Does anyone have an electric cooler? We usually keep our beverages in a regular cooler and not in the refrigerator of the TT. Saw one of these electric coolers, Coleman made this one, it was AC and had an outlet for a vehicle. During the hot summer months we go through a lot of ice. LOL We probably take too many beverages,etc...

We've got a 63 qt EdgeStar - its been running in my basement storage for 3.5 years NON stop w/out issue (except the time i lowered the thermostat too low & froze a beer).our edgestar runs on 12vdc or 120vac (automatically switches based on whats available).I never empty ours & never turn it off - when the coach is in storage, the cooler is on shore power.I have a friend that has the same cooler in the back of his van. The van sits outside his house in the TEXAS sun - his cooler is 2 yrs older than ours and it has NEVER been turned off, EVER, and its never missed a beat. My friend powers his off a single deep cycle battery (when he's not on shore power) and a single solar panel (on the roof of the van) to keep the battery charged when he's dirt biking int he desert. I picked ours up from COMPACT APPLIANCES (free shipping). our outdoor cooler is one of the best upgrades that I've ever made - even if we sell the coach ill buy another cooler. I love not having to search for ice or worry about how much ice is in the cooler.

I have one like this one- it's handy for keeping things cool while underway in the car, but it doesn't chill as cold as an ice chest does. This because they're really "heat pumps", so won't reduce temps much below about twenty degrees of ambient temperature. I also bought an adapter that lets one use it off 110v for trips where power will be available at destination.Here's a tip:Since cooling is related to incoming air temp., strategic placement near an onboard A/C vent works wonders. I like the "keep warm" feature, too- handy if one goes to a lot of potlucks!

I have a bunch of smaller cooler types and IIRC they claim to keep things about 40 degrees cooler than ambient. I have one that makes ice, sort of. it came with a tiny aluminum ice cube tray which you set on the bottom, then put an insulated divider over it and wait. but it actually does freeze. no practical use however.mine are more like that Koolatron fun that was at that link.I do NOT consider any of mine to be a waste of money. truck stops sell a bunch of them, so they must be liked by somebody. like my refrigerator in my RV, I always put cool/cold things into it. bumpy

I WOULD NOT waste my money on any "thermo-electric" cooler - they'll never keep the goods cool enough on even the warmest days - and they run constantly / NON STOP !look at the units that have compressors in them - they'll run less and they'll have no problem keeping up in the hottest (texas) weather !Its amazing how much more room you have in a cooler when ice isn't consuming space ! The freedom of not having to buy ice or worry about where you're gonna get it is huge - no more over priced ice at the track etc.

We have one and really like it. This is our second one. We travel in a very small pop-up and this is what we use all the time. There is just two of us so limited space works pretty well for us. We have not used it in really hot weather since we prefer to camp in the Spring and Fall.

Electric Coolers | Good Sam Community

43 Replies

marcsbigfoot20b
Explorer
Jul 11, 2014
The other bonus of the chest type vs standard type fridge freezer is that when you open the lid, the cold stays in the chest.

On a dorm type fridge when you open the door all the cold air drops out the bottom and is replaced with ambient air.
JJBIRISH
Explorer
Jul 11, 2014
bshpilot wrote:
JJBIRISH wrote:
Even a lower price on Amazon… Price: $583.21 & FREE Shipping.

despite their advertised sizes Whynter & EdgeStar are EXACTLY the same unit.
yet the EdgeStar is slightly cheaper at $579 than the Whynter.

I have the EdgeStar & am very pleased with it.
I suspect the Whynter is equally as good.

http://www.amazon.com/Portable-Refrigerator-Freezer-Qt-EdgeStar/dp/B001TWYCMK

I made a mistake, the lower price is not for the same unit… thanks for bringing that to my attention, and I apologize for my error…

The actual price is for the dual compartment dual zone control model FM-62DZ at a price that I previously posed of $679.99 free shipping… the lower price is a single compartment model…

dual compartment dual control as linked by Chris Bryant earlier

interesting and a good price for it I believe…
bshpilot
Explorer
Jul 11, 2014
JJBIRISH wrote:
Even a lower price on Amazon… Price: $583.21 & FREE Shipping.

despite their advertised sizes Whynter & EdgeStar are EXACTLY the same unit.
yet the EdgeStar is slightly cheaper at $579 than the Whynter.

I have the EdgeStar & am very pleased with it.
I suspect the Whynter is equally as good.

http://www.amazon.com/Portable-Refrigerator-Freezer-Qt-EdgeStar/dp/B001TWYCMK
JJBIRISH
Explorer
Jul 11, 2014
Even a lower price on Amazon… Price: $583.21 & FREE Shipping.
bshpilot
Explorer
Jul 11, 2014
deleted
JJBIRISH
Explorer
Jul 11, 2014
Chris Bryant wrote:
Another neat portable is the Whynter dual zone model, with 2 compartments, which can be fridge, freezer or both.

That’s a nice unit and a decent price at Amazon, $679.99 & FREE Shipping… or Wall Mart (out of stock)…
Water-Bug
Explorer II
Jul 10, 2014
There are basically two different technologies used in electric coolers. Compressor driven units are basically the same technology as your home refrigerator or air conditioner. The second technology uses the Peltier Effect (Peltier Cells). They are solid state devices that generate heat on one surface and cold on the opposing surface. They are much cheaper than a compressor but due to the proximity of the hot and cold surfaces, much less efficient and less reliable.
Mootpoint
Explorer
Jul 10, 2014
We bought a Coleman from Wally World on sale.

The idea was to handle any overflow from the fridge when grocery shopping.

Temporary use.

It is now the beer and wine cooler and has run 24/7/365 for the last 2 1/2 years. Replaced the Ac/Dc adapter 3 months ago for $16.

When we are parked and running it on Ac, I put a timer on it to shut off the power in the middle of the cooler nights. Everything stays cold.

It doesn't owe me anything and would buy one, or similar unit, again if the need came up.
Chris_Bryant
Explorer II
Jul 10, 2014
Another neat portable is the Whynter dual zone model, with 2 compartments, which can be fridge, freezer or both.
wa8yxm
Explorer III
Jul 10, 2014
YC 1 wrote:
Closer to $800 when I bit the bullet for a large Dometic model. It has handles, a reversible lid, 12 volts or 110, does not have any external fins, is extremely rugged, cools very fast, can be used as a freezer, and worth the money for us when we went full time.

Except for the reversible lid (it is, however, removable for cleaning) you have described my Engel right down the the dollar sign.

Been using this thing 9 years both in the house when I had it and the RV.. Love it.

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Electric Coolers

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