Powered Cooler

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PstMacteeer

Freshly Spawned
I'm tired of dealing with ice to keep my food, drinks and fish cold!!! So I've been looking at coolers/freezers that plug in to use in my vehicle, boat and camper.

There are a lot of options, sizes, etc....please let me know if you have any experiences, suggestions or advice on what would be good.

Thanks.
 
We have an older classic 82qt ARB that we use constantly. It mainly remains in the back of a vehicle during the summer months and goes in and out for adventures throughout the year. When not in a vehicle it is plugged in the garage and has held up well to daily abuse. We have a dual battery system under the hood. Installed that after learning the hard way, returned to a dead rig after a few days outside Revelstoke.

Beyond power, other things to consider prior to purchase is clearance height inside your vehicle, fridge orientation and access point. Will the fridge lid fully open inside your vehicle or will you need to slide the fridge on a tray/drawer system out to open? The gas struts on the new fridges look really nice in preventing the lid from closing on your head too.
 
Matt B said:
Something to aspire to, for sure. Meanwhile, back down here, we Plebes are getting creative and resourceful.

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Matt- The step through "Backpackers" bike is a smart move, and the two-by-four tow ball looks well engineered. I like the look of this, it would leave your standard subscriber to OUTSIDE wanting to do an intervention...Where can I mail you a Nutcase helmet?
 
I have a Coleman that I bought a long, long time ago. I have traveled all over with it. It doesn't have a ton of room but has never failed on AC or DC. I did have to replace the AC converter a few years ago but the cooler has been flawless.
 
12v coolers are the only way to go. I use a Whynter 45q in my pickup. It'll run off a 100ah lithium for at least 4 days. add in a couple hundred watts of solar and it'll run the fridge and trickle charge the battery.
downside, they're heavy. kind of a set it and forget it scenario.
just remember to pre-cool them on AC for a few hours before you start filling it up with stuff.
 
@Matt B , I think I missed the double meaning of powered cooler. I thought, like you, it meant a cooler that had power to get the drinks quickly and efficiently from one site to a second, and that in itself it would be an object of coolness, of envy. I realize now there is a third meaning, the cooler is powered to cool, as in temperature. So in looking at your rig, you have the power to ride, and this is without doubt, an enviable rig. But to meet the third criteria you need power to cool too. So I worked on it a little
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Matt the only way this could be cooler is with an old-school pedal-powered dynamo....linking into some kind of 12 volt in-cooler apparatus. you probably need a 6V to 12 volt inverter, which weighs another pound, and then you just connect this industrial compressor unit to the inverter, which probably weighs about 200 pounds.

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and bunji it to the top of the cooler and I think you are ready for some serious cold ones at the end of the day!

Here's what I think it would look like, and best of all, you're still smiling at the end of the build-out

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Wadin' Boot said:
@Matt B , I think I missed the double meaning of powered cooler. I thought, like you, it meant a cooler that had power to get the drinks quickly and efficiently from one site to a second, and that in itself it would be an object of coolness, of envy. I realize now there is a third meaning, the cooler is powered to cool, as in temperature. So in looking at your rig, you have the power to ride, and this is without doubt, an enviable rig. But to meet the third criteria you need power to cool too. So I worked on it a little
View attachment 38664
View attachment 38665
Matt the only way this could be cooler is with an old-school pedal-powered dynamo....linking into some kind of 12 volt in-cooler apparatus. you probably need a 6V to 12 volt inverter, which weighs another pound, and then you just connect this industrial compressor unit to the inverter, which probably weighs about 200 pounds.

View attachment 38666
and bunji it to the top of the cooler and I think you are ready for some serious cold ones at the end of the day!

Here's what I think it would look like, and best of all, you're still smiling at the end of the build-out

View attachment 38673
Click to expand...
This is genius, and looks to be affordable too, which is important to a cost-conscious adventurer like myself, and besides, who isn't looking for inexpensive fun nowadays? It also looks to be a much preferable alternative to the cooler I once had that became empowered. Nice enough cooler and all, but now it lives in Taos, NM. Runs a yoga & sculpture studio/crystal shop.
 
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