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Bluetooth APP Control:Enjoy the convenience of an upgraded JP40 Portable Fridge, now with Bluetooth APP control. Connect your fridge to the ICECO app to easily monitor and adjust the temperature, making it easy to keep your food and drinks at the perfect temperature. BougeRV offers a standard 2-year warranty on their fridges, which you can extend to 3 years by registering your product. Since this 12 volt refrigerator is newer on the scene there’s scant information on long-term reliability. However, the product appears solid and BougeRV seems committed to becoming a reputable brand, all of which bodes well. Features and Accessories On average, electric coolers weigh about a pound per liter of storage capacity. Keep this in mind as you compare coolers to see which has the best compromise of portability to capacity. Unlike some portable refrigerators on this list, the Worx powered cooler only has a single compartment. That 24-quart space will fit about 32 12-ounce canned beverages. Having dual temperature zones would make it easier to carry chilled and frozen food simultaneously, but that would reduce the carrying capacity even more.
ICECO VL/VL PRO Series 12V Refrigerator RV Refrigerator | ICECO ICECO VL/VL PRO Series 12V Refrigerator RV Refrigerator | ICECO
First we tested the power consumption of the BougeRv fridge while maintaining a set temp over 24 hours. This is probably the most important test as far as vanlife goes, because this is a good indicator of how much power a fridge will draw on average. The touch control panel takes a little getting used to, but is easy to set the temp and cooling modes. Why is this the case? Part of the reason is that cold air naturally sinks. With chest fridges, the door is at the top, which means that cold air will pool at the bottom of the fridge where it has nowhere to escape. But with upright fridges, you’re relying on the insulation seal around the door to keep cold air in when the door is shut, and any accumulated cold air will spill out whenever the door is opened. The BougeRV has a pretty solid set of features and specifications, especially for the price. But how does it actually perform? Related to temperature control is the cooler’s temperature range capability. There are different types of electric coolers, the two most common being compressor coolers and thermoelectric coolers. All of the coolers featured on this list are compressor coolers because they offer a wider range of temperatures. During independent testing of the VL45 single zone 12-volt refrigerator’s power consumption, it drew an average of 0.72A per hour, which is excellent. Similar testing of the VL-60 dual zone fridge revealed average power consumption of 1.77A per hour in max mode, and 1.27A per hour in eco mode. This is highly efficient for a dual-zone refrigerator/freezer that’s actively running the freezer compartment. Users report similarly efficient numbers. Price and Overall ValueWe personally own the ARB 50-Qt 12-volt refrigerator, and we can attest to its very low power draw. During an extended power draw test we conducted, we measured the ARB’s average power draw at around 0.95A per hour over nearly two weeks. This test was conducted with daytime ambient temperatures in the high 70’s, and nighttime temps in the high 60’s. Price and Overall Value There are a few different options for keeping food cold in your van. Here’s a breakdown: 12V Compressor Fridges (best overall option for full-timers) And when you factor in how much you’re saving in comparison to similar propane refrigerators, it’s really a no-brainer. Sorry to tell you that JP40 and JP50 are single zone fridge freezer, it can't operate as fridge and freezer at the same time. You can take a look at dual zone models, like GO20, VL60D, VL65D, VL75ProD, VL90ProD. MAX & ECO Mode: You can adjust the JP50 to MAX or ECO mode according to your needed. Fast Cooling or Energy Saving.
The Best Refrigerators for Vanlife (2021) — Always the Adventure The Best Refrigerators for Vanlife (2021) — Always the Adventure
But if you’re on a tight budget, or aren’t planning on vanlife for longer than a year or two, or don’t want to spend more on the small fridge in your van than a full size house fridge costs, then you should take a hard look at BougeRV. There are some noticeable downsides to the ED50W. As you’d expect, the materials used in its construction can’t match those of something like a Whynter or Dometic fridge. It’s not fragile by any means, but it’s also not built to the same level of durability and strength. Whynter 12-volt refrigerators tend to be inconsistent. If you get a good one, it can be a great companion for you on the road. But there are many tales of units that break down after a few months, and of owners having difficulty getting support from the manufacturer. And while Whynter fridges are energy efficient, power draw tests and user reports tend to be all over the map, further suggesting that there may be some quality control issues with this brand.Plus, they come in a multitude of sizes from 30L up to 74L, both single zone and dual zone, and different form factors, so you can easily find a fridge to suit your needs. Energy Efficiency
The Best 12 Volt Portable Refrigerators for Vanlife, Camping
ARB fridges are some of the most expensive we looked at. You can save a bit of money with other brands, but ARB makes top-quality, rugged, and efficient fridges. You really do get what you pay for with these. Warranty and Reliability
Whynter (also known as Edgestar) fridges are a popular choice among budget-conscious vanlifers. The Whynter FM-Series offers portable refrigeration at a fraction of the cost of the big name brands, and with many of the same basic features. We keep our fridge between our front seats in our van, and to reach the control panel on the BougeRV we need to lean all the way over the fridge and adjust the controls upside down. This also makes it harder to keep tabs on temperature. This isn’t necessarily a huge deal, but the controls really should be on the same side as the latch for better usability (or at least oriented towards the latch). The BougeRV vanlife fridge comes double boxed in sturdy cardboard with foam padding. Unboxing is frankly a bit strange, because there is no branding to be found anywhere except for the fridge itself. These electric coolers can achieve and maintain sub-zero temperatures, so you don’t have to worry about your ice cream melting. Plus, if you have enough power, say from a sustainable source like a solar panel and power bank, you can keep your electric cooler running forever and use it as a standard home fridge and freezer. From personal experience, I know how important it is to have a great refrigerator when living off the grid. As a result, I spent a lot of hours researching and putting this review together to help make your decision easier, so hope you find it helpful.
Fridge Review: Is This Cheap Vanlife Fridge BougeRV Portable Fridge Review: Is This Cheap Vanlife Fridge
Alpicool has been around for years and is the original manufacturer of many rebranded 12-volt portable refrigerators. And why buy a rebrand when you can buy the real deal directly from the source? Plus, they use LG compressors vs something generic. The Engel MR040 is an efficient fridge, though not as efficient as the offerings from Dometic and ARB. According to Engel’s own performance data, the MR040 draws about 1.5A per hour in 95°F ambient temperature with the control knob set to “1” (the lowest refrigeration setting). Most 12-volt refrigerators have the ability to function as a fridge or a freezer. But if you need both at the same time, some brands offer dual-zone fridge/freezers that have separate compartments for each. Eco mode: 280Wh over 24 hours. This equates to an average of 0.97A per hour on a 12V system (23.2Ah total).As you can already tell from our list of recommendations, electric coolers are available in a wide range of sizes. For the most part, the bigger the size, the more capacity the cooler will have. However, bigger is not necessarily better. More size will also increase its weight and footprint in your car. First, this cooler is over half a foot taller than the Dometic Dual Zone, which gives you deeper storage for things like tall wine bottles. Second, you get three baskets in the ARB as compared to two with the Dometic. Some of the electric coolers we recommend even have dual zones, allowing you to store drinks and frozen treats separately at their proper temperatures. It runs on either AC or DC power and is capable of cooling down to -8 °F when in freezer mode. That gives you enough space for multiple days of a single person’s groceries or a few days for a couple/family.
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