I am interested in people’s experiences/ recommendations with the lesser expensive fridge options out there.
I am not in need of a dometic, nor do I want to spend that kind of money on my fridge. I am much more of a “weekend warrior” and simply don’t use my rig enough to justify that cost.
I have been looking at the Bouge RV fridges and they seem like a great value, but I am curious to hear experiences from this community about that brand or similar products out there.
*I will also note I specifically would love something with a built in or detachable battery back up. I don’t travel with a power setup so this would be a nice feature. Looks like Bouge is coming out with that
I dont have one, but have been eying one when money is there.
With that said, a buddy has a Bouge RV in his van and loves it. He’s used it for 2+ years and did 8 months full time living in the US and Mexico last summer and said it never skipped a beat.
I’ve got a Iceco VL45ProS that I’ve been using for a couple years now and has been great. It’s absolutely cheaper than the Dometics but still isn’t super cheap like some of those on Amazon. I believe they may have a model with a battery pack but not totally sure.
I mainly went for this one as I got it onsale along with it fitting perfectly behind the driver seat of my Tacoma and a 5 year compressor warranty. No real complains and seems to sip power. Plenty big for my wife and I when going on extended weekend camping trips. Will never go back to ice.
I have a Setpower AJ series 32 QT that has been going strong for 2 years now. Only cost me $200 and like you, I am also mostly a weekend warrior. Paired with my delta mini and renogy 100w solar panel, I have never had issues with running out of battery. I leave mine running 24/7 in the garage when I am not camping, no issues so far. They have added a huge lineup since I bought mine, some with dual zones as well, for only $300-$400.
Every now and then Costco has massimo fridges for like $250-$350. That’s what I’ve been using and it works fine. Wanted a nice $800 Dometic, but then same as you I realized I’d be paying $800 for a fridge I’d use on weekends and then it would just sit, wasn’t worth the money for me. It’s easy to get caught up in “german compressors”, lower power consumption, etc, but at the end of the day you have to analyze how you’d use it.
Anyways the 40L massimo fridge has lasted me 2+ years, and for the last 2 months I’ve been using it every weekend to sell at a farmers market, and still no issues. I think I paid $230 for it.
I scored a used ARB 50qt on OfferUp that was in pretty good condition right around $300(cant remember exactly). ARB is a well known brand for fridges and it has been solid the last 2 years since I’ve had it. Anyways, point of the story is sometimes when I’m looking to purchase something and want to stick with a tried and true brand you can trust but not spend the coin, going used can be a good route. It can take some time for the right deal to come up but I’ve gotten lucky a few times.
I got an entire year of everyday use out of the super cheap amazon fridge then 1 day it decided to not work anymore. 45 liter on sale for $189 when I bought it. it would probably work better for weekenders YMMV
My Amazon aspenora has been great. 3 years old. Used at least 7 days a month if not more, it’s dented all to heck from tossing gear into the bed, I broke the integrated latch and replaced it with a latch I had on hand. #ihavenotbeennicetoit and it runs like a champ
I’ve been running a Mobicool MCF32 almost non stop in my truck for the last 2 1/2 years. At the time of purchase it was a little under $300. I like the size and styling of it, has a more ice chest look to it over the aluminum box look. Mobicool is a sub company of Dometic, or at least they used to be.
This is the third fridge I’ve owned, I had a Smitybuilt branded fridge that’s still cooling things for my son, and I have an Engel MT45 Combi mounted in the Wrangler (if find it to be too much of a fridge most of the time and don’t like how the lid opens long-ways). Overall, I’d buy a Mobicool again without a second thought.
Having a fridge on board full time is great, if I go to the store and buy perishables and need to stop somewhere else, no problem, drinks are always cold when I return to the truck after a bike ride or run, etc. So much better than dealing with ice.
I have it plugged into a 12v power outlet wired directly to the starter battery, then have 100 watts of solar feeding into starter battery, have had no issues keeping it running in sunny Southern California. (Have a jump pack tucked away as insurance)
I have a BourgeRV dual zone purchased from Amazon, ~45 qt. Overall happy with it. Freezer goes down to -4, doesn’t hold that all the time and I haven’t really looked at power usage. I should probably get or make an insulator jacket for the outside. I liked the lid can change direction of opening. Ice cream keeps but does get kind of soft. Had the plug disconnect from unit during hard wheeling so I tape it now. For ~$360 it works well enough and wasn’t overly expensive. A little over 1 year old and wheeled on dirt roads in about 7 western states so far.
I have an Engel 45 and have had it running 24/7 for over 25 years. It has never failed me. It is on the smaller side but it’s amazing. It only uses about 2.3 amp per hour. I ran it for years on a yellow top battery and it never stopped running. I’m sure if you run it on lithium it will run for several days without a charge. You can pick one up on their website for around $1000 these days. It’s worth every penny in my opinion. Cheers.
costco has these on sale $189.99 shipped it’s a rebranded cool ride QN30. Chinese junk? yep. super cheap for the weekender? yep. would I trust it long term 24/7 use? hell no https://www.costco.com/.product.1666589.html
I have been rocking a setpower now for 1.5 years. Works well. Probably pulls more power than a dometic or iceco but still works really well. Just got back from a 3 day trip where it was on 3.5 days straight.
Ive looked at the Acopower coolers a bit. Seems like a quality side manufacturer. Good prices and there seems to be folks that are using them so with a little exploration of the web you should find what you need if your looking for help.
Alright, I have narrowed my search to two options
And honestly need input. These are the exact same fridge right?
Any arguments to go with the Bouge RV over the slightly cheaper Euhomy?
If I am already scraping the bottom of the barrel, why not just lick the bottom and get the Euhomy?
Wanted to chime in here. I bought a Setpower 37L fridge on Prime which was a great price <$290. I tested it out this weekend. Love it! So nice to not deal with ice/melt. Here are my observations.
It is dual zone. This weekend was just a quick Fri-Sun so I just set the main side (large side) to 37F and pre-chilled it Friday while working. Departed 330PM.
Had it plugged into my Bluetti EB70s in the bed of truck. Used it for dinner Friday/breakfast Saturday. After that fridge remained closed until 5PM Sunday when I got out from backpacking to ice cold beverages!
That is a full 48 hrs. Battery went from 100% to >60%. Not too bad! Compressor doesn’t seem to cycle on to much.
The 37L seems like plenty to me. More spacious than my 42L cooler just based on design and the fact that the walls are straight.
