Portable Refrigerator Coolers?

[Irish Rambler]

In our personal experience we found the Dometic fridge expensive to buy with horrendous spares prices so when it broke down we replaced it with an auto changeover Vitrifrigo larder fridge and fitted an LEC freezer with a Secop changeover unit. As liveaboards they've been working for 12 yrs with no problems (fingers crossed).
I know there are various hi-tech electrics and electronic controls for fridge freezers but I am notorious for keeping electronics to the absolute minimum to what I can repair.

 

[Frosty]

In our personal experience we found the Dometic fridge expensive to buy with horrendous spares prices

I hear you there! One of my Dometic units (older one which does have Danfoss BD35 compressor) quit working and it had nothing to do with the compressor itself, and everything to do with Dometics notoriously failure-prone "thermistor," and also their plastic pressure keypad (for selecting temps etc.).

I pulled all those Dometic add-on controls out and replaced them with an Inkbird 12-volt digital thermostat and sensor ($19). Now it works better than it ever did, and as a bonus I can also control the hysteresis.

I just wired it right to the Danfoss control board, just like my Vitrifrigo does. Also added one additional fan, also controlled by the Danfoss board, and a fault light.

That all said, I didn't know how to do that back when I bought my Dometic. Luckily by the time it broke, the info was much easier to come by.

 

[amapola]

We have a Waeco that we bought in 2010. We use it 3-6 months a year while cruising and it continues to chug along with no issues. We also have a 7 cu ft GE chest freezer on board. Both work fine with our Northern Lights generator.

 

[Pier Pressure]

We are using a dometic portable cfx3 100 fridge/freezer chest, 12v or 120v. fabulous

 

[Transpacdan2442]

The fridge on our GBC 36 is pretty small for extended cruising. The admiral would like to trade in our cooler that we've used as an extra fridge for a powered unit.
They've become popular and there's a lot of choices up and down the price ladder. Dometic makes a really nice one at a really nice price $1250! Hard to justify for using it for a couple of months a year.
Have others found a good quality unit that is well insulated and power efficient? It will be sitting outside our rear window and gets a fair amount of sun. Or brands to look at that aren't nuts price-wise. We don't really need two zones as we have a built-in chest freezer, but we like to have some baskets or organization inside.

We have a GB 36 Classic 1989 and still use the refrig in main cabin but have added a small cheap frig from Home Depot AC, on the flybridge. 3 years and keeps ticking during months of May through Sept. Hasn’t rusted. It’s inside our Sunbrella curtains. Then we put the Dometic combo freezer and refrig or choose all freezer, up there for trips to Alaska. Dometic is expensive but will keep ice cream hard frozen and same for all meats and fish. Dometic both AC and DC can be in full sun and work without problems as some cheaper models will not.

 

[Frosty]

@Pier Pressure
I'm sorry but my quote function doesn't seem to be working. You said:

"We are using a dometic portable cfx3 100 fridge/freezer chest, 12v or 120v. fabulous"

I said "Q" up above, but I meant "3" as in CFX3 (the newer CFX model). This is the model that -- at least up until last time I checked -- they warn that you CANNOT have the unit plugged into both 12 volt and 110 volt at the same time (and then let it "fail over" to 110 or 12 volt, whichever is appropriate). You COULD do that on the older CF and original CFX (no "3") models.

A year or so after the "3" came out they discovered that whatever new 110 part they had used would let 110 backfeed into the 12 volt system (or something horrible like that).

At the time everyone assumed there would be a recall of existing "3" units and that going forward that would be fixed. Nope, instead they sent a sticker to the people who already had them and on the new ones it said NOT to plug into both 12 volt and 110 volt at the same time. Choose only one and leave the other one not connected (i.e. one at a time).

Really reduced the attractiveness to my mind (I have a CF and a CFX -- no CFX3). I oftentimes leave mine plugged into both, letting it decide (eg I have one in an RV and if the campground "shorepower" goes out -- not uncommon -- my fridge will just fail over to 12 volts and keep on running).

I had checked back on this a couple years later when friend was asking for recommendations..... it was still the same. Haven't checked since then.

Just wanted to bring this to your attention in case it might apply to you.

 

[Capt Ray]

We are full time life aboards... this summer we are staying in the southeastern US. Normally we head to Maine, Canada, or someplace up there.

+1 for our Dometic CFX3 55IM - was set to fridge temps inside the salon.
This Dometic has been repurposed to FREEZE and make ice + moved outside since moving from JAX FL to Jekyll Is GA for this summer. A large folded beach towel over the top helps keep the sun off of it. It easily stays within 3 degrees of its 6F setpoint. We had it on 12vdc both indoors and out. Makes ice overnight.
Our 25 year old NovaCool is always on 12vdc also. ((Lithium bank w/ Solar)). (Both vendors claim their units are more efficient on 12vdc.)

If you search or "dicker" well, you can easily get 20-25%% off Dometic's powered coolers in my experience.
The big RV centers who have them on the display floor always seem to have them marked down well.

Back in the salon where the Dometic once sat, we put in a narrow (18" wide) TCL [brand] double glass front door "wine cooler" from Lowes. We simply re-arranged the shelves for our cargo/needs. Smaller footprint is nice.

Bonus: I can put "stuff" on top of it, (next to where I sit), and the Admiral no longer is asking me for access to the top loading Dometic, cuz the door opens up front! I think it was $350. The only bad thing is its lowest thermostat setting is 40F... and we see 40-45F depending upon where the thermometer is placed. SO, that might be a deal breaker for some. But honestly, it works for us. (120vac only, so inverter or shore power).

Our marina in JAX had an ice machine accessible 24x7, which was really nice. The changes I write about here were to enable us to make our own ice underway or at other marinas this summer.
Our YETI is retired... for now!

 

[Frosty]

You mentioning the towel brings to mind a slight rant. Pardon me if I already whined earlier in the thread

So many of these portable refrigerators' lids are dark grey or black. As if that weren't bad enough, I have the dedicated, fitted (nicely fitted at that) brand-name extra cover for two of mine..... and they are so dark grey they are basically black.

Why is it cool to have a black refrigerator?

So yes, I have to keep an old yellow lifejacket I found on the beach on top of them, and move it off and back every time I open the lid. Whyyyyy.

(Thank you for listening.) (And yeah, I could make a more permanent cover-for-the-cover.)

 

[Maerin]

Have never heard anything negative about the Engel. Have friends who cruised extensively and kept one on their FB. There is an insulated cover available for outside use. The Engel uses a slide technology compressor that is far more efficient than the Speco/Danfoss units, which can be finicky. Other cruising friends who had them LOVED them.

 

[psneeld]

You mentioning the towel brings to mind a slight rant. Pardon me if I already whined earlier in the thread

So many of these portable refrigerators' lids are dark grey or black. As if that weren't bad enough, I have the dedicated, fitted (nicely fitted at that) brand-name extra cover for two of mine..... and they are so dark grey they are basically black.

Why is it cool to have a black refrigerator?

So yes, I have to keep an old yellow lifejacket I found on the beach on top of them, and move it off and back every time I open the lid. Whyyyyy.

(Thank you for listening.) (And yeah, I could make a more permanent cover-for-the-cover.)

Might get some plastic compatible, white spray paint and give the lids and top of the covers a makeover if it may help.

Also slows UV deterioration.

 

[BruceK]

Don`t know about USA but in Australia, Waeco and Dometic are the same mfr.

 

[Capt Ray]

You mentioning the towel brings to mind a slight rant. Pardon me if I already whined earlier in the thread

So many of these portable refrigerators' lids are dark grey or black. As if that weren't bad enough, I have the dedicated, fitted (nicely fitted at that) brand-name extra cover for two of mine..... and they are so dark grey they are basically black.

Why is it cool to have a black refrigerator?

So yes, I have to keep an old yellow lifejacket I found on the beach on top of them, and move it off and back every time I open the lid. Whyyyyy.

(Thank you for listening.) (And yeah, I could make a more permanent cover-for-the-cover.)

I agree.
Even the OEM Dometic insulating "cover" made for our CFX3 55IM is black?!?!?!? It is on LOoong delivery for some reason. Rest assured, when it arrives (someday) it will have a light colored beach towel on top of it!

The color of the cooler certainly impacts its effectiveness due to absorption or reflection of the sun's energy. I've even considered some of the "foil" bubble wrap that is available at the big box stores like Lowes and Home Depot. Instead, we wait for our made-for-it Dometic insulating cover + use a white towel on the top, several layers thick, (obviously being careful to not block the fan/condenser louvers.)

We pinch pennies. With regards to the cost of our solar+storage+refrigeration strategies we would certainly take a different tact if we were "weekend boaters". "Buying a bag of ice every week for the YETI or cheaper cooler is more than adequate!" We totally agree; we get that.

But once we recognized "this is our year-round home" and way of life, our perspective on living well without the noise of a generator when anchoring, plus fueling that generator, and buying ice every other day we had to admit that committing to good living is worth it for us.

 

[Mark Laurnen]

I have given thought to the same idea, mainly to transport fish home after it has been processed and frozen out on the coast. Im sure the Dometic is very nice, but it is too expensive for my taste. I next saw a comparable unit at Costco. I have typically been satisfied with their product selection, and the price was about $800. Then I very recently saw a nice unit at Harbor Marine (Everett), I do not recall the name. They said they have had nothing but good reports on the unit, and they had them in stock. It was 70 or 80 liters, price was $450! You might call Harbor Marine if that sounds interesting to you. Good luck.

 

[Cap Steve]

I’ve seen a couple of large Yeti’s, although there are several good coolers on the market now, with compressors mounted in a bridge enclosure, deck box or under seat. Sure Marine can size the compressor for the ability to freeze or refrigerate with fairly low power use. Exterior exposure becomes a none issue with the exception of a good compressor location and protecting the lines. I’m planning on this option when our latest Dometic bites the dust. Btw, the Dometic covers only last a few summers exposed to the elements and the “D” rings rust fast. Thinking about a table top for additional protection and useable space by the BBQ. In my experience the Dometic’s are pricey vs. their life span.

 

[AlanT]

The fridge on our GBC 36 is pretty small for extended cruising. The admiral would like to trade in our cooler that we've used as an extra fridge for a powered unit.
They've become popular and there's a lot of choices up and down the price ladder. Dometic makes a really nice one at a really nice price $1250! Hard to justify for using it for a couple of months a year.
Have others found a good quality unit that is well insulated and power efficient? It will be sitting outside our rear window and gets a fair amount of sun. Or brands to look at that aren't nuts price-wise. We don't really need two zones as we have a built-in chest freezer, but we like to have some baskets or organization inside.

Just a thought for an alternative approach. For a number of years we supplemented our fridges with a large super insulated cooler and a relatively cheap $150? or so countertop icemaker. It only works if you are on board of course as the ice has to be refreshed every few hours but its a simple approach and you already have the cooler.

 

[Frosty]

I've heard numerous people state that the Engel is much more efficient than a Danfoss/Secop compressor. That's interesting to me.

I presume we are basically ignoring the effect on duty cycle of insulation or lack thereof, as the Engel "walls" are no thicker or different from any other portable refrigerator, best I can tell.

My Danfoss/Secop BD35's take about 2.5 amps at 2,000 RPM, and about 3.25a at 3,000 RPM. I don't generally have any issue running them at 2,000 RPM unless it is very hot outside and/or I'm trying to keep the whole unit at 0ºF consistently (then I have to up the RPM's, at which time they take around 3-3.5 amps).

So what are the Engel's drawing to stay cold. Let's presume around a 50% duty cycle (what I aim for) in below 90º temps and running as a fridge. At that state I'd be using 2.5 amps running at 2,000 rpm and about a 50% duty cycle. How much better are the Engel "swing" compressors doing?

 

[DDW]

Engel is one of the few manufacturers that have fairly extensive performance testing for many or most of their models. Available on their website, often in the downloadable owners manual. Not just amp draw, but AH or WA used at various ambient temps.

 

[Delta Riverat]

Just ordered up this Bouge RV CRPRO30 for $230. We bought some Ice Cream for a boat ride and stopped for lunch on the way and it got pretty soft by the time we made the boat. The insulated bag with a the blue ice didn't do the do. Will be good to use as transport food to boat and also to use as a extra freezer on the boat if needed.

And it comes in white too -

I like the Bouge stuff. Seems to work well and is built well.

 

[dannc]

I mounted a Yeti in that spot, on a rack to keep it off the deck on my GB 36. ...

Since the OP is going to have the fridge cooler outside and on the deck, elevating the deck will help keep the cooler, well, cool.

Long story short, we have some ice coolers on our covered porch. The porch has a concrete "deck" and the sun will warm up the concrete when the sun is low in the sky. Since the concrete holds a temperature, that sun shine heats up the porch which is then radiated into the coolers. I was wondering if the concrete was really heating up the coolers so I elevated the coolers. Sure enough, the ice packs I use to cool the coolers are still frozen after 24 hours vs being completely melted when the ice chest is on the concrete.

I just did this "experiment" over the last couple of weeks where the temperatures have been 90-97 and humidity in the 80-90% range. Just horrible heat and humidity.

So to the OP, elevate the cooler of the deck.

We have a decent ice cooler and one that is not so good. We have been talking about buying another decent ice chest to replace the not so good one. It really is odd how many ice chests are dark in color. It really makes no sense. I guess white could get dirty but it sure will make a difference it keeping the ice chest cool if it is in the sun.