Thermoelectric Coolers

[BC Explorer]

Does any body use this type of cooler or have any advice on these type of coolers.
I currently use a Coleman 5 Day Extreme and seems to work great but, trips are becoming longer. I tried one that a buddy had lent me and ran a temp gauge to monitor the rate of cooling and how long things stayed cold but , the cooler was not in the best shape. So the results IMO were not that great.
Maybe a new unit would give better results.

Thanks

 

[StumpXJ]

I have been using this one for 1.5 years, and it works really well for the price. I have used it many times for 3-4 nights, and twice for 6 nights, and had no problems. It pulls around 2 amps, and keeps things cold. It takes a while for them to get cold, but I havent had any trouble. If you put frozen food in it, it will stay frozen for a day or two. Its not exactly an engel, but it works for me.

I think I will be getting an engel soon just because its much quicker, and more efficient, but for now this works.

http://www.roadtrucker.com/12-volt-coolers-accessories/12-volt-coolers-accessories.htm

~James

 

[BiG BoB]

They typicaly work on a temperature differential, where the peltier panel will be around 25deg celsius lower on one side, and hotter on the other.

If you're in 25deg weather, it will keep things icy cold, however in really hot climates it will just keep it cool.

They also have quite a large constant current draw, when you were testing it was it running off a battery?

Sean

 

[RoundOut]

I have a coleman version that works well

In my recent work in the oil field, I have been spending the night in a motel with a mini-fridge in the motel. The mini fridge will freeze water, so I bought some one-liter bottles and froze two of them. I would keep a one-liter bottle in the Coleman fridge and keep it plugged in all day long. The nature of my work in the oil field required me to leave the engine idling most of the day, if I wasn't driving from lease to lease. Therefore, the unit was powered all day long.

My observations were that the unit, while powered and running in an air-conditioned cab (maybe internal cab temperature of 65-70F) would barely allow any thaw in the iced bottle of water. I noticed that the grape juice I had in the Coleman would actually approach freezing, such that when I poured it out, it would go from liquid to slushy. That was awesome, too! It kept my lunchmeat, condiments, yogurt, iced tea, and everything else barely above freezing.

When I bought it, the box or instructions said it kept things about 30-35 degrees cooler than outside ambient temperature. I don't recall whether it was 30 or 35.

I cannot opine to how much power draw it makes, as I had the truck running most of the time because I needed the electric power for a centrifuge I had mounted in the bed. If I ever finished using the centrifuge for an extended period of time, I would turn the engine off with only the fridge and the laptop power supply running. The longest I left it alone was about an hour and it never killed my batteries.

Early on with this project, I did make the mistake once of using the centrifuge for a couple of hours without the engine running, and learned quickly that it isn't a good idea, even for dual batteries. LOL

I hope this helps.

.

 

[Guinness44]

We used to use that, if its 100 out, the 60 degree water tastes rather good, but not the brew. Went to Engel land. If its the only option, its better than nothing, but learned, I would save towards the fridge, the 100 bucks paid for the cooler: gone. (I lent the cooler out, and it came back without its cord, so its just a box now.)

 

[JIMBO]

:suning: The thermoelectric type is why I got the Koolatron ($116), even though it draws close to 4 amps continuously, I have my solar panel/controller ckts set up for use during the day and MAINLY, by turning off at night, I've had no problems, NORMALLY 30/40 DEGREES F AT NIGHT--

-I only camp in the high Sierrs, so my case is rather singular !!

--:tent: --JIMBO

 

[JIMBO]

:suning: Look what I found today, to moniter my Koolatron temp.--

--

--I installed it on my cooler, with the probe at the bottom and affixed it to the lower wall, I just put a chunk of ice in there to see how the Therm. reacted--OK !!

--

--

--Now I don't have to open the top lid and check on the temperature !!

--:tent: --JIMBO

 

[BC Explorer]

They typicaly work on a temperature differential, where the peltier panel will be around 25deg celsius lower on one side, and hotter on the other.

If you're in 25deg weather, it will keep things icy cold, however in really hot climates it will just keep it cool.

They also have quite a large constant current draw, when you were testing it was it running off a battery?

Sean

No, I was running it off AC power.

 

[BC Explorer]

Thanks a ton for all your help and the reply's.
There is a Koolatron for sale at the local store for $59 and this looks like it might be a good option.
I have a YJ with a upgrade 136 amp alternator from a V8 Grand Cherokee and suspect I should not run into a power draw problem while the truck is running.
I also have a deep cycle battery as well, so hopefully this will help while the truck is off.
Possibly a battery saver might be a good option to stop any problems with to much power draw from the battery while out hiking. Atleast I would still have reserve power to start the truck when I get back to it.

Reading the reply's, freezing most items in advance is the best way.
I will be gone on a 8 day trip and would really like to try avoiding using ice for cooling and the cost of buying the ice to start with, heck 8 days of ice would pay for the Koolatron.

Thanks everyone for the help and I'll keep you posted on how things turn out.

Christopher

 

[Conrad_Turbo]

Koolatron is a great unit if you have the power to run it. I bought a unit for camping last year to run it off a Red Top Optima (I didn't have the money to specifically buy a deep cycle battery for the cooler). The battery didn't last long and by the end of the weekend the cooler was not plugged in and filled with ice. For long term camping I wouldn't recommend a Koolatron based on my experience, however look to an Engel/ARB instead.

In my case I don't have the money for an Engel/ARB but wanted to keep all my food frozen/cold for an entire camping trip. I eneded up getting a Coleman Xtreme 5 day cooler, then building an aluminum box the same dimensions as the inside of the cooler. Inserting a triple bagged garbage bags inside the aluminum box and filling it with water and tossing it in the deep freeze. Two days later the block of ice is transfered to the cooler and it last over 10 days before the ice was completely gone. Mind you it is a 26L block of ice...

 

[JIMBO]

:REOutIceFishing: Yea Conrad, berfore I got my solar and battery circuit setup--

Koolatron is a great unit if you have the power to run it. I bought a unit for camping last year to run it off a Red Top Optima (I didn't have the money to specifically buy a deep cycle battery for the cooler). The battery didn't last long and by the end of the weekend the cooler was not plugged in and filled with ice. For long term camping I wouldn't recommend a Koolatron based on my experience, however look to an Engel/ARB instead.

In my case I don't have the money for an Engel/ARB but wanted to keep all my food frozen/cold for an entire camping trip. I eneded up getting a Coleman Xtreme 5 day cooler, then building an aluminum box the same dimensions as the inside of the cooler. Inserting a triple bagged garbage bags inside the aluminum box and filling it with water and tossing it in the deep freeze. Two days later the block of ice is transfered to the cooler and it last over 10 days before the ice was completely gone. Mind you it is a 26L block of ice...

--Years ago, I had given up on ice cubes, because they never lasted more than a day, so I started freezing a block (meat loaf baking pan) makes BIG ice cubes, put 2 in a big ziplock bag and that would usually last 3 days in the cooler-

--No water mess-cool !!

--:tent: --JIMBO

 

[Conrad_Turbo]

Jimbo, I'll be you in a few years from now...but for now a monster ice cube is going to have to do.

We have separate coolers, one for luxury items (drinks) and the other for food. The drink cooler work just great with a big block of ice and lots of crushed ice, it is next to impossible to have a warm drink while camping (provided nobody leaves the lid open the whole trip). The food we just keep them all in ziplock bags and they swim around in the water/ice mixture just fine. The biggest drawback is weight...and it's damn heavy!

 

[BC Explorer]

I thought about building a outer skin for my Xtreme or using a thermo blanket of some type like the ones on the Engels and ARB fridges.
I talked to a commercial freezer rep about how they build there coolers and they just use alloy skin filled with foam in between. He went on to explain the cooler work better if I could reduce or slow down the heat tranfer and make the ice last longer. I also have a buddy that has travelled the world and he mentioned to take the ice and put it in quality freezer bags and when they are melted we would have cold drinking water. This would reduce costs by reusing the water first for cooling and then for drinking and not having to buy bottled water.

This will really be a real world test in making ice last.
Every thing I learn on this trip (mistakes and all) will be used for are trip into the Arctic next year which will be about 4 times longer in duration.

1 week before we leave and running around like a chicken with its head cut off.