I run the fridge off vehicle power when driving. Jackery gets charged with the solar panel when stopped.
I think Jackery says dont charge and have a load at the same time.
Let's talk cooling
- Thread starter MikekiM
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I run the fridge off vehicle power when driving. Jackery gets charged with the solar panel when stopped.
I think Jackery says dont charge and have a load at the same time.
I run an Engel 45 off of a Jackery 1000 in my trailer. You can in-fact charge off of the vehicle while operating the fridge. If you decide to go the Jackery route, I would recommend looking into stepping up from 12v to 24v going into the Jackery. An inexpensive step-up converter will nearly double the charging speed.
My son is really starting to like camping and I have read many posts like this. Then I would research most of the items as they were mentioned and then by the end of the evening my head hurts from information overload.
I wish we could spend more time camping but it is not happening in FL in any months without an R in it and couple that with all of the other life crap happening time is limited.
I too fought with the coolers/food/space/tent ... Etc issues. After downing a bottle of Excedrin I just changed the items I was trying to save or justify replacing.
I did learn there is a bunch of cool stuff for camping and more coming out on what seems like a daily basis. Bless you guys who have the time.
I wish we could spend more time camping but it is not happening in FL in any months without an R in it and couple that with all of the other life crap happening time is limited.
I too fought with the coolers/food/space/tent ... Etc issues. After downing a bottle of Excedrin I just changed the items I was trying to save or justify replacing.
I did learn there is a bunch of cool stuff for camping and more coming out on what seems like a daily basis. Bless you guys who have the time.
Most of my camping is in the Mojave Desert the rest is in the Sierra where temps are cooler. I camp year round and the desert gets down right cold at night in the winter months.
My solution was to get a teardrop with AC and a Honda 2000 watt inverter generator. It’s quiet, runs the AC or small heater and runs all night on a tank of fuel. I also bought a Igloo Yeti clone at Costco which when properly cooled and iced will last 5-6 days.
Camping and Jeeping with your kids builds life long memories. I still camp with my 39 year old Son several times a year. Going to the Sierra next month for 4 days of camping and wheeling.
My solution was to get a teardrop with AC and a Honda 2000 watt inverter generator. It’s quiet, runs the AC or small heater and runs all night on a tank of fuel. I also bought a Igloo Yeti clone at Costco which when properly cooled and iced will last 5-6 days.
Camping and Jeeping with your kids builds life long memories. I still camp with my 39 year old Son several times a year. Going to the Sierra next month for 4 days of camping and wheeling.
Just get out with your kid and camp. Life is short.
You really don't need all this "stuff" to just go out and make memories camping with your kids.
My kids are familiar with everything but the kitchen sink camping in my full-size crawlers.
My youngest is the only one that also knows the fun of bare bones minimalist camping with the RZR for 2-3 nights.
Carried enough reusable ice blocks to keep the frozen French bread pizza cold for the first nights dinner. No other perishable food.
Fishing pole, BB gun, let her play with the camp fire, and she was beyond content.
Telling her that two of her could be in the same pano pic blew her mind
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Just get out with your kid and camp. Life is short.
You really don't need all this "stuff" to just go out and make memories camping with your kids.
My kids are familiar with everything but the kitchen sink camping in my full-size crawlers.
My youngest is the only one that also knows the fun of bare bones minimalist camping with the RZR for 2-3 nights.
Carried enough reusable ice blocks to keep the frozen French bread pizza cold for the first nights dinner. No other perishable food.
Fishing pole, BB gun, let her play with the camp fire, and she was beyond content.
Telling her that two of her could be in the same pano pic blew her mind
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Exactly.
We go somewhere or do something every weekend. I'm not sure that he has had time to turn on his computer to play video games. He is currently up north spending some time with his cousins. When he returns we will be heading off on a new adventure.
By my calculations I only have 18 chances at summer vacation with him. My plan is to spend all summer doing stuff together.
Preach. I run Full-Size Overlanders on FB and been tryna tell dudes: you're hauling a Cabela’s showroom to boil ramen in the woods.
I came from the backpacking life — tent, dirt, beans, maybe a hot dog if we were fancy.
Build your kit like you might actually have to carry it one day. Start simple. Add only what makes you comfy.
But nah, bro’s got a $10k camp setup and hasn’t even camped twice.
Funny you bring this up — I’ve run the fridge/cooler gauntlet so you don’t have to.
Snomaster: solid fridge, built like a tank — but $$$. Did some marketing for them, gave it back. Kong Coolers: great… if you wanna lift a boulder full of ice that melts anyway. My “compact” Kong eats ice like a Coleman from Walmart. For the size, the storage feels like a joke. My full-size one keeps ice way better. But it is like dead-lifting 240lbs. No joke.Nowadays? Cheapie Alpicool. Lighter, holds more, food stays dry, and you’re not playing Tetris every meal. Plop it on the back seat, done. Fridge beats cooler every day.
Yeah, you’ll wanna lock it down — prime “snatch me” item. But they sip power. With a 100Ah LiFePO4, you’re good. Did the math:
Best case: ~216 Wh/day (20% duty) Worst case: ~540 Wh/day (50% duty)So yeah, skip the gym membership and the rotomold boat anchor — get a fridge and a 1kWh pack and go touch grass.
Had a 200Ah setup with a 40A DC-DC in the truck, but since it dropped a lifter I pulled one of the LiFePO4s and stuffed it in a Harbor Freight box. Been running an experiment this week: seeing how the fridge holds up in 90°F garage temps with just 100Ah.
So far, looks solid for an overnighter or two plus bench charging. Might toss in a smaller Victron DC-DC or MPPT — we’ll see how deep the rabbit hole goes.
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Preach. I run Full-Size Overlanders on FB and been tryna tell dudes: you're hauling a Cabela’s showroom to boil ramen in the woods.
I came from the backpacking life — tent, dirt, beans, maybe a hot dog if we were fancy.
Build your kit like you might actually have to carry it one day. Start simple. Add only what makes you comfy.
But nah, bro’s got a $10k camp setup and hasn’t even camped twice.
I tried the RTT thing for a while and decided that a good easy to put up tent is the way to go. Took a tent and a coleman stove on the Rubicon and had good meals and slept well.
Funny you bring this up — I’ve run the fridge/cooler gauntlet so you don’t have to.
Nowadays? Cheapie Alpicool. Lighter, holds more, food stays dry, and you’re not playing Tetris every meal. Plop it on the back seat, done. Fridge beats cooler every day.
Yeah, you’ll wanna lock it down — prime “snatch me” item. But they sip power. With a 100Ah LiFePO4, you’re good. Did the math:
So yeah, skip the gym membership and the rotomold boat anchor — get a fridge and a 1kWh pack and go touch grass.
Had a 200Ah setup with a 40A DC-DC in the truck, but since it dropped a lifter I pulled one of the LiFePO4s and stuffed it in a Harbor Freight box. Been running an experiment this week: seeing how the fridge holds up in 90°F garage temps with just 100Ah.
So far, looks solid for an overnighter or two plus bench charging. Might toss in a smaller Victron DC-DC or MPPT — we’ll see how deep the rabbit hole goes.
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I bought a Dometic fridge/freezer several years ago and it's been one of the best things I've purchased for wheeling. I've never run any additional batteries or additional charging and I've never had a dead jeep battery.
It'll go a couple days before the fridge shuts off, to save the jeep battery, if I don't drive the jeep at all. I usually keep the Dometic at 28°F so that stuff at the bottom freezes but the stuff at the top just stays cold but I have used it to go to -08°F to hard freeze things at the house.
Yup, they're great. If you're moving around on trails all day and it's plugged in, any good AGM should cover you for over night and the hours between camp and trails.
Just get out with your kid and camp. Life is short.
You really don't need all this "stuff" to just go out and make memories camping with your kids.
My kids are familiar with everything but the kitchen sink camping in my full-size crawlers.
My youngest is the only one that also knows the fun of bare bones minimalist camping with the RZR for 2-3 nights.
Carried enough reusable ice blocks to keep the frozen French bread pizza cold for the first nights dinner. No other perishable food.
Fishing pole, BB gun, let her play with the camp fire, and she was beyond content.
Telling her that two of her could be in the same pano pic blew her mind
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This man^^
GA is hot and muggy, equally as bad as the Wisconsin and Michigan bug infested woods my patents took me camping in. But a cooler full of popsicles makes everyone happy.
I draw the line at USB tent fans. The kids don’t know any different, but I do think we’ve gravitated towards fall/winter.
Not jealous of that humidity one bit
Where we are at right now means the Sierras for us May/ June thru Oct. It can be 115 at the house, and in the mountains it can be wonderful to cold cold with a chance of anything. We do so cal desert stuff fall-spring.
My youngest hasn't been out with me in a couple years. But 0-14 or so she was my co driver every single time out. I miss it. There were trips I didn't go on because she couldn't go with me. She's 17 but I keep working on her to go out again
Where we are at right now means the Sierras for us May/ June thru Oct. It can be 115 at the house, and in the mountains it can be wonderful to cold cold with a chance of anything. We do so cal desert stuff fall-spring.
My youngest hasn't been out with me in a couple years. But 0-14 or so she was my co driver every single time out. I miss it. There were trips I didn't go on because she couldn't go with me. She's 17 but I keep working on her to go out again
Preach. I run Full-Size Overlanders on FB and been tryna tell dudes: you're hauling a Cabela’s showroom to boil ramen in the woods.
I came from the backpacking life — tent, dirt, beans, maybe a hot dog if we were fancy.
Build your kit like you might actually have to carry it one day. Start simple. Add only what makes you comfy.
But nah, bro’s got a $10k camp setup and hasn’t even camped twice.
Funny you bring this up — I’ve run the fridge/cooler gauntlet so you don’t have to.
Nowadays? Cheapie Alpicool. Lighter, holds more, food stays dry, and you’re not playing Tetris every meal. Plop it on the back seat, done. Fridge beats cooler every day.
Yeah, you’ll wanna lock it down — prime “snatch me” item. But they sip power. With a 100Ah LiFePO4, you’re good. Did the math:
So yeah, skip the gym membership and the rotomold boat anchor — get a fridge and a 1kWh pack and go touch grass.
Had a 200Ah setup with a 40A DC-DC in the truck, but since it dropped a lifter I pulled one of the LiFePO4s and stuffed it in a Harbor Freight box. Been running an experiment this week: seeing how the fridge holds up in 90°F garage temps with just 100Ah.
So far, looks solid for an overnighter or two plus bench charging. Might toss in a smaller Victron DC-DC or MPPT — we’ll see how deep the rabbit hole goes.
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Just started looking at the alpicool this morning, there are so many models. Anyone with the fridge offroad, do you ever worry about the rough ride and the durability of the fridge to hold up? What do you do when not in use at home, keep it plugged in? I would probably use this as an outdoor fridge near the pool on most weekends and a jeep fridge on offroad trips as long as it's just the kid and myself.
I have a different brand but mine hasn't minded Moab or other rocky trails out here in CO
Here's me wheeling with my Dometic which I've had for several years. I jumped the jeep a few years ago so hard the refrigerator flipped over on its side, we didn't notice for a while. It's been fine since.
When at home I put it on a shelf not in use. It has a 120V cord which can be used if you want it around the house. Mine will freeze down to -8° F so I have used that for deep freezing things at the house for various purposes.
I was wanting Alpicool as well and I got on their email list and it finally paid off, one day I received an email with the IR42 (42 quart) in red on sale for $169 with free shipping. Only the red was on sale for $169, the gray was $279. For $169 I had to give it a shot. So far pretty pleased, although I haven't used it in the Jeep I have used it in my Superduty. Current draw can vary and battery voltage will affect current as well but in monitoring it I found it to draw up to 5 amps at times. Not as efficient as a Secop compressor but with enough battery and battery management very doable. Rather than set my low battery cutoff low I prefer to leave it high and when parked I'll shut the cooler off and if necessary will hook it up to a spare 100ah LFP that I can borrow from my motorhome. I can't help but think setting the cutoff low could shorten the compressor life as this is just a standard compressor unit.
BTW you can make this model a fridge or a freezer, but not both at the same time. Which is fine for my needs.
Next I want to try one of their real small ones for day trips and highway trips between hotel stops.
Looks like both colors are now on sale for $230 with another 8% off if you subscribe to their email list. They are in canada and not sure if they have been affected much by tariffs.
I’ve got an ARB that I’ve had for 7 or more years and never had a problem. I even use it on 120 from time to time. Always in my jeep or truck never a problem.
Refrigeration is pretty simple. The real issue is, is the compressor good. And can it handle vibrations and dust. Not to many are actually rated for that. I think ARB makes one, but the price is bonkers.
Mine has been running fine for years with lots of go fast bumps and seems to be handling being in the back of the Jeep this summer just fine.
The big thing I did notice is the duty cycle is about 50% in the Jeep compared to being in my truck where it's usually around 20%. I can't fully keep the sun off it in the Jeep since it's in the back. Which I think is the main issue.
Mine has been running fine for years with lots of go fast bumps and seems to be handling being in the back of the Jeep this summer just fine.
The big thing I did notice is the duty cycle is about 50% in the Jeep compared to being in my truck where it's usually around 20%. I can't fully keep the sun off it in the Jeep since it's in the back. Which I think is the main issue.
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