6 WEEK TEST of BLIZZARD BOX 12 Volt Portable Fridge/Freezer (REVIEW)
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- Опубліковано 13 лют 2020
- Need a PORTABLE 12 VOLT FRIDGE / FREEZER for your RV, camper or boat? I've been testing the Blizzard Box cooler off-grid as a freezer for 6 weeks. I'll show you how it works, how much power it uses and how much food it can hold.
BLIZZARD BOX PRODUCT INFO
typesauto.com/collections/bli...
Thanks to TypeS for providing the Blizzard Box for review.
PREFER TO SHOP AROUND? Find Portable Fridge Freezers on Amazon:
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MORE ABOUT THIS REVIEW
First, my setup: I kept the Blizzard Box in the back of our Honda CRV towed behind the RV. It was powered by a Bluetti lithium power bank using the 12 volt DC input. The power bank was recharged primarily external solar panels while parked. The temperature on the cooler was set to either 0 degreesF or 5 degreesF. The climate outside varied between 30 degrees and 70 degrees during the 6 week period.
Here are some questions/answers from my testing:
1. Does it plug into a 12 volt car cigarette lighter socket? Yes. It includes a 12 volt power cord.
2. Does it run from 12 volt AC outlet. Yes. A 120 Volt AC cord is also included.
3. How much power does it use? It draws between 38 and 50 watts of power during its cooling cycle. It cycles on and off as needed. On average it used between .7 and 1.0 amp hours when set between 0 and 5 degreesF.
4. Is it noisy? No. It's very quiet. You can hear the compressor turn on but it's very quiet.
5. Does it take up lots of space? No. The 41 qt size seemed just right. I put lots of stuff in there.
6. Favorite feature? The multi-function removable lid and 12 volt power option.
7. Is it easy to use? Yes. Just set the temp and that's it.
Tips for using the Blizzard Box as a freezer:
1. Freezing the contents beforehand uses less power.
2. Place things that need to be kept colder near the bottom.
This video also addresses these topics: 12 volt rv refrigerator, 12 volt refrigerator reviews, 12 volt refrigerator freezer, 12 volt refrigerator marine, 12 volt refrigerator for trucks, 12 volt compressor refrigerator rv, portable refrigerator for truck, small portable refrigerator
#rvwithtito #rvgadgets
DISCLAIMER
The opinions expressed in our videos are our own or from a contributor. Before taking on any project or making a large purchase, we recommend you do your own research and consult a professional for advice. We are NOT liable for any damage to your RV or injury incurred as a result of following our tips, advice or instructions. We are not RV professionals or certified technicians. We are simply RV owners who work on our own RVs and have a desire to share what we learn with others. Be responsible and know your limits.
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Thanks for the review and real world test. Always enjoy your videos.
You're welcome. Glad you enjoyed it!
Soooo many choices for 12 volt fridges! I decided on this Blizzard Box. Thanks for the info and the link.
True. Lots of them out there now.
Nice looking unit. I may decide to purchase on of those. Thanks for the review. Love the channel.
Great! I'm sure you'll get a lot of good use out of it like we have.
Very nice, balanced review Brian. Always appreciate your work.
Thanks! I appreciate the comment.
Thanks for the review. Nice to know options
Great Review And Thanks For Sharing My Friend!
You bet. Glad you liked it.
Nice review Brian beautiful backdrop welcome to Arizona. 👊👍😎
Thanks! We're really enjoying boondocking down here.
Thank you Tito for the educational video it was well put together 👍🏼🇺🇸🇵🇷✌🏼
Glad you liked it!
Great review.....going to grab one.
Thanks! Enjoy.
If it is drawing, on average, about 1.0 amps it will use 24 amp hours (Ah) per day. If you have a 100 Ah lead acid battery you could only operate the fridge for about 2 days because you don’t want to go below 50% state of charge. If you have a lithium battery then you could operate it for 4 days.
I have an Alpicool fridge (35L). It is very similar to the fridge you tested. The cost is $300 on Amazon. I caught it on sale for $237.
Overall an excellent review. Thanks.
Great video thanks
We've bought the same brand earlier model with single side opening from ALDI supermarket for $500 AU in Australia , and it's been working well for the last 2 years . Just keep an eye on condensation under the fridge !
Thanks for the heads up. Glad to hear yours has been running well.
What temperatures are you exposed your unit to, Brian temperature was 30 to 80
@@Yukonjackman1 the temperature ranges between 5 and 35 degrees Celsius on our travels and we mainly use it as a freezer and we set it between -12 & - 18 Celsius
At these settings you can't rely on the small compartment to keep items other than bread & butter or similar !
Great video! You’re an inspiration and definitely knew what you’re doing. My 2 Lectric bikes just delivered today it’s because I saw your video last week. I really love it the bikes are great and worth the money. Also, do you have a video on how to install a solar panels on your CRV? I’m interested to put one on my 2010 Mazda CX-9. Thanks and best wishes! P.S. keep on creating videos you guys are amazing!
Thanks for your review. I have lost 2 gas absorption fridges in my ClassC over the years. I was considering an amish built coil system, but am a bit gunshy now. I am thinking about getting 2 of those type of coolers instead, one for a freezer, one for a fridge. Am still researching my options. Thanks again! 👍
Knock on wood...our absorbtion fridge is still going strong after 13 years. Glad the review helped. 👍
Also...I thought the company TypeS said they are working on a fridge freezer combo unit. TBD
Great review - Thanks!
You're welcome Gary.
Thx for sharing. I would love a quick update in a year to any review. How well does the product endure?
You're welcome. I'll do that.
As always really good Bryan.
Glad you liked it.
@@RVwithTito Am I spelling your name correctly? With a y?
Great vid. Handy unit.
Thanks. It's come in very handy.
Nice information
Super excited on this review. Ive really been wanting more info on this new fridge and there really hasn't been a lot out there. You tests have been incredibly insightful and have helped me understand al ot more about the power draw. I was looking at the Jackery 500 and was concerned about how long it would be able to power the fridge. The Jackery has 144,400 mAh which means it has 144.4 amp hours. Super happy to find out that this will fit my needs. Thanks for the great review!!! (Oh! what was your avg ambient temp during the testing?!)
The 14400 mah is at 3.6v. (518Wh (21.6V, 24Ah) 144,400 mAh / 3.6V) they use a boost converter to keep up 13.8 v from their power plug. You need to divide your 144ah by 3 to get a closer number to what 12v equivalent amp hours are. Then figure that since they step it up to make the 13.8v you also lose some amp hours there. 144ah/3 = 48ah to start. Like I said the boost converter steals some of the amp hours too. Sorry to break it down for you. If it were me I'd go with the Explorer 1000 (1002Wh (21.6V, 46.4Ah)) twice the capacity or I'd get the Ecoflo Delta 1300 Wh. Even more capacity and accepts high power solar input. Just Saying.
Great review, Mary and I have been looking to get a portable freezer, this product seems to have been very well thought out and made.. I just hate the price point..
That's about the price range for these. Some are much higher and some lower. They are often discounted.
Nice review. I'm sure that would help those in Van's, etc. Good luck sir.
Very true. They are pretty common in the van community. Thanks!
I have three different 12 volt compressor fridges. All different brands, and I have found them all to be very efficient, averaging around 1 amp per hour. Interesting, the big one (55 quart) uses only a tiny bit more power than the smallest (20 quart). All three of mine have the same problem this one does, as sometimes the temp gets a little high before they kick in the cooling. We have overcame that problem by using the little fans that they make for RV absorbing fridges (I use the Camco units). I use a small refer in our tow vehicle, a large one in our trailer for a refer, and a mid size for freezing. My two hundred amp hour lithium battery with six hundred watt solar panels keeps up with all our meager power needs.
Appreciate that info! Great tip with the fans and yes, interesting about the power being closely matched. I guess, once the items are frozen, the compressor doesn't have to work that much harder.
Looks like a quality cooler, thanks for the info! Do you know anything about the Massimo coolers? Just wondering because models like the CX50 are bigger and less than half the price. Thanks
Thanks for the video! Do you know by any chance what the material of the storage compartment is?
Great review, l subbed
Thanks. Welcome to the channel!
That's amazingly efficient. A solar panel would easily keep up with that fridge all day and night.
Agreed. It's more efficient than I thought it would be.
1 amp hour is 24 amphours per day. That is quite good.. a good 100 watt solar panel would keep up most days.
I have an Alpicool which looks pretty similar, but is cheaper. The blizzard seems built a bit better.
It would be great to find out how it doesn’t in a warm or hot environment. That’s when it will fail or shine. Also, is the top insulated or empty like many other coolers.
Have you ever experimented with what difference you get in terms of power draw if you insulate the fridge? I think they sell a insulation bag for the fridge - I think you could also use reflectix insulation and cut your own. I wonder if that makes much of a difference in terms of power efficiency when using.
Great review, just ordered mine through Costco!!
I see they are $200 off right now. Nice!
@@RVwithTito hows your holding up?
@@rtaylor616 I'm not using it right now, but it's held up very well when I did. We used it for 4 months straight 24/7 earlier this year with no issues. I've also loaned it to friends for camping trips this summer and they loved it.
Thx for the amazing review. One question, what is the tool that u used to check amp power?
It's a digital DC clamp meter (amzn.to/3bVba3J). Make sure you get one that measures DC current and not just AC current. They are great to have. Happy hunting!
Hello Brain! First of all, I really enjoy your videos, please keep doing them! My husband and I just bought an old class C. We are new on this adventure, so we need a lot of help. Hope you can be the help we need. The refrigerator is a Dometic model 3862, the freezer is working, but the refrigerator isn't :( When we look inside, there are 2 thin white cables that come from the back of the refrigerator, one is connected and the other isn't. Do you have any advice on this problem? we have 20 days until our first trip with our "Old Guy" and we'd love to have some cold drinks durant our vacation. Thank you!!!
Great review, I bought one of these in good faith from Costco when they were on sale, 598 delivered then use it on a 10 day trip to Idaho in the back of my jeep never took it out never unplugged it and it ran the entire time and never hurt my battery kept my food extremely cold. Now I’m just looking for a cover. Thanks for the great review was real nice to find this and with Costco’s support I don’t think there’s a wrong decision here. Thanks again
Thanks for sharing that. Great to hear!
I just ordered one from Costco aswell online. I'm also looking for a cover for it. Let me know if you find any. I know they are almost exactly as the Australian cooler . Its a 43L Evakool Travelmate TMDZ-50 and they have covers for it but they don't send to U.S. Especially to Hawaii
Nice review, any idea of the performance in the summer around 100 fahrenheit ? I heard many brands don't reach 0 fahrenheit on such a heat.
Do you recall what the weather was when you tested the power consumption? Any complaints in your roughly 1.5 years owning now?
The compressor on that thing is a Danfoss according to company website. Industry leader for 12v compressors
Still using it and it's working great. The temps were between 50-90 degrees.
does anyone have any watt info on if it was at 40degrees just using it for a fridge, i plan to get a fridge for my van, but i don't think i need a freezer, curious the watt use? thanks! love your videos, this and the jackery video were WAY above and beyond informative compared to other reviews i've watched!
Have you tested how long the unit remains cold/cool with out power ? ie: as a regular cooler lets say for camping or the beach.
Great review. I would like a portable freezer to take stuff with me and buy in bulk when I found stuff I liked. I have 510 AH lithium in my RV. Could you probably just run this in a compartment (maybe the one you built when you took the genset out:) on your solar system??? Also, would you run it in 12 volt mode? (did you check to see if it was more efficient under that mode). Thanks for the review. Up here in Seattle jealous that you are out there in the SUN. Just another year.... sigh
You're right, many with more storage in a fifth wheel or class A mount them in a storage compartment that has a sliding drawer and power it right from the coach battery. The cooler runs on 12V and the 120VAC simply adds a brick transformer. The cooler itself doesn't appear to use more power in either mode. The battery power station, on the other hand, does consume more power from its battery to produce 120VAC through its inverter just due to inverter overhead. So 12V DC from the power bank is the best option overall.
Good review as always price a little steep for us but if you consider the cost and the hassle and the gas to drive to get ice it wouldn’t be long to get the money back especially if you full time and boon dock is what you do a lot
It has certainly helped us stay out longer being able to buy food in larger quantities to freeze for later. Tonight we had salmon patties that we brought from home 6 weeks ago.
RV with Tito DIY now best part of this is y’all camping 6 weeks lol
How long can it go with the rockpals 300w solar generator?
Do you know if it's possible, or, have you experimented with putting a divider inside so that it will work like a dual zone type of a fridge? Seems like with the right setting it ought to work
Haven't tried it yet but I will.at some point. Right now it's full of frozen stuff.
The temperature drift you are talking about is probably just the unit doing a defrost cycle. All modern refrigerators do this. Typically 30mins two of three times a day. Totally normal.
Perhaps. The manufacturer told me yesterday that they will look into it. Thanks for chiming in.
Costco periodically runs sales on this fridge at $150 off ($549).
Great discount.
I want one that runs on propane. Do you have?
hello from the Ozarks brian!! is there much condensation or frost built up?
I've noticed a tiny bit of frost near the very bottom. I've been experimenting with different temperatures lately trying to find the sweet spot between power consumption and frozen. That may be why.
Do I get this one or the bougeRV?
What happens if the power goes off for say 10 minutes. Does the Blizzard box switch back to ON when the power comes back? If not that would be a big deal-breaker.
Hold on let me try it......yup it starts right back up where it left off. No need to hit the power button again. 👍
Sweet, that's a good design! Thanks for testing.
hello from the Ozarks!! how loud is it?
Very quiet. The fan in the battery I'm powering with is much louder.
So was the test done with the unit inside your rig or setting outside where the real air temperature could influence the operation, we live in Arizona so im wondering in shade but 119 degrees how it performs, i will offer up my patio and take some reading for you if you drop it off to me on your way back to the northwest plus we could show you our area retirement area
The cooler is in the back of our car which we tow, not in our rig. During the 6 weeks we've been testing, the temp in the car has ranged between 30 degF and 80 degF. I'm sure it would have to work a bit harder at 119 degF.
@@RVwithTito I agree it would have to work harder but if it worked that would be a good selling point for them lol
How does it charge? And how do you know when it’s fully charged??
This portable refrigerator isn't rechargeable. It needs a separate power source (portable battery bank, DC receptacle, or AC power outlet)
Mantap
My only negative would be the price but great video review
I will keep my LP and electric fridge that came with my RV it uses 60 watts from my solar in a 1978 Georgy Boy
@@bigeric12325 a friend of mine sold Georgee boys back in the day
@@newhampshirejoe5975 I can't believe how good a condition mine is being that old everything works great air conditioning its solid
Excellent review, but more importantly are you going to be selling the T-shirts 😁
Hmmm...It's a possibility if there's enough interest :)
Any hack on how to take out the portable freezer from your car without hurting your back?
use a piece of wood to make a ramp and slide it out.
Is there a fuse somewhere in the cooler ? An where is it ?
I don't see one.
You show it outside. Is it outdoor rated? Rain resistant?
Nope. I keep it inside the car. I'd keep it out of the rain.
Do the manufacturers pay you or comp you for their products for review?
No direct payment, but they did provide the cooler to me at no cost to test and share my thoughts.
Will it keep my fudge cycles frozen
It should if you set it cold enough.
Did you take down your sway bar upgrade videos?
Nope. They are old though from 2011. Here you go: ua-cam.com/video/QBAJyGmKsdo/v-deo.html, ua-cam.com/video/YGch11NysbI/v-deo.html,
@@RVwithTito thanks. I will be upgrading mine here in about two weeks.
could you answer a maybe dumb question for me..... if i froze two gallons of water in the freezer part then took the jugs and put and them a ice chest and turned the freezer off or unplug it and the ice would chill my food for four days am i saving money..???. i don't understand why van dweller people don't do this ... i know its more work but would it be pratical???? thank you....
I've seen a couple people do this, which works in the short term. But then their cooler was full of water jugs and very little food. To each their own. It's probably a good budget solution.
@@RVwithTito thank you for your time your teaching me alot god bless
Is it a danios compressor?
*DANFOSS. damn spell check
Yes. Here's what it says in the specs: SECOP/Danfoss PBC-2.0
Kick ass coolers literally sells the identical same cooler… Which tells me the companies are not actually making these themselves… They’re just buying it from some cheap manufacture and then reselling them with their label
Very cool but pricey
Very interesting review. Great work! I was all in until you mentioned the price. That is almost double of what similar freezers cost. :)
The price range seems to be all over the place on these from $350 and even up over $1K.
110 volt freezers you mean... much less efficient, no where near comparable.
@@robertgarbe6348 No....there are many AC/DC freezers on Amazon for half this cost. Obviously we do not know about how efficient they are but none the less I imagine they are fairly close to this one.....
Is the only place to buy it at Costco??? If so, you'd have to have a membership to Costco, I assume.
For now yes....Costco. Apparently no membership needed to buy through Costco.com.
@@RVwithTito I was trying to buy one, but it is having me put in my membership number or pay a 5% surcharge. Oh well.
As always Brian great video. Two things of interest and or concern. Number 1: Food Bourne illness begins at 44 Degrees... even though this fridge goes to 50 it is best to keep food below 44 as a your Cold Holding Temp. Best practice to go above and beyond and hold at 42. Number 2: For those who don’t have a Costco membership you could have someone purchase a Costco Shop Card for you and you can use it on Costco.com although you would still be charged the 5% up charge.
No way I would pay $700 for that
Prices on similar units seem to vary considerably as you can see here. amzn.to/37trhlk
Hi Brian
I send you a message on Instagram and Facebook messanger please check it out:))
You need a script because you repeat things and take much longer to cover points than needed.