15 replies to this topic

[Curmudgeon]

I have an Edgestar (Whynter) that has been running almost continually for the last 12 years, either on the road or at home.  It has been 100% reliable without a single glitch.  I also have an Iceco VL60 dual, that is great and built like a tank, and an Alpicool C30.  Both are nicely made and hold the internal temperature very accurately.  I would not hesitate to buy any of these brands again.

 

I also have and Engel 62 that has been less than reliable, and Engel's customer service is seriously lacking.  I would never buy another Engel based on the experience I've had with this one.  I know they make a good product, but if you have a problem . . . good luck getting any help from Engel.

 

Last year I decided to try one of the really cheap brands sold on Amazon.  I bought a small Joytutus.  Depending on what temp you set, the actual internal temp would sometimes be as much as 20 degrees warmer than what was showing on the display.  It could be set as slow as -8, but it would never attain anything below 0.  The company was very responsive to my emails, but was never able to adequately explain how to adjust/regulate it.  It was pretty obvious English was their 3rd or 4th language.  They actually did make a video showing the procedure to adjust the electronics, but they used a different model and posted the video upside down.  Kind of hard to watch, and there was no narration along with it.  I ended up returning it. 

 

When I tested all of these refrigerators I made sure they had a large amount of thermal mass in them, used a remote temp probe in the middle of the compartment, and let them stabilize for at least 24 hours.  That way I could compare the set temp to the actual internal temperature.  Both Iceco and Alpicool maintained a temp within 1-2 degrees of the set temp.  It's been so many years since I checked the Edgestar I don't recall how close it stayed, but it must have been acceptable or I wouldn't have kept it.

 

And, one more . . . .   About a year and a half ago a friend bought an inexpensive Costway 53 and it has been reliable and working great. 

[ramblinChet]

When it comes to camper refrigerators you will get what you paid for, many times less.

 

Years ago I spent months researching this topic and began with no favor towards any particular brand. I simply wanted something that was very efficient, was able to deliver the exact temperature I desired, and would last around a decade. Cost is a very remote consideration for me because if the refrigerator is not able to meet my requirements then is has zero value to me.

 

When you begin to "save money" you will end up with a unit that uses excessive power, is not able to hold a steady temperature and the internal temperature varies significantly, and how long it will last is a guessing game. For many using extra power, having variable temperature or not lasting long is not a big deal and that's perfectly fine. There are many choices out there but again, you get what you pay for.

 

My National Luna 80L is the previous generation with the Danfoss BD35F compressor and controller and is one of the finest available. I picked it up on sale for $1,400 or so and to me it is worth every single penny. Owning the best refrigerator for your individual purposes is a game changer when it comes to truck camping.

 

[hpcbmw]

An update on my Blizzard Box fridge. I paid about $700 plus tax for this in July 2021. It's now selling for $900 on Amazon. It worked fantastic... until last week. I've been using it as my garage fridge, sometimes plugged in to 110 house current and sometimes with a 150w solar panel and a 75ah deep cycle 12v battery (100 watt solar wasn't enough, with the battery getting pretty low after 3-4 days, but 150w solar keeps the battery topped off daily). I took it to the Black Rock desert for a couple trips and it always worked flawlessly. The desert has a very fine powdery dust with a high alkaline content that seems to mess with electronics.

 

I went back to the desert for 10 days last week and the Blizzard Box went a little haywire. First it over rode my 29 degree setting and kept trying to get down to 9 degrees (running down my battery), then it over rode my 29 degree setting and went up to 45 degrees. I tried 12v, 110v via generator and unplugging it. After these different reset attempts, it would work right for a day, then start going haywire again. This was compounded by a propane leak that forced me to turn off my LP fridge to check all my LP connections. The LP fridge took almost 2 days to get cold again with outside temps above 100 degrees. Needless to say, I was scrambling to keep all my food cold!

 

Anyway... I got back to civilization and called TypeSAuto, maker of Blizzard Box. They are sending me a shipping label to return the unit and will be sending me a new one. Hopefully my problem was a one off issue and the fridge will be working perfectly again.

Until last week, I thought the Blizzard Box was great- but now I'm a little less enthusiastic about it.

A friend bought the Bouge RV 12v Fridge 30 qt fridge on sale for $220.00 a couple weeks ago and took it with us to the desert. It worked great for them, but no telling how long it will last.

https://www.bougerv..../12v-car-fridge

 

If anyone else has updates on their 12v fridge, please share.

 

[smlobx]

We have just returned from our 6 week trip to the Canadian Maritimes using our Blizzard Box and I’m happy to report that it ran continuously, without a hitch for the entire time. Due to where we live we also use it almost continuously to go to Costco, etc.

 

so for us it has been fantastic. We bought it on sale at Costco for about $500.

[Oryguntroutbum]

Love my Iceco. Super quiet and consistent temps.

[BBZ]

I have been using the alpincool cf36 I bought on amazon for $299 for the past 2 years, its been great.. (price has increased quite a bit)

I do not have a place to mount one permanently so this is nice as I can move it off the bench when needed, has been efficient and nice to have a little freezer when needed.