Portable Freezer/Fridge

We have an Engel 12/120 volt fridge/freezer that will not only keep things frozen but will make ice even in the summer when left in the back seat of our Ford Supercab. We keep a gallon milk jug in there and swap it out with the one in a portable cooler so we never need to buy ice. These Engels have a real compressor and do a great job. The downside is that they are big and they are expensive. They also will drain even my big truck battery if left more than overnight. DW and I try to park near an outlet if we're moteling it and just run an extention cord out a cracked rear window. When full it takes two of us to wrestle it out of the rear seat if we need to carry passengers. You have no idea as to how popular you can be when you pull out several boxes of popsicles on day four of a camping trip. Incidentally, it is a great refrigerator and a great freezer but not both at once. We bought ours perhaps seven years ago from CompactAppliance.com at a pretty substantial discount. - camp2canoe

I read the above post a while back and last Spring decided to add a good portable freezer to my list of TM “toys”. Since then, we have used our freezer on all trips that are over a week and a half (most all of our trips) and love it. A couple of notes, though:

1. Instead of the Engle 12/120 model, we bought an ARB 10800472 50 gallon Fridge Freezer. We have used it in the TV (back seat using 12v cigarette outlet) while traveling but prefer just leaving it on the TM plugged into one of the 110v outlets while on shore power (very low amps used). While on the road and traveling with the freezer still in the TM, we power it as noted below.

2. I have a Clore JNC660 12v Jump Starter for possible TV emergencies that I also use to power the freezer in the TM while on the road. Works perfectly for us. Our routine is to take the freezer off shore power, insert an accessory cigarette plug to the outlet on the Starter, close the TM and get on the road. No problem. Arrive at new campsite, reverse procedure, and recharge the starter overnight.

3. The weight of this freezer is about 60lbs empty. I’m over 70 but with a back brace, I can load the empty freezer into the TV or TM. We then bring a couple of baskets of frozen stuff and load the freezer once for a trip long plus replenishments.

4. This freezer is also a fridge and works for us if we carefully set the thermometer to just below freezing. The fridge section is positioned higher than the freeze section and with this setting, both function as needed.

5. Our TM is longer than currently available models so I'm not sure how it might fit on a shorter TM while traveling. For ours, we put the "starter" in the recliner and position the freezer in front of the closed front slide. Smaller models of the freezer might work.

In any case, for us, a freezer is now a necessity rather than a "toy".

[wbmiller3]

That's very interesting. But surely it's 50 quart? I can't visualize a 50 gallon portable cooler.

[ShrimpBurrito]

I was curious too. It's 50 quart:
http://www.amazon.com/ARB-10800472-F.../dp/B002Q1INDM

But don't discount portable 50-gallon drums. I was in a far-flung non-touristy island in French Polynesia years ago where there are no gas stations. The few residents that owned cars purchased fuel by the 50-gallon drum, which was delivered to a dock by cargo ship. Residents would drive to the dock, man-handle the thing into the back of their beat-up station wagon, and upon getting home, would open the gate and kick the thing out. Then it rolled down the hill! Gasoline! I couldn't believe my eyes.

Dave

[TrailManorMan]

I use something similar made by Dometic with the same compressor. We love it

[Bill]

+1 on the compressor based refrig/freezer. We bought the 40-quart Engle ten years ago, and it has been a wonderful beast. We used to carry it in the back seat of the Explorer, where the pup and the cat resented it. Now we carry it in the bed of the F-150, where I added a 12-volt power point for it.

As noted, it is heavy - somewhere around 50 pounds for the unit itself. I put it in the truck, and remove it, by taking off the lid and removing the food basket, and carrying each piece separately. Not a piece of cake like it once was, but quite do-able.

In moderate weather, it can run all night from the truck battery. I haven't tried it in hot weather, and probably won't, though I suspect it would do fine.

Imagine the joy of pulling into a campground in, say, Kansas, and having my wife pull out and prepare, from scratch, a meal of tiny bay scallops from Maine on a bed of fresh spinach! A bottle of white wine, a little music, and nothing more is needed.

Bill

Originally Posted by wbmiller3

That's very interesting. But surely it's 50 quart? I can't visualize a 50 gallon portable cooler.

Ha! Absolutely correct. Along with my weakened back, I should have mentioned that I also have a weakened brain, but now that I think of it, perhaps a 50 gallon one might meet both Bill's and my requirements for having wine available.

I have had good luck with my EdgeStar although like the others mentioned here it too is heavy and but less expensive.

[Roy in Texas]

Like Dave, I have an ARB unit. My is 6-7 years old. My wife and I took a trip from Texas to Florida in May. During the trip my ARB malfunctioned and ran the compressor continuously. I called ARB and talked about solutions. I had a great freezer, but I use it to keep drinks and lunch fixings.

Upon getting home, I sent the unit to ARB in Washington state. They repaired it, supplied a new electronic control board, and sent it back. The only thing I paid was for the shipping to ARB.

Just thought I would let you all know about ARB's great technical support on an old unit. If you need support, Mitch was very helpful. His contact information is provide below.

Mitch Carter
Tech Dept.
Air Locker, Inc.
425-264-1391
720 SW 34th St.
Renton, WA 98057
[email protected]

Roy

[Skyjim73]

Add me to the compressor fridge/freezer fan group! We've experimented with a small (11 qt) Dometic compressor fridge designed for belting into a car seat and functioning as a console and drink holder. The CDF-11, like most of the 12v/AC fridge freezers out there these days, uses a Danfoss BD-35 compressor. Danfosses or Chinese versions of them are in pretty much all of these except for the Engels, which use the unique Sawafuji "swing motor", which has just a single moving part and is credited by many reviewers with the high reliability of the Engel units.

Bought the CDF-11 to play around as an in-car alternative to ice coolers and also to place in our old trailer to decide whether compressor noise would be an issue for us sleeping at night if we went to a compressor fridge using the BD-35 in our next rig. As you can see in my signature line, we are going ahead with the compressor fridge in our new Trail Manor, much reassured by some members here who have pioneered this type of upgrade on their own. No more absorption fridges for me!

If the money holds out I plan to put one in the truck bed under the shell as well - probably the 50 qt ARB, though if I'm feeling wealthy I might go for a National Luna. The one in the truck will be mounted on a slide for easy access, and I'll probably install a National Luna dual battery kit or Portable Power Pack in the truck.

[Maldos]

ARB 1+ great unit (50 liter), over 130 4.5 star reviews on Amazon