I welcome your make and model suggestions for a chest-style 12-volt compressor refrigerator to put in my overlanding SUV. I'd like to find one that excels in two specific areas: power consumption and insulation quality.
There are far too many to choose from, especially on Amazon...though most of those have unpronounceable nonsensical brand names and probably all come from the same overseas factory. I'd rather pay more for a high-quality unit.
Many of these listings boast of the unit's freezing capability, able to take temps down close to 0°F. But I'll never use it that way; I don't carry frozen foods. I don't want to waste interior space by getting a unit with a separate freezer compartment and I'll never have the need for dual zone temp control. I just need a normal refrigeration function (35-38°F) and a single large compartment to store my fresh produce, deli salads, cold cuts, orange juice, etc. I'm talking about enough food for one person spending 3 to 6 days between grocery store runs. Something around the 48-quart size seems reasonable, but I'm not married to that number. I can go larger or smaller to get the quality and features that I want.
One feature I thought that I wanted was a quiet compressor. That would be nice, but now I'm thinking it's unnecessary. I avoid summer camping by traveling from September through May; the nights are almost always cool if not downright cold. It seems likely that I can unplug the unit each night, saving power and eliminating the noise issue...that is, as long as I can find one that is very well insulated and will bottle in the cold for 8 hours without running. (By the way, I plan to cover the unit with sheets of Reflectix during the day to keep it out of the sun.)
I've never owned one of these units so I'm not sure if one brand or style is better than another when it comes to drawing less power. (Perhaps a well-insulated unit is the real key to using less juice.) Anyway, on my next trip, I'll be running it off the car battery while driving and off my Jackery while I'm parked. Once I find the Suburban I want to buy, I'll run it off the deep-cycle house battery circuit.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on any of these refrigerators that you like or dislike.
Carl
There are far too many to choose from, especially on Amazon...though most of those have unpronounceable nonsensical brand names and probably all come from the same overseas factory. I'd rather pay more for a high-quality unit.
Many of these listings boast of the unit's freezing capability, able to take temps down close to 0°F. But I'll never use it that way; I don't carry frozen foods. I don't want to waste interior space by getting a unit with a separate freezer compartment and I'll never have the need for dual zone temp control. I just need a normal refrigeration function (35-38°F) and a single large compartment to store my fresh produce, deli salads, cold cuts, orange juice, etc. I'm talking about enough food for one person spending 3 to 6 days between grocery store runs. Something around the 48-quart size seems reasonable, but I'm not married to that number. I can go larger or smaller to get the quality and features that I want.
One feature I thought that I wanted was a quiet compressor. That would be nice, but now I'm thinking it's unnecessary. I avoid summer camping by traveling from September through May; the nights are almost always cool if not downright cold. It seems likely that I can unplug the unit each night, saving power and eliminating the noise issue...that is, as long as I can find one that is very well insulated and will bottle in the cold for 8 hours without running. (By the way, I plan to cover the unit with sheets of Reflectix during the day to keep it out of the sun.)
I've never owned one of these units so I'm not sure if one brand or style is better than another when it comes to drawing less power. (Perhaps a well-insulated unit is the real key to using less juice.) Anyway, on my next trip, I'll be running it off the car battery while driving and off my Jackery while I'm parked. Once I find the Suburban I want to buy, I'll run it off the deep-cycle house battery circuit.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on any of these refrigerators that you like or dislike.
Carl
