freezer you’re using?

I’m probably confusing you because I own three. 🤣 I just don’t highlight them on the channel the one I’ve been using for years and you see most of my videos is the JP 40. The one you saw me pulling is the upgrade to that called the JP Pro series. I find it’s barely any more expensive, it’s more efficient, and almost better in every way. The one you saw me pulling in the video was the JP 50 pro. It’s a nice size for our family and about the same efficiency as the regular JP 40. But the one I said was the true unicorn the most efficient was the JP 40 pro, but I do not own it. That 50 quart one was our new one. I’m forced to use that on our bean stock 2.0 because I need a fridge that is weather sealed. That’s that shiny fridge you see on the front of the bean. Did that make sense, or did I just confuse you more? I’m responding to comments on my phone today, and sometimes my phone dictation gets a little crazy

They called this a weather sealed fridge. However, I don’t see anywhere where it says waterproof. I’ve seen videos from hobo tech where he thinks it’s pretty waterproof. I’ve seen Bean Trailer keep it on their tongue for all their travels. So I am going to keep it on my tongue as well. Meaning uncovered. I will be picking up my new beanstalk with the APL 55 on the tongue at Overland expo in less than two weeks. If for some reason it doesn’t work, I’ll let you guys know on the channel.

Good eye, you’re not missing anything at all. Just after this video, they reached out to me and said that they had changed the data on the website. They had tested that fridge under different testing circumstances than their other fridges. Meaning they had put it in a more extreme environment for this test to run it up against fridges like Dometic and ARB that are highly insulated. But, like you said when they did the same test in the lower controlled environment I think they do it like 75° or something in that range on the eco mode it does seem to perform right up with their with the JP 50 pro. So while I called the JP 40 pro the unicorn in the lineup. It is in terms of actual watt usage. Meaning if you have a small power station and you want to get the most bang for your buck in terms of capacity and low watts, then it would be the choice. But I’m now also seeing the APL 55 as a different unicorn. Because of this Eco mode this fridge is able to do what the high dollar fridge is can do in extreme environments, but can also do with the low dollar fridges can do in less stressing environments. Couple that with its ability to freeze and cool with its dual zone and you really have a unicorn here.

Thanks for sharing.

Love it! My mother stopped by our new place and couldn’t believe we didn’t have a Bev cooler. We now have one… she took it on herself to bring us an old one. I must admit I’m super thankful.

Solar helps. AGM or lithium would be fine. For most of us, a small 500 watt power station, 100-200 watts of solar and that should easily get you through a long weekend.

Absolutely! I took what you said to heart I’ve been growing my hair out now for six months. You never know how long you’ll have your hair so enjoy it while it lasts. I heard you well. My wife loves it. My mom says I look old because it’s showing all my grays. 😆

@@PlayingwithSticks That is a handsome looking haircut. :) And I don’t want your wife to be upset about a haircut, so you keep on keeping on. I will keep shaving on your behalf. How does that sound my friend?? 🪒

@kebeaux6546 I think that’s a good deal

@@PlayingwithSticks I thought you might think so. 🧑🏻‍🦲

As long as you want

Thank you for sharing this. I think you are the 3rd person to mention the benefit of dual zone. I wish I would have thought about that when making this video.

That is tough. I get you there. We go back and forth on the Dual Zone. Sometimes during seasons of life our family highly benefits from the Dual Zone. Other seasons we don't use it at all. But when you need it, you need it!

I'm glad you shared this. I didn't even think of mentioning dual zone in the video. Thank you!

@@PlayingwithSticks Its better to have and not need than need and not have. Because you can always set the second zone as fridge . Thats the benefit.

@@PlayingwithSticks Of course your welcome.

@diamante1ification Agreed!

“now” probables or no problems?

@@sunshine3914 no problems

Thank you for sharing this, that’s a new one to me. That’s a pretty big fridge. I’d be interested to know what you’re using to power it?

@@PlayingwithSticks a Zachery and panels.

How big is that Jackery?

I typically steer folks away from this because of the thicker walls (size) and added weight. But, in your circumstance that is exactly what this fridge was created for. Lake Powel and the VL74 sound like a great match. Now I have never used one of these in person because it doesn't fit my needs. But, on paper I think this will be great. And it is the same Dan-foss/Secop compressor that is in the fridges from ICECO that I love. .

Thanks for the note. When it comes to these tests, they’re all going to be greatly different based on numerous variables. Maybe I didn’t do a great enough job in the video, but I was trying to say it’s not really about the numbers when talking brand vs brand. Meaning choose your fridge brand based on real world tests from independent reviews on KZfaq. I was trying to say when you find the brand you want to go with, then use those numbers within the brand because they’re testing them against each other in the same environment. Take that with a grain of salt though, because just after filming this video ICECO changed the specs on their APL 55 because they didn’t use the same variables when testing it against their other fridges. Because the APL 55 was designed to compete against higher dollar fridges like Dometic and ARB they tested it in an extreme environment. They didn’t use the Eco mode that they used in the other tests. So yes, again back to your note. Great note I see some brands overrating their fridges and other brands underrating their fridges. It’s all over the place.

@@PlayingwithSticks You did a great job for the video. In fact, I was shopping for a fridge some time ago and went into the numbers on the Iceco website and the APL55, with its superior insulation, had waaay superior numbers as for the 24h consumption than the VL75, which is larger and has more of a ''standard'' insulation. I asked the Iceco people on their facebook page and actually, it was consumer(s) who ansered and wrote they were aslo, like me, surprised by these numbers which made no sense. It still is a mystery today 😆. But the numbers I got from the answers for the APL55 (which I ordered) were: (24h for both tests) 36F both sides: 221Wh ... and with one side set to 0F and second side set to 36F: 344Wh. All at 72F outside temp average. We're very far from the 995Wh/24h advertised on the Iceco website ! It's like the Iceco people just multiplied the wattage by 24 to put in the specs of this model lol. Cheers, keep up the good work; very nice to watch those videos 👍

Great tip. Thank you.

I just filmed one about a month ago. I have a feeling it’ll be quite a while until I get it on the channel. I’m a bit backed up on content.

Awesome! I'll be on the look out for it! Thanks!

I can't find it online. We haven't used it in about 4 years because we don't use a basin anymore with our dishwashing method. I thought it was from Mountain Hardware. Some overpriced gear company. I would check out sea to summit I bet they make a decent one. Wait, hold on Found it! amzn.to/3SiFVWI

I wish there was, but every manufacture has different requirements and measurements for how they measure their efficiency. So what I would do is once you narrow down your brand then you can just go to individual KZfaq channels and look what power set up they have and how long their fridges last. I’ve noticed when it comes to fridges there’s a video out there for practically every model. But anecdotally what I found, in terms of size to efficiency, is that if you want larger capacity, I find 35 to 45 quarts tends to be the sweet spot before it starts going downhill. Most brands once you get into the 50s or above, seem to be less efficient. Well not really efficient, that’s not the right word, they consume your battery faster

I honestly didn’t know these existed. I thought there were only versions of these that had to be integrated into your camper. Like the three-way fridges we see on travel trailers. I didn’t realize they made portable versions? Any chance you could share a link to one? Wait you’ll probably get blocked sharing that link, just share the name of one. You’re definitely not getting smacked for this one. This is priceless. Kind of reminds me of the alp generators, but for fridges.

@@PlayingwithSticks examples would be Unique Appliances Off-Grid 26-inch 2.2 cu. ft. Portable 3-Way Propane Freezer SMETA Propane Freezer 2.4 Cu. Mobicool 3-way Absorption Power Cooler, 35-qt (Canadian tire) while they have mostly been supplanted by pure electric options because of solar batteries and such, these are still somewhat big for.. boating. cus you can carry them on smaller boats, plug in a tank, and go with them

@@PlayingwithSticks But yeah, with that you can run on dc power till you get to the camp ground, then shift over to propane power, off a large tank you could be keeping stuff frozen for a month before needing to refill the tank.

@@jenniferstewarts4851 Makes so much sense.

@@jenniferstewarts4851 Wow, finally got the time to look at all of these. That Mobicool looks perfect for most weekend warriors. I would like the option to be able to use propane that would make things so much more simple.

At the time I made this video, yes they allowed it. But like you, I've heard there's been a lot of different guidelines over the years. I can't remember the current one, but it was a sign in front of their house that basically said be quiet and respectful. It was cool to be able to get that close to the house

@@PlayingwithSticks yeah i was hoping to go up that close but they had a sign down at the street that said it was a no go. Ill try again next time!

@@zaklong7575 that is impressive! And that’s why I said Dometic is at the top. And why I said it’s about finding the right fridge for your needs. Thanks for sharing this.

That’s what they had told me as well. I was excited to see that. They said their original performance numbers was from an extreme test. Basically they were running it in the same conditions as what the ARB or Dometic would run for their extreme tests. I think that’s probably who that cooler is designed to compete against . But they said if we took the Apl55 down to eco mode and ran it in the same testing conditions as the other ICECO fridges we use, it wouldn’t be that much lower in performance. It actually was quite close to that JP 50 pro that we have and that thing is really efficient. That might be why we had decent performance with the Apl55 last summer because we were on Eco mode. I just thought we were having some extremely good solar. But unfortunately, we only got to try it for about five days. In those five days the battery lasted. And I was only using a 500 Watt goal zero to power the fridge and all the lights in the trailer. But I didn’t do any real tests with it. When I started looking at the numbers online for this fridge, I was so bummed. With my new set up I have to have a Weather sealed fridge and the iceco is like half the price of the ARB. but now that these new numbers are out, I’m feeling confident again. I was hoping to get my bean trailer earlier this month so I could start testing that fridge, but I won’t get to use it again until late August. Bean is a little behind in the production of their new bean stalk 2.0. I will make sure to do some updates on the channel with this fridge. if the numbers are as good as they say they are, with all that extra capacity, coupled with dual zone, this could be a pretty magical fridge.

@@PlayingwithSticks Looking forward to it, I got a Hiker in May so new to tiny trailering. I ordered the APL55 and their little battery to keep as a backup to my Pecron, should be here this week and I’m going to do some indoor and outdoor testing here in NC just to know what my math will be without any solar before I take it out. Keep up the great content!

@simontemplar557 welcome to the club! Congrats on the hiker. I’ve had such great experiences with the Dan Foss\Secopp compressor that is in these ICECO fridges. I have a feeling you and I are going to love our APL 55s. It’s so funny because just a month ago I was sad to have to get one, and now I can’t wait to take it out. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a dual zone fridge freezer. I’m looking forward to experimenting with that as well.

Our vehicle does the same thing! Drives me crazy. It’s nicer than any vehicle we’ve ever owned. But all our other vehicles would keep that 12v running. I haven’t taken the time to look into my user manual to see if there’s someway to override that. I keep telling my wife that I’m going to do that soon.

I appreciate you sharing all this. And honestly, it sounds tough. Between losing your dogs, and the increasing prices of everything… i’m really sorry to hear that.

We’ve heard a lot of good things in the community from people who have set power. Good to hear that yours is working well also. With a fridge as big as yours, you’d know if it wasn’t efficient. I was blown away with what that little 35 quart Dometic fridge did to me out in Oregon. I knew fast that it wasn’t efficient. 🤣

Yes, I've kept it running easy, using a Rockpals 600 and folding solar. While I'm in the campground, I leave the Xterra backend open so it isn't so hot in there. But I have to close it when walking the dog child and exploring and at night. I didn't need that big, but if I ever do longer trips, I've got room. It doesn't have a basket. One has to watch the cord or it can be bumped out of place. Once, I turned off the smaller side, and it stayed cold in there anyway.

I think we’ll probably be doing something similar in the back of our vehicle once we get our new trailer. I’ll probably keep the cooler on the trailer during transit, but move it to the vehicle once I get to site.

I didn’t know anker was making fridges. I have many of their products and appreciate all of them. I assume they’ll put the same effort into those fridges.

That is a scottle. They are known as plow, disc cookers or Discadas. We absolutely love ours. So much so that we even use it at home.

I think extra insulation does = less compressor run time. If I was to hypothesize, my assumption is that the higher dollar, higher quality fridges with higher insulation also have stronger compressors (meaning co sume more power when on and deliver faster/strong freezing properties). So in a controlled environment (meaning lower temps or a lab) the low dollar fridge is more efficient because the compressor probably doesn't consume as much energy vs the high dollar fridge. Once that low dollar frige gets to a warmer environment, my guess is that the combination of the lower insulation and weaker compressor just can't keep up with the job. So theoretically I'm guessing brands like Engel or Dometic build their fridges for the extremes. They are designed to work in all environments, causing them to be good at everything, but only great at high temps. Where the low budget fridges are great at low temps and struggles a bit in the extreme high temps. I wish I would have mentioned this in the video. I think one reason I didn't, is because i am not sure. I just have years of anecdotal data that tells me one works in this environment and another works in this environment. I know part of it is insulation, but I also know there is more to the story. Case in point that APL55 I mentioned. Same brand as my other fridges, much higher insulation, but poor regular day energy usage. My guess is even though they all have a Dan Foss/Secop compressor (the APL 55 may be more of a workhorse). And no, unforunately most of these brands do not use "R" Values. It sure would be nice.

Oh and sorry. I mentioned the desert and humid Florida in the same sentence just to say I don't think humidity is the factor, it is just heat in general. Glad you asked for a clarification. I'm kicking myself for not elaborating on this subject.

Thank you for clarifying. It’s greatly appreciated.

These are the type of comments that we love to see. Thank you so much for adding to the conversation.

@@PlayingwithSticks I forgot to mention. You need to make a splitter for dual charging. Whether you have Anderson power pole, 8mm or XT60. Amazon sells them. I make my own for fun and being cheap. 😁

That specific one is called a Skottle. It’s quite expensive, but there’s many other options .They are known as plow, disc cookers or Discadas.

@@PlayingwithSticks thanks for the response. i've never seen these before but looks very useful camping!

@scottjl they are incredible, we have a whole video about it if you want to check it out. We use this at home too between our Blackstone and this we rarely ever use our traditional grill anymore.

@@PlayingwithSticks heh. I just found your video a few minutes ago. Thanks!

Hey Brad! Thank you so much for this. This week it’s going towards ice money. I wasted so much money on ice making a video. I’ve been doing a bit of ice testing and it’s adding up. It’s been fun to use some wireless thermometers to get some physical data to back up some of the anecdotal things I’ve been experiencing in the field. Remember that cooler tip video I made? There were some points in there that I believed in, but after running this data, that prepping stuff is way more important than I realized. All this to say, thank you.

You are so welcome! I'm glad you out a link to the low water dish cleaning video you did which I have used that technique countless times now. Great choice of camera angle putting the camera at the bottom of the fridge! I thought I spotted your Oester cooler in the vid!!

The JP 40 pro makes an amazing refrigerator standalone or a freezer standalone. But I don’t know if they have a dual zone model? I haven’t seen it.

@@PlayingwithSticks the JP40 Pro has a single zone model and a dual zone model as well they state consumption is more than the single JP40 .323kwh but less than JP50 single .405kwh at just .356kwh for a Dual zone!

Your research Drew is awesome and I wanted to thank you. I bought a Used Hiker Trailer after watcher your video’s and Matt and Wendy Dewitt’s videos. I wish Bean had the new Bean basic at the time I had bought but think your it should come with Table is a must. And maybe the ability to have a slide out kitchen in the front would be nice for some people myself a party of two+1 dog don’t need as much space inside but don’t want to spend $30k for a trailer so Hiker was the best choice but plywood has its issues I will say.

Stepstool, I like it. You know how much I love dual use camping items. Good to see you on here. I think this Sunday release time is working well, because I’m seeing the regulars here all at once.

@@PlayingwithSticks So I guess I am a “regular” lol…I’ll have my usual…Teardrop special with a side of camping gear scramble and a cup of coffee…black

@BirdPhish well if you take away anything from this channel, it’s to stay away from my GSI coffee rocket. That is if you like your coffee black 🤣

That is a tough one. At first we thought we needed a dual zone. We loved ours. Then the last 4 or so years we went without one and didn't really miss it. We keep our frozen food closest to the compressor. That tends to keep it frozen for a couple of days. Then we start using those items when they are more ready. Where we miss the dual zone is for grocery runs. It is nice to head out to Costco or Sams and put frozen goods on one side and refrigerated on the other. So I would say if you will use it for shopping a dual zone is nice. But for our everyday camping we find we can get by without it.

@@PlayingwithSticks Thanks helpful

You are most welcome!

Hi Patrick!

I like the sound of that. We have been putting the Oyster to the test for over a year. Finally did some real thermometer testing this last week. The results were surprising.

@@PlayingwithSticks oh cool, you going to make a video on the Oyster?

@Penny-mk7fv absolutely! I love it

I’m not sure what you’re referring to? Are you referring to more efficient more affordable fridges? I for one am very happy to see fridges out there that cost much less than a Dometic or an Engel. Not taking any thing away from them, they are the kings of fridges. But I don’t think they’re right for-every use situation.

Love my Engel and energy efficient. No problem running low on my generator….also solar panel. Runs on standard plug in my 4Runner when driving. Quality top of line. Proven reputation and history over many years. Also draws about 31 Watts of energy when cycling on coldest temperature setting. However expensive unit, 45 quart cost me $1,000.

@user-jm5dw3gm8y an Engel is pretty hard to beat from what I’ve heard. Thanks for sharing.

I will second that

I don’t have good Internet on me right now, but I’m assuming that’s our Skottle. It’s also known as a discada or plow disk cooker. We absolutely love it. It’s our primary cooker even in our backyard.

@@PlayingwithSticks Amazing, thank you!

@@somjuan You are most welcome!

Great point!

Thank you!