Food storage - fridge

[dejones64]

For me, I try to be off-grid when camping/overlanding, so I went with a 35qt SetPower Fridge/Freezer and a Bluetti AC180 charger. I've that that setup for 2 years. I like my SetPower but would probably go with IceCo next time, just because it has good reviews.

Last summer that kept me going for 2 weeks before having to visit a grocery store.

Two years ago it worked for my 2 adult kids and myself for a week. Though we did cheat and hit a couple restaurants in national parks.

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[Murg]

Any idea which ICECO model? Trying to decide on what would fit best in a 2door.

 

[dejones64]

Any idea which ICECO model? Trying to decide on what would fit best in a 2door.

Depends on your needs and space available. For me, it's 1-2 travelers in my 2-door. I removed the rear seats and put down a plywood platform. I installed a slide-out tray for my fridge along the passenger side. Roof top tent, then I can pack gear in the rear.

These are about the best pics I have at the moment. Setpower 35qt fridge, about 25" long, 19" high, 16" wide.

 

[Murg]

nice! I appreciate you sending pics and dimensions. It's helpful to see your fridge in the back. What a snappy quick setup I still use my rear seats on occasion. It does make it a little more difficult for me, seeing the options helps.

 

[Honkman]

I love my IceCo VL35 Pro S!! Have had it for 2 years now and has been used a _LOT_. ~100 nights in the Bronco and several more months of usage at home

I leave my Bluetti in the Bronco year-round, only plug in the alternator charger when I’m traveling

I have this exact same setup, and I leave my Bluetti in my Bronco as well! Partly out of laziness though.

It’s all been working awesome for me for at least a year. Maybe two. I use the ICECO for all tailgating events too. I also just got back from a duck hunting trip about 7 hours away, and it kept all my meat at a cool 38 degrees all the way home.

You should get the fridge. You’ll love it.

 

[Darth_Bronco]

I run a Wolfbox fridge paired with a Bluetti setup. If you’re using the Wolfbox rearview cam system, the fridge integrates right into their app, which is pretty slick. The Bluetti has its own app as well, so you can monitor power, draw, and battery status independently.

For longer trips, I keep both a small and large Bluetti on board. The big unit stays fully charged as a standby for camp, and the smaller Bluetti stays plugged into the truck’s 12V to power the fridge while driving. I also keep a DC inverter on hand to recharge if needed, and so far the setup has been rock solid. For quick runs around town, the small Bluetti plugged into the 12V is all I need.

Fridge: https://amzn.to/4aPvJiE
Small Bluetti: https://amzn.to/4jvJTaW
Large Bluetti: https://amzn.to/49HRHD4

This is the setup I run too. Was just at the beach for the week and it was great. Only problem for me is the cig charger is so finicky and loose in the Bluetti. Thankfully I had duct tape.

 

[inlifefindadventure]

I'm planning a longer than normal trip soon and I know coolers and ice aren't going to do the trick so I'm looking for recommendations on a fridge/freezer to bring in the Raptor.

Perhaps I'm looking for two different things, but there's a chance I will look at an offroad trailer down the road so if it all possible it would be great if the same product would work now and later in the trailer. Maybe I'm nuts.

Thanks all in advance.

I have a 42 quart and a 52 quart from BougeRV for my Bronco and F-150, respectively. They have the same footprint but the smaller one is more conducive heightwise for the Bronco cargo area when top off and using a tonneau. I purchased the 42 quart quite a few years back and it has been absolutely bulletproof. It's seen many a rough trails and just keeps humming along. I'm loving the bigger one in my truck though because I live out of that vehicle for weeks on end when exploring in the summer. Power is courtesy of an Ecoflow Delta 2 Max which is another exceptional product. I would never go back to a cooler and all the "fun" of searching for a place that sells ice and, ultimately, having one's food floating in meltwater after a couple of days in the heat.

 

[Oldhippie]

Just got an Iceco vl45 and Jackery 1000v2 (to also run my cpac) they just fit in the back of my 2dr with the seats up… the cigarette lighter plug in the back of the Bronco gets very hot when plugged into the jackery (charges at almost 100 watts)…I don’t trust it to last plus I need faster charging (the frig & Cpac nearly empty the 1000 overnite) so got a jackery alternator charger I need to install…also have 100 watt solar panels for when camped…been Playing around with it and the frig works great plus not dealing with ice is nice….with what little I know about it jackery may not have been the best choice and a dual freeze/frig maybe handier (I like ice and ice cream) but this setup will hopefully last me til I die….

 

[RedBeardoh]

We decided we were over coolers and making ice runs, bought an Iceco VL45 Dual Zone and love it! Mostly run it as a fridge but for short trips having a freezer with ice cream to enjoy at camp in 90 degree weather has been awesome I power it off an ecoflow delta pro 2 which is charged with the ecoflow 800w alternator. Great combo I bought on sale at Costco for a killer price. If I manage to drain the ecoflow somehow, I can have it charged in a little over 60 minutes of driving on the trails. I don’t think I’ll ever go back to days of worrying about ice.

 

[Techun]

I have a cheap fridge and it's a very fun toy.

But you will have to do a lot of lying to yourself about the hoops you're jumping through (and hundreds spent on power stations) to avoid a $7 bag of ice.

 

[Brian_B]

I went back and forth on cooler vs 12V fridge.

In the end, I went cooler. I figure a good cooler will hold ice for days, but a fridge, you got hours once you cut power. Then I don't ~have~ to haul the power station around if I don't need it for anything else.

If I needed extended time, I figure could get one of those small countertop ice makers to throw more ice back in the cooler. I haven't tried that or needed it, but it's a theory.

 

[Jmanly]

I have a cheap fridge and it's a very fun toy.

But you will have to do a lot of lying to yourself about the hoops you're jumping through (and hundreds spent on power stations) to avoid a $7 bag of ice.

Not sure what hoops having a fridge is jumping through. I plug the fridge into the 12v on the Bronco and go. While I am driving the fridge is running and the integrated battery is charging. After unplugging, the battery will run it for 8 to 24 hours. When camping with my Aliner, fridge plugs into my solar.
We drove back from Oregon with 50lbs of frozen crab, my BougeRV Rocky kept it at 10 below for 3 days. Hard to do that with a bag of ice.

 

[HalfmuleFarmer]

I went back and forth on cooler vs 12V fridge.

In the end, I went cooler. I figure a good cooler will hold ice for days, but a fridge, you got hours once you cut power. Then I don't ~have~ to haul the power station around if I don't need it for anything else.

If I needed extended time, I figure could get one of those small countertop ice makers to throw more ice back in the cooler. I haven't tried that or needed it, but it's a theory.

Yeah, it’s really just a question of the number of days out. A high-quality cooler with chem/dry ice will keep things cool for 4-5 days, no problem. The timeline isn’t the issue, it’s the amount of stuff. I don’t drink beer and I’m good with homemade gourmet rice, beans and avo burritos for a week. So no brainer. Pack less. Eat more dry goods. Cook like a pioneer. After a week I’m more jonesing for a proper shower than ice. More stuff = more to go wrong. I vote for keeping life off the grid as simple as possible.

 

[CalvinT]

Eva Zu Beck covered a lot of territory before she had a refrigerator installed during a major refit in Bend, Oregon. And she never had an ice chest. But she's also a vegetarian, so didn't have to store meat. Watch her videos, she eats a lot of fruit and pasta. For the carnivores, jerky doesn't need refrigeration. There's also freeze dried food but it's too expensive. And then there's this guy.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmY1o_LlD99cwGog6LRVnWA

My thinking... In the 19th century pioneers crossed a continent without ice chests or refrigerators. So having either is more of a convenience than a necessity. A convenience I really like.

So the question gets back to topic of this thread, the best way to keep things cold. As many have said, ice can take you a long ways, but isn't convenient at times and can be messy. Ice chests also require more planning.

Having a clear idea of what you'll be doing and what your routine will be will help you decide. But if you're not sure, I suggest going with an ice chest until you prove to yourself that you need a refrigerator or refrigerator/freezer. It might save you a lot of money. If you want one, it's only a matter of deciding which one. Using a ice chest first might help you decide what size refrigerator.

You may decide that you don't really need a refrigerator.

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