Best automotive coolers & refrigerators according to redditors

At this point I'm just getting one of those usb single can fridges and hiding it under my desk.

First things first, contact your state's marketplace and find out if, due to your income loss from the illness and your homelessness, you can get on your state's Medicaid. Your income might be low enough to qualify you, if only to give you a few months' break from that $250 a month.

You can get a free "survival" phone. They will even transfer your number. https://www.safelinkwireless.com/Enrollment/Safelink/en/NewPublic/index.html

It's sounds like you're on a phone plan now - call your provider and see if you can switch to a prepaid plan with them. Those are $40 to $50 a month and maybe you can afford those? That way you can get/keep a SmartPhone.

To save $$ on food, go to the Food Banks. The Food Banks are also a place where you can ask questions about homeless shelters in the areas. But I have not read good things about a lot of shelters. People get their stuff stolen while they're sleeping. That's why a lot of homeless people hate the shelters, and wouldn't any of us feel the same way?

It depends on the weather in your town. If it's not too hot, sleeping in the backseat is not a problem and good for you for getting that $10 gym membership so you can shower. Turn your trunk into clothing storage so your clothes can stay neat, backseat is for sleeping and food. Or, if you're tall, passenger seat laid back might be better.

If you can afford it, obviously a cheap motel will be nicer.

Where to park? I've done a lot of YouTube watching on alternative lifestyle living in RVs and some reading about where to park when living in an RV or your car. Never had to live in my car, but I've done this for worst-case-scenario planning. Some homeless shelters WILL let you park in their parking lots so that might be a good option.. Police won't hassle you and you can lock your doors. If you have an RV some Walmarts let RV livers park in their lots. Talk to the manager.

Some churches will also let you use their parking lot. I'm assuming you're in AA - if they want references they can talk to your sponsor. Scope the church out first, see if it has a lighted lot, maybe some shade trees, and then call them and ask.

Be grateful you're a man. There are so many more low-skilled jobs open to men. If you can handle construction work and like it, that's a good field to get into. Later on, you could go to community college and become a Construction Supervisor. They make good money and we're in a building boom in many parts of the nation now. More secure than Construction Supervisor is Plumber, HVAC person, or Electrician. They always have work, even in recessions.

You are also, as a man, more likely to be promoted to management than a woman. So if you like retail or the food industry, as soon as you get settled again, you could start taking some business courses in management at a community college. Many are offered online now.

Good for you for staying away from your addict friends! That is so hard to do - so very hard to be alone, start over, and learn a new way of life.

I would suggest getting into counseling as well as 12 Steps, but the copay is probably more than you can afford. But call the homeless shelters and ask them if they have any special mental health support programs for the homeless. Most places do not, I know, but you can ask.

Food banks!! Find them in your area now. Google "Food banks (name of city or town)".

OH - for your mail - get a PO box right away. $8 a month, pay 3 months at a time. That way, when you go to the Food Banks you have proof of residency (that address) and will be able to get your closing utility bills which are also proof of residency and proof of your homelessness.

I'm sorry - I wish our nation were not so cruel. I think simple housing is a basic right. Oh that our political leaders could be swayed to agree with me.

Wait, one more idea - Because you can't eat fast food all the time - it's expensive and bad for your health - I've seen much ingenious camping cooking equipment online. I once saw a video of a guy living in his Prius and he had a small piece of plywood on the passenger seat for his "cooking counter". On that he made coffee and warmed up canned soup and canned veggies ($1 ea. at the $1 stores) on that board over a little propane single burner. Coffee maker ran off of his car.

Here's an adapter thing for your car so you can plug in household stuff. Just have the engine running when you do this so you don't kill your battery. https://www.amazon.com/BESTEK-300W-Power-Inverter-Adapter/dp/B004MDXS0U/ref=sr_1_8?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1501341161&sr=1-8&keywords=12v+adapter

So go to Amazon, and look for all the ingenious stuff you can plug into your 12v in your car. There's also battery lanterns for safety at night, single burner electric cooktops, and even an electric cooler that plugs into your 12v.
https://www.amazon.com/Knox-Electric-Cooler-Warmer-Liters/dp/B01DMVV282/ref=sr_1_3?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1501341051&sr=1-3&keywords=camping+cooler+plug+in

Good luck to you. You have a good plan, and at least there are jobs out there now. They don't pay well, but it's better than the Recession.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0013AV9B0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_RSVyzbGWZWB1J

Something like that might help. The $50-60 upfront cost will pay for itself in a couple weeks.

Dometic 12v chest fridges are the standard, but there are other brands like ARB and Alpicool. I'm going to try the Costway 54l one myself. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CG4Q1YJ

Here’s an inexpensive refrigerator option:

COSTWAY 54 Quart Portable Refrigerator/Freezer Compact Vehicle Car Mini Fridge Electric Cooler for Truck Party, Travel, Picnic Outdoor, Camping（-4°F to 50°F）(Black and Grey) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CG4Q1YJ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_cNquDbDVYMRCF

I own it - I have a 50qt ARB fridge/freezer and an auxiliary battery and 100W solar panel. This lets me park the truck in the desert and ride my motorcycle around and not have to run the truck to keep the battery topped up.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07S37T5H1/ref=dp_cerb_1

Quite expensive. And they were free...

I don't think they ever specified what coolers he was ordering and how much they were going to sell them for did they?

I thought the point was that nobody really knows how much coolers cost, so they could charge inflated prices, and people would assume they were getting a good deal (on account of them being obviously stolen)?

There's was a lightning deal on this one last night for $50 off. But I really think I want the dual zone.

Your best bet is going to be a 12v/120V ARB Refrigerator / Freezer unit and a cooler like a YETI or Similar. The small cooler linked elsewhere in this post on Amazon is not sufficient, as it only cools 32 degrees below the ambient temperature. If outdoor temps are in the 90's, that unit only cools into the 60's

The ARB unit will do 2 things - refrigerate your meds as you travel, or allow you to freeze gel packs for use in the Yeti to transport your meds for a few days until you get back to home base. The bigger problem is that both will be huge targets for theft. You are going to have to really secure them and even hide them. If you will have your own service truck, you may be able to build them in and secure them in a compartment somehow.

Given the total destruction in PR, this medication requirement may mean that you can't accept this assignment if the logistics for your medication can't be worked out. The resources may just not be in place to support you until much more power is restored.

Good luck and hope you can find a solution that works out.

I have this. Great value for the price! Had it 6 months and I’m very happy., I have 200 watts of solar and 300AH of AGM batteries for reference.


Alpicool C50 Portable Refrigerator 53 Quart(50 Liter) Vehicle, Car, Turck, RV, Boat, Mini Fridge Freezer for Travel, Outdoor and Home use -12/24V DC and 110-240 AC(Black and Silver) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073WTNRJ2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_b2YPDbQ03VQ9D

It adds up fast so start small and build up if you find it is necessary. Many people get by fine with just one battery and a 100w panel - the key is to not use electricity for heat or motors and recharge as much as you can from the van's alternator whenever you're rolling. Also if you're starting from scratch, try to get 12v DC appliances (fridge, TV, etc) since power is lost in converting DC to AC.

Speaking of fridges and your healthy budget, spend the $800+ for one with a Danfoss compressor since they will sip power and work like a champ for years. The cheaper ones will not impress you.

Bentornato dalle vacanze a me, sigh!

Ho un bel quesito della Susi per chi se ne intende: Mario ha un frigorifero termoelettrico che abbassa la temperatura interna fino a -17° rispetto alla temperatura esterna.
Per esempio, a 30° esterni all'interno del frigo ci saranno 13°, e così via.

Mario si lamenta con la Susi perchè le sue birre non rimangono fresche molto a lungo, Giorgio propone di aggiungere all'interno del frigorifero una bottiglia di acqua ghiacciata per ottenere un beneficio nel raffreddamento, Mario pensa che invece otterrebbe solo un decongelamento precoce dell'acqua.

A chi da ragione la Susi, e perchè?

I've found this 12V DC cooler that has a fridge and separate freezer compartment: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DNNMY58/

I don't have any first hand experience with it, but the price is a lot more attractive than the Dometic units.

Mine is called a Costway - it is out of stock on Amazon, but it looks a lot like this.


Linsion 54 Quart RV Refrigerator/Freezer Compact Vehicle Car Fridge Compressor Electric Cooler for Car,Truck,RV,Boat,Outdoor and Home use 12/24V DC and 90-250 AC,Cooling from 68°F to -13°F https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MYWHCL9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_r8B4DbMW3H17X


I draws about 4 amps at full power, the less than one amp between cooling cycles.

Gotcha, a panel to cc breaker. The way im building, i much rather just save up overtime for lithium. They're just so much better and last way longer.

I plan on running 2 maxx air mini deluxe fans and also 1 mini fridge 24/7.

That's pretty much my main loads. I also plan on running a low watt tv and ps4 for maybe 3-5 hours a day.

Are you sure? I have this model and watts wise it added up pretty good.

ARB, Dometic, etc sell rock solid coolers that use very little electricity. Cheaper to buy a very expensive ARB than upgrading the hell out of your full electrical system.

Current solar panel kits are cheap, running a basic second battery or even having a third on a marine switch, is pretty easy. Adding upgraded alternator, dc to ac converter, wiring etc.... just get a solid DC cooler, and not the cheap ones.

ARB 10800472 Fridge Freezer- 50 Quart https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002Q1INDM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_rYtLzbKHWVYT7

Thanks everyone,

Also found this Ausranvik 26 Quart fridge for 300 which would lower cost (and probably add some risk with liability).

https://www.amazon.com/Ausranvik-26-Quart-Portable-Freezer-Refrigerator/dp/B07DNNMY58/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?keywords=Ausranvik+12v+fridge&qid=1559227857&s=gateway&sr=8-6

Or even this 16 Quart (15 Liter) fridge for 200

https://www.amazon.com/Ausranvik-Portable-Freezer-4%C2%B0F-50%C2%B0F-Compatible/dp/B07KSPY3KQ/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=Ausranvik+12v+fridge+18&qid=1559231067&s=gateway&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1

Either way I’ll go for the fridge set up because 6 months of ice and a Yeti Roadie cooler for 160 (on sale) plus 240 for ice over 6 months is already 400...

Anyone have any cheaper deep cycle batteries in mind than the yellow top optima? (Although that looks great - thanks for the recommendation).

Also, anyone have a good idea of what specific power/size battery I should get as my second in order to keep this fridge running at ~50w over 24 hours? (Although the fridge will obviously not draw power all the time)

I did a renogy solar calulator and it estimated at around a 250-300 watt system to run it (albeit that’s solar assuming 5 hours of sun a day so not sure how that translates into car battery and how much run time I’ll have just driving around the city here and there)

I’m hoping that this fridges are indeed efficient enough to only cycle every now and then but want to be safe if it’ll be sitting in a hot car in SLC during August (average outside temp highs in the high 80s low 90s I think... so hot af in any car haha, even with solar shields on the windows)

Also, original battery type as of now, CluelessGeezer, but need to buy a new primary battery at the moment anyways. Is the 24F any larger/will it leave enough room for a second battery?

Also thinking of mounting a second battery in the car itself (maybe through a 12v plug with some extra modifications) if anyone has thoughts/experience with that.

Thanks again for all the help!

I apologize,I had been thinking of something like the Jackery Portable Power Station Explorer 240 which I misremember as 240 amp hours rather than 240 watt hours. They also make a 500 watt hour model for ~500 dollars. That’s probably two recharges a day for most mini fridges with the 240.

I did find this fridge the Ausranvik Car Fridge Portable Freezer which uses 32watts DC when it runs apparently (and won’t run all the time) so except in the hottest weather it should keep you on once a day recharge, or a few days with a big block of ice.

You could also lean on friends in the dorms to keep a big jug of water in a communal freezer for you and swap it out every few days.

Yes that makes sense. It's hard to know how much it will save untill you start picking components and pricing them out.

I'm certain you have looked into this, but I have to ask if you've checked to see if the dometic will accept 24v. I recently picked up this "off brand" 12v compressor fridge (would love to get a dometic just a little out of my $ range) and it takes 12v or 24v.

And as I understand it, we would just need a single 12v converter in our electrical compartment and then send the 12v wiring out to the 12v appliances that need it. I suppose you could also have 12v converters before each appliance but that would be more expensive.

Edit: this dometic is the newest 95 variant they have and it does accept 24v so maybe!?

I figured I would know before fermenting if my environment is too warm or too cool so I could manually switch the setting at the beginning.

For near future I think I am only interested in ale yeast so the target temperature isn't too far from typical indoor temperature. That said, one states it can cool 18C compared to ambient and heat up to 65C.

I have a frig that holds a couple kegs for drinking and I was planning on using this for a couple of days for cold crashing. The frig is quite tall so I could store a glycol bath at the bottom. I'm just very nervous about drilling holes through the side for the liquid lines.

Have this and yeah a little bulky for interior space... but does what it is supposed to (used only for a 2 week trip so far)

Ausranvik 26-Quart Portable Fridge Car Refrigerator Car Fridge Car Freezer -4°F ~ 68°F - 12V/24V DC https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DNNMY58/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_688oDb1E4SE9S

Looking at fridges, and figured out I'd like a chest type dual zone fridge-freezer combo. I was going to go for a Whynter, as it is a bit cheaper than Dometic's similar types fridges, but then I found this fridge from Costway.
Looking for reviews on this fridge, all I've found so far is that people like their cooler type, but I can't find any reviews on the dual zone or their similar kind fridges.
Anyone using their dual zone fridges? Or heard bad things about them?

Well first gut on 2003; is 1500 can be scary. I'd check if that model has a transmission cooler. If they don't and they towed ever the transmission will have shortened life. Most seem to think 250/2500/three quarter ton vans are the sweet spot; build tough but not over built. 2003 with 159,000 miles; 1500 Ram van. The van is worth about $2,000. FYI that probably is all the financing you would get on it.
https://www.kbb.com/dodge/ram-van-1500/2003/van-3d/?vehicleid=349253&intent=buy-used&mileage=146252&condition=very-good&pricetype=private-party

So you're paying the seller $8,000 for wiring, solar, a fridge, roof fan, and wood? Seems awfully high to me. I'd price it out. I'm of the opinion anything in a van is worth 50% msrp as soon as it is installed. I mean if you were buying an used ARB fridge.
https://www.amazon.com/ARB-10800782-Fridge-Freezer-Quart/dp/B004P9DJSC
You wouldn't pay $1,200 for it; you'd look to probably pay $600-$800 at most. I'd say the value of that van is about $5,000. $2,000 for the van, $500 for solar, $500 for wood, $500 for fridge, $500 fan.

If you do go for it Valley Brake and Tire in El Monte, CA is a very good shop. I'd have the cylinders pressure tested.

Personally, I think the July market on vans is awful. High prices and unmotivated sellers. I wouldn't hurry to buy a van right now unless you really need to.

The cooler is based on 12V.

Here's a link to the actual cooler I have, it gets down to freezing when I plug it in while in the house, but didn't cool warm drinks very well.

https://www.amazon.com/BLACK-DECKER-TC212B-Portable-Travel/dp/B0013AV9B0

In addition to keep ipads,phones and maybe some power tool batteries, I would also like to keep this powered

ARB 10800472 Fridge Freezer- 50 Quart https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002Q1INDM/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_WOObAbNCFVS86

I guess I am comparing a pelican cooler to an ARB, which really isn't a particularly fair comparison.

PS: $200 for a Pelican is a hella good deal.

Someone asked for links because they are lazy. Understanding this issue at a deep level, here you are:

Dometic 90QT (what I'm considering) https://www.amazon.com/Dometic-CFX-95DZUS-Portable-Electric-Refrigerator/dp/B01GEK9ZAK/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

Dometic 65QT: https://www.amazon.com/Dometic-CFX-65DZUS-Portable-Electric-Refrigerator/dp/B00SZ7XJ8K/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492478720&sr=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=dometic+portable+fridge

Arb: https://www.amazon.com/ARB-10800472-Fridge-Freezer-Quart/dp/B002Q1INDM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492478738&sr=8-1&keywords=arb+portable+fridge

Whynter: https://www.amazon.com/Whynter-FM-62DZ-Portable-Refrigerator-62-Quart/dp/B008VX01P2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1492478772&sr=8-2&keywords=whynter+portable+fridge

Uh, what? I have an ARB 50 quart fridge and that thing was not anywhere close to $150, in fact it's closer to $1000. I got it wholesale from a friend who was a retailer and it still cost close to $700.

https://www.amazon.com/ARB-10800472-Fridge-Freezer-Quart/dp/B002Q1INDM

this doesn't even include the electrical upgrades needed to run it for more than a few hours

Does a light bulb even put off enough heat/is it remotely energy efficient? What size light would I need?

It does, certainly for a small freezer. I use a similar setup in a homemade yogurt maker, where I use a 40W incandescent bulb with a temperature controller + thermocouple like this to maintain the inside of the incubator (a cooler in my case) at 46C/115F. You'd have to modify the fridge/freezer to mount the lightbulb and thermocouple inside and get the wires out as well, but it could be done.

On the other hand, there are already commercial products that do what you want. This of this for example.