Good point. Before I bought the car fridge this week, the last two years we used foam coolers with frozen food starting in the beginning of our week long camping trip... Even with no external power to keep the food cold, it takes several days before the food defrost on their own. This week when I tested with a 300W power station, the power station shuts off when the compressor is not on, learned that it's a power saving feature from the power station. I was concerned with fridge raising temp at night when it's not using 12v from the car, but cooling down the fridge before turning it off for the night, an extra insulator using blankets may be a good idea... Thanks
We have used the ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxOTeIs0vv4_9B5hsmnLsk9r930uDQLu_Y for probably 30 hours with our camper and it’s been great! The noise level is really only noticeable when running the AC and other appliances like the microwave, hair dryer, or coffee pot. It’s not huge like other ones and it has wheels so even at 90lbs, I can move it!
you all probably dont give a shit but does anybody know of a way to get back into an Instagram account..? I stupidly lost the account password. I would love any tips you can give me
@Braydon Gatlin I really appreciate your reply. I found the site through google and I'm in the hacking process now. Takes a while so I will reply here later with my results.
I invested in a 12/24VDC or 120VAC Dometic Freezer/Fridge and kept using the freezer packs or square or rectangular plastic bottles filled with water that I'd freeze when I had access to freezers and would keep on the freezer size of the Dometic. Helps equilibrate the temp better and less energy needed to keep cool once cooled. I bought some artic ice packs... though later realized other than size fitment, the water bottles are less expensive and as efficient. I also got the insulating outer cover and use a mylar reflective sheet over the top inside like using newspapers back in the cooler days. I'd also cover with my sleeping bag too just to extra insulate... except where the outside heat exchanger is... you want to make certain you don't cover that. I never wound up implementing the isolation circuit for the extra marine battery in the car without just using the walmart 6/12VDC battery charger since I'd just charge that from the 12VDC outlet. Thanks for sharing! Awesome to see all the variety for the fridge/freezers now days.
if you add a little alcohol to the water, the ice will last longer. Google it to find the correct ratio! You just can't drink the water anymore. (or who knows?!) ;-)
Great tips, got a lot out of this. Your experiences are really helping a fridge newbie. Super super psyched about my new Iceco and how it enables me to take myself and my family on a whole new level of adventure. It's funny how quickly it goes from "pff, fridge in car? DUMB" to "holy crap, this is a gamechanger upgrade"
Just a tip on the onion, just cook the whole onion , use what you want for you dish and refrigerator the rest, doesn’t smell cooked, and it reheats just fine for however you want to use it. Nice info on the frig, I’m looking to buy one for my road trip this Fall. Bringing my pressure cooker too 🙂
ONION SMELL FIX - Put unused onions in one of those wide top mason jars (they make small ones) - It was a eureka moment for us = all the smell stays inside the jar - and the glass cleans well.
Just to be clear to everyone. You wanna make sure you're buying a 12v fridge that uses an actual compressor instead of those "thermoelectric" ones that only cool 20 degrees below ambient.
@@kathyhill3905 might be OK for keeping some water cool, but I would expect food to spoil. You have to keep food below 40 degrees F to prevent bacterial growth.
@@xdmkii Every food will eventually spoil, even when stored in the fridge. I think, 7 C degrees is average for home fridge. The rate of chemical reactions double for every 10 C degrees. You have to freeze food to prevent bacterial growth.
@@pavel9652yes but it’s about bacteria growth that could be unsafe. If your putting fresh fruit in the thats one thing but if you’re putting chicken, raw or cooked, you’re going to want to keep it a temp like a regular refrigerator. If you’ve ever had food poisoning you would take chances in that department. Food isn’t supposed to be above a certain temp for more than something like two hours
I've got this for my 2012 Prius V! I took out the front passenger seat and it fits the width of where the seat used to be, so I can put something in those little drink indents and open it up and look in from the drivers seat. Really love this video! Great to hear more about how you're using the exact same model, it's very reassuring! I was going to hook it to the inverter but after reading the comments and this video, I think I'll use the 12v, also, I think turning off the fridge at night is a good technique I hadn't considered
that's awesome, I've wanted to take the passenger seat also but I worry about my dog not having an actual "seat" to sit in. yea I find the 12v cord more handy because the regular plug requires the inverter to be on all the time. Glad you enjoyed the vid!
There are a lot of people who are in need of car refrigerators. I have good recommendations. The injection molding process is used to ensure that the surface of the box is smoother and more textured. There are mini portable ones, large metal refrigerators, and ones with wheels or tables.
Fantastic video...really clears up questions I had...Of course, having a unit like a Jackery will also add more 12v power...I want to cook with a crock pot, so this fridge and that should work with combination of units/batteries. I already have a Road Pro oven that I've used while driving...this video REALLY has been a big help as I plan to use my VW Sportwagen to travel in again...this time sleeping and not using motels!!!! Last time I used my Coleman 5 day Extreme cooler and I got from NM to NJ in about 4 days and prepared food was still frozen...I would then warm it up for lunch in my Road Pro....but I want to do dinner inside my car...so this info is really invaluable!!! ( did the same as you, the frozen on the bottom...I lined the cooler with Reflectiv, put wire cooling racks on the bottom . over 2 64 oz frozen bottles...separating the food from any water that drips to the bottom. Put frozen ice packs in the and around the food, too! Worked great! I took side trips on the way back, so at the end I had to get some ice...but I split it up and put in Ziploc bags...and everything stayed pretty dry...the cooling racks worked great! PS...yes, the small Pyrex glass containers is the way to go!! Also, mason jars...put boiling water in, dump in your pasta, and it will cook in about the same time as if you boiled non-stop on a stove!!! PS...I'd love to have you talk about the microwave...what are you hooking it up to?
Lots of great practical information. I've been wanting to set a cooking station on the bed of my truck, and I'm finally ready to purchase an economical fridge. I can't wait. Thx again. I hope you're well. 👍
Thanks for this vid. just fyi, because of this vid & your vid of your 2nd(?) or new refrig. I bought the 2nd one you bought & have had it about 1 wk. & im loving it so far. I have it in the back of my Jeep & run it from my Jackery500 (which I also just bought to use w/ this unit) & my sister & mother seem to be excited about this new addition for our Camping/overlanding/beach trip. we're looking forward to many yrs out of both of these units. & many cold drinks. thanks again for all your vids. & keep up the good work.
Engel is considered the #1 12v fridge; they last forever but are very expensive. Dometic way up there but can break. Bob Wells just did a video on these, and he says you might as well buy the cheap ones, because they have just as good a chance of lasting a while as the more expensive brands. I'm in the midst of prepping for moving into my Prius, and I'm currently looking at these fridges. I want a dual-zone fridge/freezer, because I'm paranoid about food temp and storage. ;) I'm willing to pay a little more to get a better unit, but I plan to have money available for if/when it fails and needs to be replaced. You need an emergency fund in any case; everything fails eventually. I also just bought a Jackery 500 and the solar panels. I've heard so many positive things about them, I couldn't resist.
Wow I totally forgot about Engel fridges. Yea, they are top quality for sure. Bob's video came up on my UA-cam feed. Yea, my fridge has a 2 year warranty, some nicer fridges have a 5 year warranty.... I was really tight on money when I was building my Prius camper so there was no way I was spending more than $200-$250 on a fridge. Yea the jackery with the solar panels are super neat, Id like to have one myself. But a deep cycle battery is much cheaper than a jackery and holds a lot more charge. I think it would be cool to have a really big deep cycle battery in your Prius with a solar panel on top, that way you could run all your electronics off the deep cycle battery and make the Prius even more gas efficient so you won't use gas to run the electronics if that makes sense Good luck with your Prius build
I really liked this video as I want to purchase a 12 volt frig the set power may be the one too. So it actually works very well in hot weather? Tip: onion will smell in ziplock bags but not in Saran Wrap. I learned this along time ago. I place it on a long piece and bring up the 4 corners and twist. Works perfectly. 😎
Great review for the regular guy like me. A cooler is straight out a luxury for me, don't need to pack my own food very often. So, I wouldn't spend the top dollar for the Dometec brand. This cooler would do just what I would need. I think the charge-up feature of the Prius is great for running something like this all night, if you needed it.
Good tip on pre-cooling to a lower temp just before turning off at night. BTW, if you like Prius try the now discontinued Prius v. LOTS more room than the sedan. I used to have one.
I know! That's why I bought the BougeRV 48L Freezer/Refrig with a split lid. So when I open the freezer, I'm not heating up the frig and vice versa. I LOVE LOVE my Bouge. I have the insulated cover and also the additional battery that will run it about 6-10 hours without shore power/12 volt. I use my Honda generator to charge it and can use solar also. I also have 2 anker power stations so I'm good
You are doing a great job with these videos. Very good information well presented in a strait forward manner. Btw, keep in mind that if you use your inverter for the fridge that you are losing about 20% efficiency in the conversion. So going 12V direct is better. There is also another brand that is suppose to be the best. (But not sure how Dometic rates next to it. The brand is “Engles” and yes, its pricey. Small cruising boaters use it a lot. Saying it’s the best. For this purpose though, it seems like you have found the “sweet spot”. Again thanks for doing these vids. I have lived for decades on cruising sailboats and cruised much of the world, living on 12Volts. But also do a lot of full time RVing. Keep these vids coming. And you deserve a bigger following! You have accomplished a lot and are good at sharing it.
Thanks, I appreciate it, glad you like the vids. I've never heard that you lose 20% efficiency, thanks. Yes, Engle is a brand I forgot to mention. They are really high quality. Thanks for the encouragement, I wish my channel was doing a little better than it is, I'll be making more videos though so make sure you subscribe. That's cool about living on a sailboat, take care
@@MountainSpringsAdventures Yes, I am subscribed and have gotten my daughter to do so too. She is interested in a similar adventure to yours. Yes, the figures are around 20% on using an inverter over just going direct.
On so the car is putting out 12V dc. Anything that will run on 12V dc you are better off with. When you have to invert to 110 AC. There is loss on the change. So if you have a 110ac appliance, you have no choice but to invert the 12 dc to 110ac. But appliances that are set to run on 110 ac OR 12V DC. You would go with 12V dc. If you have that choice. Yes?
@Coldfury probably 85% of things run on 110 v ac. But because of the boating and RV industry we are finding more and more small appliances that run on 12V dc.
These new compressor fridges are fantastic! I used to have the much cheaper heat pump type, because that is all that used to be available, but they could only drop the temperature by 40°f below the ambient temperature. These current coolers can be set to not drop your 12 volt battery below what is required to start your car. I have a Tesla and it can be set to keep the 12 volt battery charged up all night long.
I have a similar fridge. The small compartment is always at least 10 degrees (F) warmer than the large compartment. Don’t keep your hot dogs there (or your cut onions, lol). Things you like cool but that don’t need to be cold - Apples, eggs, bread only in the small side.
I just got an iceco vl 60/65 dual zone I haven’t got to actually use it yet but I plugged it up and it got an ice film in the freezer and the fridge was good and cold too I ran it off of my 4 patriots 2000x solar generator it barely used any power I think 32 watts it was I also bought the thermal cover for it too .
Thank you brother for such a great insight. I have been researching like a mad man on these 12v fridges. Now, I think I know which I am going to go with.
ha that same fridge is 350 now. 30% inflation in little more than a year. I like that is really a freezer and fridge. thanks for that tip about item staying frozen at the bottom only. that is useful.
Dude thank you so much for taking the time to post this! This is exactly the info I was looking for and I'm pretty sure I have almost the same exact fridge! 😂
Excellent organization! I have the same Setpower and I love it! I will try to fit it behind the passenger seat. I like your no nonsense, tried snd true info! Thank you so much!
To turn it back to Fahrenheit, you have to turn it off then hold settings and the plus button. When it's flashing just press the plus button to swap between C and F.
One guy said he sets his to 4 deg and that freezes the bottom stuff and refrigerates the rest. My research led me to the Alpicool which also makes AstroAI. Uses a LG compressor.
This was exactly the video I was looking for, thank you! I just love this fridge. I am just starting out car-camping in my RAV4 with my granddaughter. I am doing so much research, but it's difficult to compare what size is which one in videos. Which one is in your video, the 32, 43, or 53 quart size? Thanks again, can't wait to start watching your videos!
Thanks for this!! The tips and trick help a lot! I’m about to spend some time in the desert of BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK and will pull the trigger on probably the KOHREE 53.
I live off-grid nd my upright 12v fridge died, I'm living out of a larger than the fridge in the video chest type 12v fridge, I built a wooden frame, with an outer and inner box with a cavity to drop the fridge into and insulated the gap between the outer and inner box and made a removable lid that is also insulated, my batteries are old, I turn the fridge off at night, run it between 9am to about 6pm the large section is used as a freezer and I run it hard during the day set to -18c (32f) and that keeps the small section at at least 4c all night, you can also use freezer bricks and transfer them from the freezer to the fridge section overnight, I have a 12v fan aimed at the compressor while it's running and also glued a tin to the top of the compressor with a hole cut out in the bottom and keep some water in that which helps cool the compressor to make it run more efficiently and last longer.
A tip for a power source is LiFePO4 batteries.. They are drop in replacement for lead acid. They have a cycle life of 3000 to 6000, compared with lead acids 200 to 500 cycles. The power stations shown in the video to also have about 500 cycle. I have a 12Ah battery, works wonderful. But you need to charge it with a DC to DC. Victron sells a 9A DC to DC charger. But if you want to power station to run your fridge every night you'll have to get one with LiFePO4 batteries.
Hey I'm saving for a Toyota Prius. But I'm not getting a brand new one, and since I'm getting an older model, maybe I can get some advice from you. It's so hard to find a mechanic that works on hybrid cars?
Great video I'm looking into one of these is yours the 45 quart i use a small 110 volt ac bar fridge I have about 2000 Watts of solar but on cloudy days it can't keep up I heard these use way less power being 12 volts .Do you ever have times the fridge has shut off other than you turning it off at night and should I do the same .Also how do you find the size of yours to be, would you recommend a larger I know the price goes up .Any suggestions would be appreciated Thanks Dale
Thank you for the informative video. I do have one question. How many quarts is your mini fridge and do you have a link? Do you have a video that shows the performance after a year, etc? Ty
Of course you can build something to "contain" the fridge that has a great deal of insulation. It will become larger and take up more room but it could also double as a table if you build it that way.
Just subscribed, I'm setting up an old Mercury Sable waggon and an interested in seeing more on your car. I was wondering, how long will the power units you were talking about run your fridge?
Awesome, good luck with your build. I don't know how long those power units will run the fridge, at least for one night I would guess. Someone told me they can run their fridge for two full days on a deep cycle battery like I posted
You do amazing informative videos. Very well done. My car is totaled so I’m looking at purchasing a camper car. I intend to live full time in it. I do have a beautiful fur friend, gizmo. The climate control feature is such an amazing plus. I am a little concerned it’s a bit small. Last year I bought a big Ford van all fixed up foe camping then got chicken and didn’t use it. It’s way too big for Me. It’s for sale now. I just don’t want to make the wrong decision in my purchase. Thank you to anyone who responses to my comment. I’m totally sold on the 12v frig
Thanks, so glad you enjoy the vids. Sorry to hear about your car. Yeah the Prius is a little small, it's something you have to work around and get used to like I did. But lots of people do it in a Prius. You can use my videos for organization tips. There's advantages and disadvantages to having a Prius or an RV, bus, van, etc. Just think it over for a while. For me, right now, all the advantages of having a Prius were greater than the disadvantages. H
@@lynz thank you for sharing. I’ve been trying for 4 months to find a v. I live in vegas and I’m looking in Cali ..AZ . And Utah . I’m getting frustrated. Lol
FYI- Slice or cut onions 🧅 and place in your canning jar and then it won stink up frig! We have been doing that for years. You are right - the onion n a ziplock baggie really smells, not the jar
cover inside top with heavy duty aluminum fold, shinny side in, to keep temp cold. i do this with regular cooler and it keep cold in longer. that's a canning jar.
I just placed the cooler behind the passenger seat and it’s a perfect height if I lower the seats for my sleeping area. Does the cooler need to be raised for venting? That might be a problem unless I turn it off at night as you suggested. You’re SO SMART! Secondly, I don’t want to leave the car on camp mode all day while I hike etc. (no dog). I’m considering getting a jackery 1000 to plug the cooler. Do you think it’s a good idea? Thank you!!! I’m heading out camping Sept 3rd. You have been a wealth of information!🙏🌞
Yes a jackery or bluetti power statino is a great idea to run your fridge while camping, sleeping, hiking, etc I dont remember if it needs to be raised to vent- just look at the vents and make sure there is 1-2 inches around both vents on both side
Important to know that on power stations, do NOT use the 120v to power your fridge! Many fridges have the 120v option, but the inverters aren’t that efficient, so they last WAY longer on 12v.
Great video, thanks for the detail you give, what about if you’re stationary for a day or two do you run it off your car battery? I use one and my power station can’t handle it if it is below 70% power, i think the draw is too much. Thanks!
I planning for being 2-3 months at a time in my car (so I can see my grandson). I am coming unstuck over fridges/power. As far as i can tell the power will only keep a small fridge going for 2-3 days when you start with a full leisure battery and have a solar panel on your roof (which means no stealth camping). How do people live in their cars? Are they just not using the fridge most of the time, or heading in and charging from a mains hook up every 2 days? I need to find a way to do this so I can see my family.
Wife keeps treating me like shit whenever I'm sick, like I got sick and brought sickness into the house on purpose. So I might just live in my car. Thanks for the video.
My only issue is keeping it running on a week long camping trip. Works great but you have to have an expensive power pack with solar panels.option to keep running. So the fridge may be $250, but the power pack is $800+.
I have a 2016 Prius and plan on moving into it (not so much by choice; the pandemic century that was 2020 did some damage to my finances) and I enjoy your videos because they are very educational. One item I cannot find, though it might be there, is how you connect that inverter to the car. Having been a truck driver, the inverters I had were hard-wired to the truck batteries by the company I worked for because there is some trick to doing it. Did you do that with your Prius and if so, how? If there is a video, I would love to see it. Thanks and keep 'em coming...though I never plan on stealth camping in Noo Yawk Seedy!
The pandemic was kind of one of the reasons I've been living out of my car for a while now also. Really glad you enjoy the videos, basically I just connected the positive and negative cables to the positive and negative terminals of the 12 volt battery. I show it in the video where I gave a tour of my Prius camper, I think it's around the middle of the video somewhere. Installing an inverter can be tricky if you don't know what you're doing. But it's also very simple. I'm sure there are plenty of videos on UA-cam explaining how to install a power inverter. Just try to make sure the cables don't touch anything because they get hot sometimes when you use the inverter
@@MountainSpringsAdventures After chasing a WHOLE lot of UA-cam videos on this topic, I have come to the realization that my car is not like any other I have seen, including yours. You see, my 12v battery is NOT in the back, like yours, but it is up in the engine compartment, like a "normal" car. There is not one video out there that shows how to add an inverter on that kind of setup...probably for good reason. Getting wiring through the firewall to the main cabin will be much more challenging and would require much longer cables, so the power loss would be much greater. But I am still looking!
Thanks for this info. This Setpower is practically identical to an Alpicool. Where do you summer? Summers here are typically 100 degree or more during the day, 70-80 at night. Just wondering if the fridge can be shut off at night here.
Hi! I love your videos. Thank you so much for sharing your life's journey with us. Will the cooler fit behind the passenger side of a Prius with the back seats NOT removed? What size container did you use under the cooler to raise it? Thanks!!!
I was wondering the same thing! Have you tried it? The size constraint is the only thing that makes me hesitate this purchase bc I have no intention of removing the seats at this point, though maybe in the future.
I watched this video through-and-through and you didn't mention when you actually power the refrigerator and for how long? I need to know that before purchasing one
I plugged mine into my 12 volt socket to power it. and then, before I go to bed, I turn the temperature down to about 20° for about 30 minutes to an hour, and that gets it cold enough to keep it cold throughout the night so the food doesn't spoil if that makes sense
Love it! Could I ask when you’re getting ready for nighttime, or whenever you need to power cookware/electronics, do you turn the Prius all the way on? I don’t understand the different modes- ex: my 2015 Prius 1 click of power button turns on electronics, 2 clicks air + electronics, and brake pedal + 1 click turns whole thing on. Hope that made sense lol
Yes, I always have my Prius in ready mode when using a high-powered electronics, otherwise you could drain your 12-volt battery very quickly and possibly damage it. When you have it in ready mode, the hybrid battery starts charging the 12 volt battery at a higher voltage so it's the hybrid battery doing all the work when you power electronics through the inverter with the Prius in ready mode
Just kind of curious have you ever bought ice cream wrapped in foil and put it in this travel fridge. Do you think it would stay cold with that foil long enough to keep it a day or so?
Good point. Before I bought the car fridge this week, the last two years we used foam coolers with frozen food starting in the beginning of our week long camping trip... Even with no external power to keep the food cold, it takes several days before the food defrost on their own. This week when I tested with a 300W power station, the power station shuts off when the compressor is not on, learned that it's a power saving feature from the power station. I was concerned with fridge raising temp at night when it's not using 12v from the car, but cooling down the fridge before turning it off for the night, an extra insulator using blankets may be a good idea... Thanks
We have used the ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxOTeIs0vv4_9B5hsmnLsk9r930uDQLu_Y for probably 30 hours with our camper and it’s been great! The noise level is really only noticeable when running the AC and other appliances like the microwave, hair dryer, or coffee pot. It’s not huge like other ones and it has wheels so even at 90lbs, I can move it!
Great info! I'm retiring this June and planning a year long cross country trip in my Prius! This will help me tremendously!!
Awesome, good luck on your trip, you will love it!
Cool. Enjoy the adventure! We as a society need more adventuring, especially later in life. So many just get in a rut routine.
you all probably dont give a shit but does anybody know of a way to get back into an Instagram account..?
I stupidly lost the account password. I would love any tips you can give me
@Kalel Jon instablaster ;)
@Braydon Gatlin I really appreciate your reply. I found the site through google and I'm in the hacking process now.
Takes a while so I will reply here later with my results.
I invested in a 12/24VDC or 120VAC Dometic Freezer/Fridge and kept using the freezer packs or square or rectangular plastic bottles filled with water that I'd freeze when I had access to freezers and would keep on the freezer size of the Dometic. Helps equilibrate the temp better and less energy needed to keep cool once cooled. I bought some artic ice packs... though later realized other than size fitment, the water bottles are less expensive and as efficient. I also got the insulating outer cover and use a mylar reflective sheet over the top inside like using newspapers back in the cooler days. I'd also cover with my sleeping bag too just to extra insulate... except where the outside heat exchanger is... you want to make certain you don't cover that. I never wound up implementing the isolation circuit for the extra marine battery in the car without just using the walmart 6/12VDC battery charger since I'd just charge that from the 12VDC outlet. Thanks for sharing! Awesome to see all the variety for the fridge/freezers now days.
if you add a little alcohol to the water, the ice will last longer. Google it to find the correct ratio! You just can't drink the water anymore. (or who knows?!) ;-)
Great tips, got a lot out of this. Your experiences are really helping a fridge newbie. Super super psyched about my new Iceco and how it enables me to take myself and my family on a whole new level of adventure.
It's funny how quickly it goes from "pff, fridge in car? DUMB" to "holy crap, this is a gamechanger upgrade"
Just a tip on the onion, just cook the whole onion , use what you want for you dish and refrigerator the rest, doesn’t smell cooked, and it reheats just fine for however you want to use it. Nice info on the frig, I’m looking to buy one for my road trip this Fall. Bringing my pressure cooker too 🙂
ONION SMELL FIX - Put unused onions in one of those wide top mason jars (they make small ones) - It was a eureka moment for us = all the smell stays inside the jar - and the glass cleans well.
Just to be clear to everyone. You wanna make sure you're buying a 12v fridge that uses an actual compressor instead of those "thermoelectric" ones that only cool 20 degrees below ambient.
Depends on your use. I used to own an alpicool, now have a 12v igloo and it works better for me.
@@kathyhill3905 might be OK for keeping some water cool, but I would expect food to spoil. You have to keep food below 40 degrees F to prevent bacterial growth.
@@xdmkii Every food will eventually spoil, even when stored in the fridge. I think, 7 C degrees is average for home fridge. The rate of chemical reactions double for every 10 C degrees. You have to freeze food to prevent bacterial growth.
@@kathyhill3905Did you like your alpicool? I was thinking of ordering one
@@pavel9652yes but it’s about bacteria growth that could be unsafe. If your putting fresh fruit in the thats one thing but if you’re putting chicken, raw or cooked, you’re going to want to keep it a temp like a regular refrigerator. If you’ve ever had food poisoning you would take chances in that department. Food isn’t supposed to be above a certain temp for more than something like two hours
I've got this for my 2012 Prius V! I took out the front passenger seat and it fits the width of where the seat used to be, so I can put something in those little drink indents and open it up and look in from the drivers seat. Really love this video! Great to hear more about how you're using the exact same model, it's very reassuring! I was going to hook it to the inverter but after reading the comments and this video, I think I'll use the 12v, also, I think turning off the fridge at night is a good technique I hadn't considered
that's awesome, I've wanted to take the passenger seat also but I worry about my dog not having an actual "seat" to sit in. yea I find the 12v cord more handy because the regular plug requires the inverter to be on all the time. Glad you enjoyed the vid!
I had a 12 volt fridge in my truck in 2002.
Never had a problem
There are a lot of people who are in need of car refrigerators. I have good recommendations. The injection molding process is used to ensure that the surface of the box is smoother and more textured. There are mini portable ones, large metal refrigerators, and ones with wheels or tables.
Super helpful! Just starting my build out van in a Sienna. Thank you for your great tips.
Fantastic video...really clears up questions I had...Of course, having a unit like a Jackery will also add more 12v power...I want to cook with a crock pot, so this fridge and that should work with combination of units/batteries. I already have a Road Pro oven that I've used while driving...this video REALLY has been a big help as I plan to use my VW Sportwagen to travel in again...this time sleeping and not using motels!!!! Last time I used my Coleman 5 day Extreme cooler and I got from NM to NJ in about 4 days and prepared food was still frozen...I would then warm it up for lunch in my Road Pro....but I want to do dinner inside my car...so this info is really invaluable!!! ( did the same as you, the frozen on the bottom...I lined the cooler with Reflectiv, put wire cooling racks on the bottom . over 2 64 oz frozen bottles...separating the food from any water that drips to the bottom. Put frozen ice packs in the and around the food, too! Worked great! I took side trips on the way back, so at the end I had to get some ice...but I split it up and put in Ziploc bags...and everything stayed pretty dry...the cooling racks worked great! PS...yes, the small Pyrex glass containers is the way to go!! Also, mason jars...put boiling water in, dump in your pasta, and it will cook in about the same time as if you boiled non-stop on a stove!!! PS...I'd love to have you talk about the microwave...what are you hooking it up to?
Lots of great practical information. I've been wanting to set a cooking station on the bed of my truck, and I'm finally ready to purchase an economical fridge. I can't wait. Thx again. I hope you're well. 👍
I did pull the trigger yesterday and purchased the Domedic cfx3 35 it was painful but now I’m excited.
That's cool, you will love it. I just couldn't spend that much money
Thanks for this vid. just fyi, because of this vid & your vid of your 2nd(?) or new refrig. I bought the 2nd one you bought & have had it about 1 wk. & im loving it so far. I have it in the back of my Jeep & run it from my Jackery500 (which I also just bought to use w/ this unit) & my sister & mother seem to be excited about this new addition for our Camping/overlanding/beach trip. we're looking forward to many yrs out of both of these units. & many cold drinks. thanks again for all your vids. & keep up the good work.
I did enjoy the video. I can see that you really tried to be thorough, and you accomplished your mission. Thanks.
Engel is considered the #1 12v fridge; they last forever but are very expensive. Dometic way up there but can break. Bob Wells just did a video on these, and he says you might as well buy the cheap ones, because they have just as good a chance of lasting a while as the more expensive brands. I'm in the midst of prepping for moving into my Prius, and I'm currently looking at these fridges. I want a dual-zone fridge/freezer, because I'm paranoid about food temp and storage. ;) I'm willing to pay a little more to get a better unit, but I plan to have money available for if/when it fails and needs to be replaced. You need an emergency fund in any case; everything fails eventually. I also just bought a Jackery 500 and the solar panels. I've heard so many positive things about them, I couldn't resist.
Wow I totally forgot about Engel fridges. Yea, they are top quality for sure. Bob's video came up on my UA-cam feed. Yea, my fridge has a 2 year warranty, some nicer fridges have a 5 year warranty.... I was really tight on money when I was building my Prius camper so there was no way I was spending more than $200-$250 on a fridge.
Yea the jackery with the solar panels are super neat, Id like to have one myself. But a deep cycle battery is much cheaper than a jackery and holds a lot more charge. I think it would be cool to have a really big deep cycle battery in your Prius with a solar panel on top, that way you could run all your electronics off the deep cycle battery and make the Prius even more gas efficient so you won't use gas to run the electronics if that makes sense
Good luck with your Prius build
@@MountainSpringsAdventures Thanks! I'm relatively tight on cash, too, but power for a fridge and my electronics is vital. :)
I really liked this video as I want to purchase a 12 volt frig the set power may be the one too. So it actually works very well in hot weather?
Tip: onion will smell in ziplock bags but not in Saran Wrap. I learned this along time ago. I place it on a long piece and bring up the 4 corners and twist. Works perfectly. 😎
great
Great review for the regular guy like me. A cooler is straight out a luxury for me, don't need to pack my own food very often. So, I wouldn't spend the top dollar for the Dometec brand. This cooler would do just what I would need. I think the charge-up feature of the Prius is great for running something like this all night, if you needed it.
Good tip on pre-cooling to a lower temp just before turning off at night.
BTW, if you like Prius try the now discontinued Prius v. LOTS more room than the sedan. I used to have one.
Very helpful video. But I winced every time he opened the fridge and let warm air in - which means I winced a LOT
I know! That's why I bought the BougeRV 48L Freezer/Refrig with a split lid. So when I open the freezer, I'm not heating up the frig and vice versa. I LOVE LOVE my Bouge. I have the insulated cover and also the additional battery that will run it about 6-10 hours without shore power/12 volt. I use my Honda generator to charge it and can use solar also. I also have 2 anker power stations so I'm good
Thank you so much for this GREAT extensive information!
Thanks so much for sharing your process. Your trials and tribulations are so helpful all of us, I have a new appreciation for vinegar 😁. Good info
You are doing a great job with these videos. Very good information well presented in a strait forward manner. Btw, keep in mind that if you use your inverter for the fridge that you are losing about 20% efficiency in the conversion. So going 12V direct is better. There is also another brand that is suppose to be the best. (But not sure how Dometic rates next to it. The brand is “Engles” and yes, its pricey. Small cruising boaters use it a lot. Saying it’s the best. For this purpose though, it seems like you have found the “sweet spot”. Again thanks for doing these vids. I have lived for decades on cruising sailboats and cruised much of the world, living on 12Volts. But also do a lot of full time RVing. Keep these vids coming. And you deserve a bigger following! You have accomplished a lot and are good at sharing it.
Thanks, I appreciate it, glad you like the vids. I've never heard that you lose 20% efficiency, thanks. Yes, Engle is a brand I forgot to mention. They are really high quality. Thanks for the encouragement, I wish my channel was doing a little better than it is, I'll be making more videos though so make sure you subscribe. That's cool about living on a sailboat, take care
@@MountainSpringsAdventures Yes, I am subscribed and have gotten my daughter to do so too. She is interested in a similar adventure to yours. Yes, the figures are around 20% on using an inverter over just going direct.
On so the car is putting out 12V dc. Anything that will run on 12V dc you are better off with. When you have to invert to 110 AC. There is loss on the change. So if you have a 110ac appliance, you have no choice but to invert the 12 dc to 110ac. But appliances that are set to run on 110 ac OR 12V DC. You would go with 12V dc. If you have that choice. Yes?
@Coldfury probably 85% of things run on 110 v ac. But because of the boating and RV industry we are finding more and more small appliances that run on 12V dc.
These new compressor fridges are fantastic! I used to have the much cheaper heat pump type, because that is all that used to be available, but they could only drop the temperature by 40°f below the ambient temperature. These current coolers can be set to not drop your 12 volt battery below what is required to start your car. I have a Tesla and it can be set to keep the 12 volt battery charged up all night long.
That's cool, thanks for the info. That sounds like a thermoelectric cooler
@@MountainSpringsAdventures They didn’t cool very much in a hot, closed up car.
You can try FROZEN car fridge, it can be powered by battery
I have a similar fridge. The small compartment is always at least 10 degrees (F) warmer than the large compartment. Don’t keep your hot dogs there (or your cut onions, lol). Things you like cool but that don’t need to be cold - Apples, eggs, bread only in the small side.
Yea thats true, thanks
I just got an iceco vl 60/65 dual zone I haven’t got to actually use it yet but I plugged it up and it got an ice film in the freezer and the fridge was good and cold too I ran it off of my 4 patriots 2000x solar generator it barely used any power I think 32 watts it was I also bought the thermal cover for it too .
Great review and video. I use pint canning jars for food storage. Handy size and you can put them in the microwave (warm it in hot water first)
Thank you brother for such a great insight. I have been researching like a mad man on these 12v fridges. Now, I think I know which I am going to go with.
Glad I could help
Thank you for the informative video. Car camping looks fun!
Your welcome, yes it's fun and relaxing
ha that same fridge is 350 now. 30% inflation in little more than a year. I like that is really a freezer and fridge. thanks for that tip about item staying frozen at the bottom only. that is useful.
Dude thank you so much for taking the time to post this! This is exactly the info I was looking for and I'm pretty sure I have almost the same exact fridge! 😂
Excellent organization! I have the same Setpower and I love it! I will try to fit it behind the passenger seat. I like your no nonsense, tried snd true info! Thank you so much!
Your welcome, so glad you liked it, thanks
Whoa, $368 here in Q3 2022 - prices are way up there, not $200-$250. Great vid, I might wait for prices to come down before I buy...
Your videos are AWESOME! Thank you so much!❤❤❤
A real review! Thanks for the video. It is still helping people.
Best odor absorber: charcoal. I put some briquettes in a mason jar with a cloth in place of the lid.
To turn it back to Fahrenheit, you have to turn it off then hold settings and the plus button. When it's flashing just press the plus button to swap between C and F.
Thank you so much, that fixed it! That's been bugging me for the past month lol
One guy said he sets his to 4 deg and that freezes the bottom stuff and refrigerates the rest. My research led me to the Alpicool which also makes AstroAI. Uses a LG compressor.
This was exactly the video I was looking for, thank you! I just love this fridge. I am just starting out car-camping in my RAV4 with my granddaughter. I am doing so much research, but it's difficult to compare what size is which one in videos. Which one is in your video, the 32, 43, or 53 quart size? Thanks again, can't wait to start watching your videos!
Glad it was helpful! I think it was the 32 quart size. Good luck with your research
I just realized my home frig is normally set to 46 which is always fine
Thanks for this!! The tips and trick help a lot! I’m about to spend some time in the desert of BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK and will pull the trigger on probably the KOHREE 53.
Many Thanks for Sharing everything. Loved it. May be when I am old, I may need all these things in Sydney
I live off-grid nd my upright 12v fridge died, I'm living out of a larger than the fridge in the video chest type 12v fridge, I built a wooden frame, with an outer and inner box with a cavity to drop the fridge into and insulated the gap between the outer and inner box and made a removable lid that is also insulated, my batteries are old, I turn the fridge off at night, run it between 9am to about 6pm the large section is used as a freezer and I run it hard during the day set to -18c (32f) and that keeps the small section at at least 4c all night, you can also use freezer bricks and transfer them from the freezer to the fridge section overnight, I have a 12v fan aimed at the compressor while it's running and also glued a tin to the top of the compressor with a hole cut out in the bottom and keep some water in that which helps cool the compressor to make it run more efficiently and last longer.
welcome back!! a fridge is pretty much essential for you!!
Thanks yes a fridge is essential for me and how I cook, they're great to have!
I have had a Norcold 12V/120V chest type fridge freezer for 41 years. They are not something new. Had a Danfoss compressor. Still going strong.
Great video! You answered all my questions and then some. 😊I’m deciding between frig or ice chest-Im part time on the road. Thanks!
Glad it helped
You are so smart and I appreciate that you mention different types of fridges. Thank you!
You are so welcome! And thanks!
Extra chopped onions can be stored in small mason jars with tight fitting lids.
Good idea, yeah they would fit in a jar but I would be worried about them sticking up the jar maybe
@@MountainSpringsAdventures you can always get another jar. But the onion smell will get into all plastics & fabrics....hence glass jar is best.
Yeah if I store onion or garlic in my fridge again, it will definitely be in a jar
A tip for a power source is LiFePO4 batteries.. They are drop in replacement for lead acid. They have a cycle life of 3000 to 6000, compared with lead acids 200 to 500 cycles. The power stations shown in the video to also have about 500 cycle.
I have a 12Ah battery, works wonderful.
But you need to charge it with a DC to DC. Victron sells a 9A DC to DC charger.
But if you want to power station to run your fridge every night you'll have to get one with LiFePO4 batteries.
Thank you for the tip. I have heard of the lifepo4 batteries, maybe ill look into it
🔥🔥🔥🔥 CONTENT MOUNTAIN SPRINGS ADVENTURE. KEEP THE VIDEOS COMING
Thanks and yes I plan on it!
Hey I'm saving for a Toyota Prius. But I'm not getting a brand new one, and since I'm getting an older model, maybe I can get some advice from you. It's so hard to find a mechanic that works on hybrid cars?
Great video I'm looking into one of these is yours the 45 quart i use a small 110 volt ac bar fridge I have about 2000 Watts of solar but on cloudy days it can't keep up I heard these use way less power being 12 volts .Do you ever have times the fridge has shut off other than you turning it off at night and should I do the same .Also how do you find the size of yours to be, would you recommend a larger I know the price goes up .Any suggestions would be appreciated Thanks Dale
Thank you for the informative video. I do have one question. How many quarts is your mini fridge and do you have a link? Do you have a video that shows the performance after a year, etc? Ty
Of course you can build something to "contain" the fridge that has a great deal of insulation. It will become larger and take up more room but it could also double as a table if you build it that way.
I've got a similar frig, I just need to purchase a 12v power source. Battery. Thanks for the tips.
That's cool, good luck with it, your welcome
The extra battery is a great idea!
Thanks, good presentation. Answered my questions.
FYI, in Celsius; 0C is freeze point, @20C is room temperature, 4C is fridge temperature, -25C is deep freezer.
He talks in Fahrenheit
I appreciate the conversion as a Canadian 👍
Good info, great lifestyle! btw, cold air doesn't "get out". cold is only the absence of heat but it is not tangible. Heat goes in...
Thanks for the info!
Love your channel!
Im so glad!
You're videos are so informative! Thanks for sharing your life adventure!
Great video!❤
Just subscribed, I'm setting up an old Mercury Sable waggon and an interested in seeing more on your car. I was wondering, how long will the power units you were talking about run your fridge?
Awesome, good luck with your build. I don't know how long those power units will run the fridge, at least for one night I would guess. Someone told me they can run their fridge for two full days on a deep cycle battery like I posted
You do amazing informative videos. Very well done. My car is totaled so I’m looking at purchasing a camper car. I intend to live full time in it. I do have a beautiful fur friend, gizmo. The climate control feature is such an amazing plus. I am a little concerned it’s a bit small. Last year I bought a big Ford van all fixed up foe camping then got chicken and didn’t use it. It’s way too big for Me. It’s for sale now. I just don’t want to make the wrong decision in my purchase. Thank you to anyone who responses to my comment. I’m totally sold on the 12v frig
Thanks, so glad you enjoy the vids. Sorry to hear about your car. Yeah the Prius is a little small, it's something you have to work around and get used to like I did. But lots of people do it in a Prius. You can use my videos for organization tips.
There's advantages and disadvantages to having a Prius or an RV, bus, van, etc. Just think it over for a while. For me, right now, all the advantages of having a Prius were greater than the disadvantages. H
Check out Prius v! Same system but in a van!
@@lynz thank you for sharing. I’ve been trying for 4 months to find a v. I live in vegas and I’m looking in Cali ..AZ . And Utah . I’m getting frustrated. Lol
@@flowerchild7820 yea….. the used market has gone insane right now because of the semi conductor shortage my 2009 has shot up 30% in value
I found mine on Facebook marketplace
Cold held food only has to be at 41 or below for health code so 40 is no issue at all.
Wow! Great video! Very helpful and with all those links! Thank You :)
FYI- Slice or cut onions 🧅 and place in your canning jar and then it won stink up frig! We have been doing that for years. You are right - the onion n a ziplock baggie really smells, not the jar
Great idea, thanks, I might do that
Thank you so much it was very helpful!
cover inside top with heavy duty aluminum fold, shinny side in, to keep temp cold. i do this with regular cooler and it keep cold in longer. that's a canning jar.
It does not matter which way the shinny side faces if it is going to be inside.
Great informative video Thank you . So do u have your fridge just plugged into a 12V socket or are you running it off your inverter ??
glad you liked it, I have it plugged into the 12 volt socket.
I just placed the cooler behind the passenger seat and it’s a perfect height if I lower the seats for my sleeping area. Does the cooler need to be raised for venting? That might be a problem unless I turn it off at night as you suggested. You’re SO SMART!
Secondly, I don’t want to leave the car on camp mode all day while I hike etc. (no dog). I’m considering getting a jackery 1000 to plug the cooler. Do you think it’s a good idea? Thank you!!! I’m heading out camping Sept 3rd. You have been a wealth of information!🙏🌞
Yes a jackery or bluetti power statino is a great idea to run your fridge while camping, sleeping, hiking, etc
I dont remember if it needs to be raised to vent- just look at the vents and make sure there is 1-2 inches around both vents on both side
Important to know that on power stations, do NOT use the 120v to power your fridge! Many fridges have the 120v option, but the inverters aren’t that efficient, so they last WAY longer on 12v.
Your theory wouldn’t quite work in Australia..!! 😲🥴 But a very informative video indeed..!! 🤙🏻
Great video, thanks for the detail you give, what about if you’re stationary for a day or two do you run it off your car battery? I use one and my power station can’t handle it if it is below 70% power, i think the draw is too much. Thanks!
Really great video, Bo! Thank you so much for sharing all of the tips and tricks that you are picking up during your travels on the the road.
You're welcome, so glad you're enjoying the vids
@@MountainSpringsAdventures You bet, Bo!
Thanks for the info. It was very useful :-)
Your welcome, glad you got something out of it
I planning for being 2-3 months at a time in my car (so I can see my grandson). I am coming unstuck over fridges/power. As far as i can tell the power will only keep a small fridge going for 2-3 days when you start with a full leisure battery and have a solar panel on your roof (which means no stealth camping). How do people live in their cars? Are they just not using the fridge most of the time, or heading in and charging from a mains hook up every 2 days? I need to find a way to do this so I can see my family.
How do you have ships stuff from Amazon when you're on the road
Hey! How many liters is your fridge? I have the same Prius as you and I'd love to order the right one so that it fits. Thanks!
Wife keeps treating me like shit whenever I'm sick, like I got sick and brought sickness into the house on purpose. So I might just live in my car. Thanks for the video.
how's the car working out??
@@ZEROmg13 I'm back in the house
Keep strong man, that's rough
My only issue is keeping it running on a week long camping trip. Works great but you have to have an expensive power pack with solar panels.option to keep running. So the fridge may be $250, but the power pack is $800+.
I have a 2016 Prius and plan on moving into it (not so much by choice; the pandemic century that was 2020 did some damage to my finances) and I enjoy your videos because they are very educational. One item I cannot find, though it might be there, is how you connect that inverter to the car. Having been a truck driver, the inverters I had were hard-wired to the truck batteries by the company I worked for because there is some trick to doing it.
Did you do that with your Prius and if so, how? If there is a video, I would love to see it. Thanks and keep 'em coming...though I never plan on stealth camping in Noo Yawk Seedy!
The pandemic was kind of one of the reasons I've been living out of my car for a while now also. Really glad you enjoy the videos, basically I just connected the positive and negative cables to the positive and negative terminals of the 12 volt battery. I show it in the video where I gave a tour of my Prius camper, I think it's around the middle of the video somewhere.
Installing an inverter can be tricky if you don't know what you're doing. But it's also very simple. I'm sure there are plenty of videos on UA-cam explaining how to install a power inverter. Just try to make sure the cables don't touch anything because they get hot sometimes when you use the inverter
@@MountainSpringsAdventures After chasing a WHOLE lot of UA-cam videos on this topic, I have come to the realization that my car is not like any other I have seen, including yours. You see, my 12v battery is NOT in the back, like yours, but it is up in the engine compartment, like a "normal" car. There is not one video out there that shows how to add an inverter on that kind of setup...probably for good reason. Getting wiring through the firewall to the main cabin will be much more challenging and would require much longer cables, so the power loss would be much greater.
But I am still looking!
This was such a great video
great details and tips, thanks
Thanks for this info. This Setpower is practically identical to an Alpicool. Where do you summer? Summers here are typically 100 degree or more during the day, 70-80 at night. Just wondering if the fridge can be shut off at night here.
EXCELLENT POINTS - WELL DONE - THANK YOU
Very welcome
Ever idea can be good for other people knowledge is great
Hi! I love your videos. Thank you so much for sharing your life's journey with us. Will the cooler fit behind the passenger side of a Prius with the back seats NOT removed? What size container did you use under the cooler to raise it? Thanks!!!
Glad you like them and your welcome. Yes it should fit without the seats removed. Im not sure of the size of the container
I was wondering the same thing! Have you tried it? The size constraint is the only thing that makes me hesitate this purchase bc I have no intention of removing the seats at this point, though maybe in the future.
I watched this video through-and-through and you didn't mention when you actually power the refrigerator and for how long? I need to know that before purchasing one
I plugged mine into my 12 volt socket to power it. and then, before I go to bed, I turn the temperature down to about 20° for about 30 minutes to an hour, and that gets it cold enough to keep it cold throughout the night so the food doesn't spoil if that makes sense
Great content broooooooo keep going 👏
Thanks
Whats your height? Also great videos, its all very informative!
Glad you enjoy them, im 5'10
For a budget they are brilliant. But the difference is insulation
Love it! Could I ask when you’re getting ready for nighttime, or whenever you need to power cookware/electronics, do you turn the Prius all the way on? I don’t understand the different modes- ex: my 2015 Prius 1 click of power button turns on electronics, 2 clicks air + electronics, and brake pedal + 1 click turns whole thing on. Hope that made sense lol
Yes, I always have my Prius in ready mode when using a high-powered electronics, otherwise you could drain your 12-volt battery very quickly and possibly damage it.
When you have it in ready mode, the hybrid battery starts charging the 12 volt battery at a higher voltage so it's the hybrid battery doing all the work when you power electronics through the inverter with the Prius in ready mode
Awesome thank you. So when you’re sleeping the car is all the way “on” like ready to drive, or technically ready mode like you said?
@@brennanmillea both. Ready mode = ready to drive = all the way on
Hey thanks. Great review.
Thank you
Great video. Thanks
Have you tried putting your thermometer in there to see what temperature it ends up being when you wake up after unplugging the fridge at night?
Just kind of curious have you ever bought ice cream wrapped in foil and put it in this travel fridge. Do you think it would stay cold with that foil long enough to keep it a day or so?
Great tips!!
👍Thanks. Very helpful. 💝