Warning re Jackery product quality/design

[OllieChristopher]

Would I be correct in guessing that for the MIL STD the product would have to still be usable, whereas for the UN 38.3 standard, it simply needs to not burn the place down... not necessarily be useable?

That sounds about right. I honestly would not take the damage to your Jackery as a determination as to the durability of the product. It was an isolated incident that could have damaged even a MIL STD unit. I had to look hard at my budget and what i was using mine for. I came to the conclusion that my Jackery transported behind my seat in a protective case and not being used daily is a decent compromise.

If I had a lager budget and/or was using it as my only power source the the PLB40 would be a no brainer. Heck I even went with a BougeRV cooler that is less than 1/4 the cost of a Domestic or ARB cooler. If it lasts me 2 years then I'll be more than pleased. Most portable coolers that see off road don't last much more than 5 years anyway.

I have not dropped my Jackery but here is an extra layer of protection I keep mine stored in:

 

[Herbie]

Most portable coolers that see off road don't last much more than 5 years anyway.

THAT would be a controversial statement on this board. Any Engel or ARB thread brings folks out of the woodwork to brag about going 10-15+ years on their units.

I got five years on my factory scratch-n-dent "Edgestar" before swapping for a different unit - AFAIK that one is still running for the 2nd owner. My Truckfridge is on year six, including running continuously as a back-up fridge since COVID lockdown in 3/2020.

 

[67cj5]

That sounds about right. I honestly would not take the damage to your Jackery as a determination as to the durability of the product. It was an isolated incident that could have damaged even a MIL STD unit. I had to look hard at my budget and what i was using mine for. I came to the conclusion that my Jackery transported behind my seat in a protective case and not being used daily is a decent compromise.

If I had a lager budget and/or was using it as my only power source the the PLB40 would be a no brainer. Heck I even went with a BougeRV cooler that is less than 1/4 the cost of a Domestic or ARB cooler. If it lasts me 2 years then I'll be more than pleased. Most portable coolers that see off road don't last much more than 5 years anyway.

I have not dropped my Jackery but here is an extra layer of protection I keep mine stored in:

View attachment 665123

Inside that Case would of protected it from such a fall so I don't think you need to worry,

But when ever it is not in the Case, place it on the floor in the vehicle or if it is outside sit it on something just above the ground and do the same with the fridge so neither of them can fall more than 5 or 6 inches and also so they are not sucking up dirt and dust from the ground when their fans are running and they will last a lot longer.

 

[OllieChristopher]

THAT would be a controversial statement on this board. Any Engel or ARB thread brings folks out of the woodwork to brag about going 10-15+ years on their units.

I got five years on my factory scratch-n-dent "Edgestar" before swapping for a different unit - AFAIK that one is still running for the 2nd owner. My Truckfridge is on year six, including running continuously as a back-up fridge since COVID lockdown in 3/2020.

Hi there Herbie, If you noticed I stated most not all coolers not lasting more than 5 years in off road conditions. That has been my experience of what I have seen over the years with friends 12V coolers. You are only going to get a very few group of guys that will brag on any cooler lasting more than 5 years when it's getting banged around daily in a jeep or the back of a pickup.

And look at what you are paying for those Engels and ARB units. They are almost all north of 1,000.00 for even the small units. Did not mean to get this thread off track. Just explaining a misunderstanding of conditions of use.

 

[67cj5]

I tend to look after my gear which is cheap insurance in the long run, My ARB 47L/50Qt is five and a half years old and my 78L/82Qt is 2 and a half years old, Like anything if you look after it it will look after you.

 

[OllieChristopher]

I tend to look after my gear which is cheap insurance in the long run, My ARB 47L/50Qt is five and a half years old and my 78L/82Qt is 2 and a half years old, Like anything if you look after it it will look after you.

I hear you there. I'm just wading in slowly into this "off grid" luxury travel. This is a big changeup from packing light and motorcycle camping like I have in the past. No doubt the ARB, Dometic, and Engle coolers are some of the best quality out there. I just could not afford to try something I might not enjoy a few years from now. Those 47 liter and 78 liter coolers are beasts!!

 

[67cj5]

I hear you there. I'm just wading in slowly into this "off grid" luxury travel. This is a big changeup from packing light and motorcycle camping like I have in the past. No doubt the ARB, Dometic, and Engle coolers are some of the best quality out there. I just could not afford to try something I might not enjoy a few years from now. Those 47 liter and 78 liter coolers are beasts!!

There is no reason why even the cheapest of fridges can't last, Even cheap domestic fridges last 10 or 15+ years I got one here now, So just because you didn't stump up the big bucks means nothing, If you look after it it will look after you. and Even the best fridges fail.

Carry that 78L loaded is a 2 Man Job, ??

 

[OllieChristopher]

That's good info. Time will tell how well my Jackery and cheap fridge last. I'm an older dude and go pretty slow off road in my truck. and I'm packed in such a way as to the cooler and Jackery being having clear paths to the vents and still being secure so not to slide around when driving.

 

[john61ct]

Dometic is nowhere near the same class as Engel

And apparently ARB have fallen in "robustness of build quality" since no longer rebadged Engel.

But the real key to value is repairability, especially availability of replacement circuit boards in future

very much the weak link for those that do fail.

Never mind the compressors, which most focus on, they are nearly indestructible.

Sure if you spend under $500 and are fine with maybe needing to replace in 2-3 years

that's another way to go

but not my preference, I would pay triple for a unit I knew I could get parts for in twenty years

 

[67cj5]

That's good info. Time will tell how well my Jackery and cheap fridge last. I'm an older dude and go pretty slow off road in my truck. and I'm packed in such a way as to the cooler and Jackery being having clear paths to the vents and still being secure so not to slide around when driving.

Well I am past my Sell By Date so ya not alone.

There is good and bad in every brand, You have got a good power supply and a Good fridge, So take no notice about the brand snobbery, Yes some brands a great but they have issues too, None of them are Bullet proof.

My Big ARB is huge and I love it and I like how even it cools every thing and depending how you have it set depends on how it chews power and also what the Ambiant Temp is, Yet my little Dometic 18L is an Amazine little fridge when it comes to power Draw but again turn it right down to -18*c and it will chew it's share of power too, not as much as the 47L or the 78L,

These power boxes are a great idea but the Ideal size is between 500Wh to 1000Wh because after that they take too long to charge and the real big ones can't be charged from a 12v outlet So you are loosing a Charging Option where the 500/1000Wh models can So always try to keep the power packs under a 1000Wh.

 

[67cj5]

Dometic is nowhere near the same class as Engel

And apparently ARB have fallen in "robustness of build quality" since no longer rebadged Engel.

But the real key to value is repairability, especially availability of replacement circuit boards in future

very much the weak link for those that do fail.

Never mind the compressors, which most focus on, they are nearly indestructible.

Sure if you spend under $500 and are fine with maybe needing to replace in 2-3 years

that's another way to go

but not my preference, I would pay triple for a unit I knew I could get parts for in twenty years

Even Engels fail and like all brands be it NL Engel or ARB or Dometic and Snomaster will have failures,

Failures are not brand Specific, ARB are just as good as engel or National Luna, I have seen every brand fail, Just because someone pays $2000 for a NL does not mean it's not going to fail 3 week out of the box, No brand is Immune.

The important thing is if the Fridge suits your needs regardless of the brand, I like the Blue and Grey Series 2 ARB's but not the Grey and Black version, I also like the NL 52L and the Engel MT45, What sets the ARB apart from the NL and the Engel is it can be used as a duel zone because of the Dairy area, where the NL is Metal line from top to bottom so it can't be set to a fridge and a freezer at the same time and the Engel dose not have a dairy area so it can't be used as a duel zone either.

If the fridge suits the purpose then it's the right fridge.

 

[john61ct]

Snomaster reliability is also over-rated

very energy inefficient too at colder temps

 

[67cj5]

Snomaster reliability is also over-rated

very energy inefficient too at colder temps

Yeah I have never seen a fridge suck power like the snomasters, I saw one of mine pulling 109w from a new deep cycle battery and I hate the rattling compressor every time you hit a bump in the road,

Even their little 35L was pulling 99.7w from one of my batteries, without a powerful charging setup or big Solar as in 150w+ there is no way would I entertain one of them again, There is no way could you run one from anything smaller than a 1000Wh Jackery or Bluetti etc. Engel or ARB are the best all rounders when it comes to price vs performance.

 

[OverlandNA]

This thread went from a Jackery dilemma to bashing to rating every fridge ever made.

@jhmoore has the replacement pack arrived?

 

[OllieChristopher]

This thread went from a Jackery dilemma to bashing to rating every fridge ever made.

@jhmoore has the replacement pack arrived?

That's what I was wondering? Last I heard in his trip report was he's still waiting. After my initial reaction, I personally believe that John has done a fantastic thing by warning us of what can happen to these units in the real world. It needs to be said that any electronic device needs to be handled with care when out in the field.

And I'm sure he was careful. I am going to use the analogy of a trophy truck. These 1,000,000.00 plus vehicles are built to handle just about anything at speed. Yet broken ones are strewn across the race course and not many even finish a Dakar or Baja 1000. Point is no matter how well something is built it can break.

John letting us know how the Jackery customer service works is pretty gutsy considering some of the audience here on Expedition Portal are going to give him a really hard time.