outdoor marine freezer

I am looking for a chest freezer for my boat.

The freezer is going to be outside either up on the boat deck or in the cockpit.

Friends have tried the small chest freezers available at the box stores with little success in our wet rainy enviroment.

I do not have a problem buying a "marine grade" freezer I just have not seen anything actually for sale. There seems to be a couple semi custom shops that will build you one but I would like to buy a off the shelf item.

Does not need to be 12 volts as we have 120 available 100% of the time.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

We chartered a GB once out of Bellingham that had one of these and it worked very well and was on the flying bridge. You should shop around on the price:

http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|2276204|2276226|2276228&id=680834

Your post motivated me to start searching as well. This 'marine' unit from Engel looks to be fairly good;

ENGEL MR040 PORTABLE FREEZER / FRIDGE (40 QT) Binnacle.com

MurrayM said:

Your post motivated me to start searching as well. This 'marine' unit from Engel looks to be fairly good;

ENGEL MR040 PORTABLE FREEZER / FRIDGE (40 QT) Binnacle.com

Click to expand...

Stay away from the plastic Engle. It does not have sufficient insulation. When I get up in the AM and see moisture, in a pattern even, then I knew. I had 2, sold em off. I currently have 3 Engles. Two swing door tine small chest, all have metal hulls.

Contact Fisheries Supply or Sure Marine. An RV store might be a little cheaper. Many times the same item's for a land or sea yacht. Land is a little cheaper.

Commercial freezers will withstand the marine enviorment. Plan on $$1300 to $1800 new.

Kevin,
Amazon has a large selection of portable freezers.
Ken

Old deckhand said:

Kevin,
Amazon has a large selection of portable freezers.
Ken

Click to expand...

I LOVE AMAZON. THANKS!!!

I never even thought to check there!

I just ordered the dometec 110 qt unit for $779 plus $24 for next day air shipping to Alaska using my amazon prime account!

ksanders said:

I LOVE AMAZON. THANKS!!!

I never even thought to check there!

I just ordered the dometec 110 qt unit for $779 plus $24 for next day air shipping to Alaska using my amazon prime account!

Click to expand...

Sweet, please let us know how it works for you.

A friend just bought one of these and loves it so far.

ARB 4x4 Accessories - Winch Bumpers, Tire Carriers, Air Locker, Air Compressor, Old Man Emu Suspension, Recovery Gear, Rooftop Tent, Snorkel, LED Lighting

Frigid Rigid - Ice Chests, Coolers, Refrigerated, Marine, Solar Refrigerator, Freezer, Coffin Box

http://www.frigibar.mobi

I have had one for 10yrs outside but it's inside a fiberglass box works well they are cheap think j payed 139 for it at hd

I've had an Edgestar 80qt - $695 Prime - on my boat deck for 2 years. Love it! I added louvres over the vents to keep rain out.

Frigid Rigid makes the best coolers on the market, far higher quality than a yeti or other plastic coolers. I got one for my 40th birthday, it has been going strong now for 10 years.

But man, are they expensive.

Hard to justify spending $3,000+ on one when you can get a Dometic for $750.

Capt.Bill11 said:

Frigid Rigid - Ice Chests, Coolers, Refrigerated, Marine, Solar Refrigerator, Freezer, Coffin Box

http://www.frigibar.mobi

Click to expand...

Any idea what these cost? I couldn't find prices on their website.

Go here and select your size from the drop down menu:
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Just buy a cheap household freezer

I can't see paying "marine" prices. I just buy a small chest freezer at the Home Depot, Lowes, or Best Buy and put it on the top deck. It runs fine and keeps things cold. After about 3-4 years up there, it will start looking rusty, like a car from the midwest, and I will take it to the dump and buy a new one for $150. I can do that 10-15 times and still be ahead of the game.

The last one I bought was an Igloo and is energy-star rated. It seems to use significantly less juice and did not cost any more than the competition.

Kevin

We have 3 years on our Dometic CF110. It stays under the top at the upper helm so isn't rained on directly. We use it as a freezer and it does well and doesn't consume much power.

Tom

ksanders said:

I LOVE AMAZON. THANKS!!!

I never even thought to check there!

I just ordered the dometec 110 qt unit for $779 plus $24 for next day air shipping to Alaska using my amazon prime account!

Click to expand...

Kasander, I went to boat shows for two years talking to Dometic dealers. They always said that the unit cant be outside. I decided to make a box to put it in. It is on the bridge under canvas bit get wet from blowing rain.
Fryedaze - Bridge frig box

I have two of the CF 110's. Dual voltage and probably slightly better energy efficiency running on DC. One of mine was bought by the PO and was sitting on the boat deck, as was an Engel of the same size. The Engel died, it was rusted to pieces. It might have been older than the CF 110 though. Both units had the factory padded/insulated bags on them which I think helps performance and give more weather protection.

All I have had to do to the CF 110 is remove the temperature control panel, clean and spray its circuit board with CRC and it continues to work well. In it new location It is still exposed to weather on two sides. The new CF 110 is under a seat on the boat deck, out of weather and sun and its the preferred freezer unit.

Very few domestic or RV units are made to stand out in the rain or sea spray.

"Marine" perhaps a bit better , but the simplest is to simply build a case to hold the unit.

Our RV propane reefer was made to be inside an RV , not outside in FL 24/7.

A very simple box holds the unit on the after deck.

Yes the outer door has to be opened firrst , and yes the RV vent system needed to be installed on the top of the box.

The 45? year old unit did the loop and is still working flawlessly .

High and dry during the summer deluges.

With a bit of planning the box could hold more insulation to reduce the system work load.

We've had an engle on our fly bridge for 5 years now and (knock on teak) it has been trouble free. We do have the cover on it with zipper top but no rust and very little power usage. It's a 110 running on the inverters.

What do you mean by "little success"? I still have the regular little chest freezer that came with my boat. The previous owner used it for years when he lived on the boat in the Bahamas. It has a Sunbrella cover. Seems to hold up fine.

OK guys, that makes it easy, I'm going to buy the soft cover.

The place I'm planning for it is up on the fly bridge under the bimini.

Thanks!