INDIEGOGO Campaign is OVER along with the $299 price! The iCooler is now available for retail sale direct from ICECO with the same 5 year Danfoss compressor in their other models. You can score 12% off SITE WIDE at the ICECO Store Page hobos.cc/iceco
Just got a Tacoma pickup and a geo pro travel trailer going traveling have a jackary 500 to charge my exiles wen 3800 to run trailer off grid plus the geo pro trailer has a 100 watt solar panel on roof and can use my jackary portable panel for trailer when not in use with jackary 500 What colors are what on ice on icooler
Got one of these as a mobile drink fridge in my truck (main fridge in mounted in my off-road trailer). 4 years and a bunch of rough roads and trails, and it has never let me down.
I am a traveling pastor and have been on the road for 4 years now, in the very beginning I lost my dometic 3 cu. ft. 3 way refer. I have been waiting for something to come out and kick some butt on these other refer companies who have a monopoly on rv refrigeration, seeing these stats really gives me hope, maybe I will end up with a fridge again. I only have 145Wh in my campervan and 165 watt go solar system which is awesome, praise God not one hiccup. Thank you for your input and hard work and of course all the video editing that goes with it. God bless in your endeavors. Subscribed 👍
Professor, great review. I am not an RV'er. I am a sailor with a 30 foot trimaran down in San Carlos, Mx. I have an old Engel freezer/refridge. That is why i was so interested in your findings. Man, you are so thorough in your review. I am now a subscriber. One trick that i might add that i use for my freezer that i run on 12v....I use the Engel as a freezer only. I keep a one liter of water in a soda type bottle. I have another cooler that is a Yeti-like box. At the beginning of my trip everything is already precooled or frozen. The Yeti box is filled and has an identical 1 liter bottle with frozen water in it. Those Yeti like box's can keep everything very cool for 5 days plus before you swap out the bottles between the freezer and the Yeti box. One of the main tricks is not to open up the boxes very often...Plan ahead. I also turn down my freezer from hard frozen ...level 5 ...on the dial to about 2-2.5 on the knob at night. This will save you some amps overnight. You do not need to keep things at hard frozen 24 hours a day ...7 days/wk. As long as things don't thaw you are good to go. Great review and thank you Sir...
Tom. I just think you changed the way I live. I got my Jackery 500 to run my CPAP. I can get three nights running by just plugging in the converter straight into 110. If I can get more nights by putting a 12 plug on it WOW, WOW!!!!! That would change everything. I just looked on amazon. I did not even know you could get a 12volt plug for it. If this works, and after I get my Jackery 1,000 back....... this will totally change my life when I am off grid. Dude...... you are seriously the man! Step 1: get correct 12 volt plug. Step 2: get my Jackery 1,000 back. Step 3: Determine how much juice I can get with 12 volt. Step 4: conquer the world!!!!!
It took a while to get here, but I was an early backer and got in on the $399 level back in May and it just arrived today. So far it's working great. Dropped from 75f to 20f in about an hour. I'll be testing running off of my "solar generator" later. This thing is going to great in my van.
I got mine from Indiegogo and it was working great for a week or two until it presented an error message of E7 and would only freeze. I contacted Iceco regarding their warranty but have not heard back. The manual says that is an NTC fault. After investigation that means the thermistor. Thankfully I was able to fix this error myself by opening the vented outer chamber and investigating. The thermistor cable had wiggled loose, which I then rectified. Thankfully this was a quick fix this time. We will see if they return my email. Great little fridge, I hope it lasts a long time!
I use this model in my semi truck as a freezer to store my chicken and steak. Super quiet like you don't even hear it. Had it for 3 months and have not turned it off. I keep it in eco mode. 100% and I have it plugged in on my APC. recommend for truckers.
It took 3 months to deliver it to my door. I had to return mine because of a temperature control issue and it had strange scratches (used?) inside the bottom of the fridge. It took 3 phone calls and a month to get a return authorization from support.
I have had a lot of problems with cigarette plug that comes with these refrigerators. My fridge is a Joy Tutus. The red tipped plug will not stay inserted in the receptacle. I removed it and installed a different brand of plug.
I run a Snomaster 35 liter fridge at 33 degrees off a Jackery 240 with a 60w Jackery solar panel. On a sunny day, the solar panel keeps the Jackery at 100% all day long. If days were sunny, I wonder how long I could run it. Maybe indefinitely. I'm going to try it out. That little Jackery is a nice unit. This setup beats buying ice and dealing with melt water and soggy food.
I have bought two non compressor coolers they don't really keep things cool a closed car very well. I don't know what they draw but it seems that they draw a lions share but don't do much. The only thing I don't like about it is where it is made I am not against that country but made in USA would sell me for sure. Your tests proved its worth for sure. Thank you for sharing your video.
@@HOBOTECH unless there is capital to be gained I agree but with things the way they have been globally I would think someone would come up with a USA made like this.
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH !! I ordered mine from the kick starter when Russ did the preview. Glad you did the testing. I've been watching you & SUBD quite a while back. TAKE CARE..
Thanks for the review! Personally, I am not a fan of the rubber clasps from the Yeti cooler design. I like a lid that seals itself when you drop it with an option to lock it if you wish to. These newer designs require to be clasped tight to make a seal what-so-ever.
Impressive, and so are your thorough reviews. You're a credit and exceptional public service to any company and consumer. Definitely love appliance tests. More coolers, and maybe power usage on cooking appliances like Instapots. 😉👍
Excellent review. Just a heads up, when using the fridge in conjunction with a vehicle charging system’s start battery it is bad to allow it to drain below 10.0 volts. Only lithium ion batteries are designed for that, such as the jackery. Permanent could result if one drains the start battery to 9.0 volts. Thanks for sharing and great review!
An excellent test to for this unit would be inside a van and run it off solar 8am-8pm in lowest temp/freezer mode and see if it freezes water, then turn it off until 8am the next day and see what temp content is at? We usually have an abundance of power during the day either due to good sun or driving alternator power, but at night we are just consuming power for cooking, ventilation and media devices.
The ICECO iCooler is now available for retail pre-order for $509. Visit the ICECO Store Page via this link then add your desired model to cart. Use code HOBOTECH at checkout for 12% off. icecofreezer.com/discount/HOBOTECH
Excellent review! One thing I continue to notice ( although I could be wrong) I see a Jackery Explorer here and there in your videos. Could it be you really like them ???? I love mine 🙂
Iceco makes a quality product. I did a review on the VL60 and that thing is built to last. Not sure about the one you are reviewing but mine monitors the batteries to prevent draining.
Can you fill it with beer cans, and tell me how long it takes to chill them all to 40 F. My old waeco 35 could do it in about 2 hours on a hot day. It would make an interesting video.
Awesome review! I especially like the watt/amp usage for AC and DC in both power settings. I backed the iCooler and EcoFlow R600 Pro on Kickstarter for my overland build. I also live in AZ, so the high temp tests are very relevant. Your review helps me better plan for my power usage! 👌🏼Thanks!!
Hobotech, that aluminum blanket is a mixed blessing. It is blocking the sun, but it might be retaining the exhaust heat from the cooler, basically making a big oven around the cooler. Airflow is important. I noticed that the windspeed was very low. Are you feeling a blast of hot air when you raise the blanket?
An additional comment, while I agree on using the 12v capabilities is more efficient what about those who are (off grid cabin) using regular chest freezers with an external thermometer to regulate the temperatures? Chest freezers do have better insulation and top lid access allows for less cold loss.
Chest freezers still use AC to DC conversion to run the compressor. While much better insulated you are still wasting a lot of power to heat to run off AC.
@@richkreyche7064 i agree.. But after like a week im like.. I got solar! Why am i always trying to find dry ice!? So.. Makes sense for me but if youre just a weekend warrior, more or LESS power to ya!
@@richkreyche7064 Wanna be cheap, here's an idea you might consider, just set the freezer and make your own ice to sell to other travelers. I'm going to do it for sure. Got my order shipped, should be here Wednesday.
Some of us live full time on the road and need a real refrigerator. Sure a $5 ice chest is fine for a weekend warrior but it is not a long term solution for most.
You came close to answering all my questions about boondocking, but not quite. My thoughts on boondocking is that i need to keep and make ice for 14 days off grid. This is based on a mostly or highly carnivorous diet. My thoughts are if I can keep a 3 cubic ft (max) freezer full of frozen meats and still make ice to keep a cooler full of fresh vegetables, eggs, condiments below 40*, that i can boondock for 14 days at a time with ease!
Just checking math. At 24:07 it says the compressor ran for 1421 minutes (40%) in a 24 hour period. 60 minutes per hour x 24 hours is 1440 minutes in a day. So in 24 hours the compressor was only off for 19 minutes?
I'm sad, I can't get the offer in Canada. This one has the best design features. We get the little mini rounded versions. Why is it so hard to get good efficient appliances in Canada? CANADIAN GOVERNMENT! ARE YOU LISTENING? YOU WANT TO GO CARBON NEUTRAL? ENABLE US TO DO IT AT THE RIGHT PRICE POINT! Sorry for yelling.
I'm in Toronto, I ordered a Joytutus fridge from Amazon, 299 CAD free delivery. Came in 3 days. Not quite as big as this one, 18L capacity, but it seems to be good so far. I haven't tested the Eco mode yet, nor anything but deep freeze (-18c) with a full load. Draws about 32w consistent on 12v. For testing I froze it on AC power and let it drop to temperature before switching to DC. For my purposes that simulates real use; cool it down the night before my trip then run it on a power station for a day/weekend trip. It doesn't say so on the Amazon listing, but they also offer you a free insulating and carrying bag if you email them post purchase. I haven't recieved it yet, but it's on the way. I'll be doing more testing this weekend.
this reminds me of The Kernel from KFC teaching us all how to prep and survive the apocalypse. I have the need for BBQ sauce at this time -- a super food.
Looks pretty useful. And the price is right. But this is one of those times where I’m glad I didn’t order right away. I walked into a garage sale and purchased a “new” Dometic cf50 for 30 bucks. Works like a champ.
Professor HOBO, thanks for the info on how to power a compressor fridge on a power station. Could you do a similar product review with a dual-zone compressor fridge?
I got the small dual zone fridge/ freezer. Made by Iceco. I took out the devider and only use it as a freezer. Works great ! But the app sucks, couldn't get it to work at all. But I don't need it anyway.
Great reviews with a lot of angles of performance levels on the products you review, sometimes you do advise beyond expectations because of troubleshooting in various ways. Thank you.I did subscribe.
very informative. i bought a new energy star 2.6 cubic ft chest freezer for under $200.00. i also bought a new external thermostat for $60.00. it over rides the chest freezers settings so you can run it as a fridge. As a fridge in 80 degree heat it uses 70 watts for 24 hour period.If i disconnect the external thermostat and run it as a freezer in 80 degree heat it uses 260 watts for a 24 hour period. i have also tested it on a non energy star chest freezer but never recorded the results but do remember it used much more energy when not energy star. i used my killowatts meter for this test. i been doing this for 20 years or so.
It is nice to see more of these affordable frigs on the market. Earlier this year I bought one of the XtremepowerUS 21 quart frig/coolers. I think I paid about $230 for it. It isn't as big or nice as this one though.
So the retail version iceco icooler says it is using secop compressor. Do you think it will be more efficient? Then the one you reviewed that does not have it?
Seems like a ad for power bricks So I will tell other wise, get a 12v leisure battery. also has in setting to turn off at min of 9.6v Just saying instead on the 240wh of the Jackery you get 1380Wh with a 120ah battery. third the price 5 time the battery bank
Was very informative and will look into one of these. For me all the technical information was mind numbing but I can see it would be helpful for those that are that technical. For me just want to know will it keep things cold, how long and will it kill my battery. Good review
Wow!! Great video!! Bought an ICECO a couple months ago. I guess it was the previous model...JP50. Very impressed with it but I paid $500 bucks for it. Love this model....looks like we gonna get another ICECO!! CHEERS!!!
@@48956l The extra thermal mass will help the cooler maintain a steady temperature without the compressor having to cycle on/off as much. It will also have the side benefit of lower overall power consumption over time due to less on/off cycling of the compressor. ;-)
@@LordTimelord Even if the compressor kicks on more with less stuff inside, doesn't it have to run for shorter intervals? I always thought that was what balanced it out.
@@48956l With less stuff inside, their is less thermal mass. This means that the temperature will fluctuate more often between highs and lows (especially when you open the door and let the cold air out) because there is more 'air' inside the unit. So a fridge/freezer that is 50% full vs. 90% full will use more energy maintaining temperature because there is more dead air space inside that has to be cooled back down again. Just be sure to allow some room for airflow around the inside as 100% full is bad as there is reduced airflow. If you have lots of extra room, adding water bottles (fridge) or salt-water bottles (freezer) is a easy way to increase how much thermal mass you have inside. This comes in very handy if you loose power, as it will take significantly longer for the contents to warm up and spoil (especially if you keep the door shut until the power is restored).
@@LordTimelord Sure the temp fluctuates more rapidly but that goes both ways. The compressor will kick on more frequently but less mass cools more rapidly so it stays on for a shorter period of time. Additionally, you'll lose power more quickly if you have to get those bottles down to fridge or freezer temp in the first place, so it doesn't actually net you any additional cool time if you're purely on battery power. Finally, not much cold air rushes out of a chest-style fridge/cooler when it's opened, since cold air is heavier than warm air. Sure, some is exchanged, but I don't know if it's a huge difference between a full and half full fridge or cooler. It sounds like most of what you're saying applies to grid-powered upright house units, battery powered chest-units with a finite power source are different.
Hobo - when running tests on my Iceco (lowest battery setting) Rockpals DC doesn’t drain the battery fully only to 10.6. When I switch it over to AC I can use the remaining battery down to 8.8. Just wanted to share my testing.
I love watching your reviews. The details you give, let's us know the likely performance of the products. I have seen other people comment that these 12 volt refrigerators have about a 5 year life expectancy with continual use. Question I have is what is the failure mode? Do these compressors have brushes on the motors? Or are these motors brushless? Do any fridges have brushless compressor motor? Brushes are the only fragile component I can think of that would limit life.
A couple questions and comments. It did not seem to maintain the set temp, even when checking the temp in the morning instead of in the evening. Apparently not accurate regulation. How much did it vary during the heat of the day? Set at 40 and 10 degrees off at 8 am after a cool night, might your food get on a hot day with an unregulated cooler? Better than ice coolers and Pelletier style for sure. But I would expect a $400 plus compressor cooler to be accurately governed. If you are putting stuff in it that doesn't matter, get an ice chest. Freezing is a great option, but I probably wouldn't rely on this for safe food storage any more than a cheap ice chest.
Thanks for the video, just installed a 110vac resi fridge in our RV and am considering a fridge like this also. Noticed you lurk outside lake Havasu pyro, you should join the WPA. I went in 19 and am going to their other event (do it) this year. It's super fun and informative.
This seems to be the perfect fit for my Jackery 300 during hurricanes down in Louisiana. I am usually out of power for a week. I would have it fully frozen as the storm approaches, and there is usually good sun after the storm passes; my two panels will do fine in charging it up in 2 hours. This unit has a 2 yr warranty but the other one has a 5 year warranty, so I would aim for that 5 year one. Question, if I call and tell them I am buying it because of your website, do you still get credit? I don't want to buy it, if it is on a boat outside of San Francisco waiting to be unloaded sometime in the next 5 years. Thank you for what you do for us, K
If someone could make one of these with a dual fridge freezer Id buy one in a heart beat. But all the existing compressor coolers on the market are'nt insulated enough.
Excellent presentation Sir! ...I'm in a Hard Lean towards ICECO, just which one...this unit has thought out scenarios. Impressive. I'm checking to see.if you have reviewed any other Iceco freezer s.. Thank you!
trailer will be located on the Mogollon Rim. I have the following setup, 4-6v 225AH batteries fed by 3-170w solar panels through a 30amp solar controller. I was thinking of plugging the DC into the trailer utilizing the 6V batteries and letting the solar maintain the batteries. How long do you think the Fridge could be plugged in and running before I need to worry about the batteries?
did you got it? I dont understand when they say it is not guarenteed, is not a purchase !!that kills me. really work hard for my money just lile everubody else i guess. can you please tell me if this is a reliable place to purchse a perk.😅
@@massa-blasta I just spent the summer growing, picking, washing, breaking, blanching, packing, freezing, green beans. I bought one because no way do I want all that effort wasted in a power outage. $509 & a Jackery will give me peace of mind.
Thanks for the review. One thing I like about your reviews is you give power consumption over 24 hours which lets us calculate the average power consumption. Would you mind sharing the makes and model numbers for you DC power meter and your AC power meter? Thanks.
I'm putting together a van build for my work van. Your videos are very helpful in making expensive decisions. I sure do appreciate you! Thanks for all the time and effort you put into these. I'm not good with all the math calculations. I'm trying to figure out if I can run this refrigerator for 48hrs,and my CPAP for two 10hr sleep cycles on one fully charged 1000 Jackery Explorer. I know there are many things that figure into this calculation. I am just looking for a good guesstimate. Thank you in advance if you are able to help me!
Hi Hobotech. I have a JP42 that I purchased based on your review. I have had 3 units now ICECO has replaced that do not cool properly. I even offered to come to their facility at their request only to get no response. Either I have the worst luck or there is something inherently defective with this model. I have another ICECO model and it has been working fine. I am very frustrated with them. This is my experience with their poor customer service. I am sure since you have a TH-cam channel they would not treat you this way. A warranty is useless unless the company honors it. Has anybody out there had any problems with their JP42 models?
Thanks for the great info. Mine just arrived! I have a battle born Latium wired to charge thru my van isolator and hooked to my 12 volt outlets. Do I also need an isolator to run this off the 12 volt outlets?
Not too fond of the whole Indiegogo thing. Especially since I just clicked on the $348 option and it never let me open it to add. What other fridge/freezers would you recommend in the same price and performance area?
Props Props... excellent work and well appreciated. I looked through your library and couldn’t find a video on the Harbor Fright Predator 2000 inverter generator. Thank you again for your time.
Yesterday I ordered this Iceco (which has gone up in price) from Amazon warehouse deals for $400 with a dent in it, and a jackery 300 with 100w panel with the 15% off sale for $500. Road tripping and then camping, The only duty of the jackery is the fridge, and filling up a air mattress once a day. Of course I find this video after 😉 the gear arrives Friday... professor, could I have gotten more value for my $$ since this video was made?
![SAFEPLANET - ดาวเคราะห์ [ THE PLANET ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/4X1XL3I_k3c/mqdefault.jpg)
INDIEGOGO Campaign is OVER along with the $299 price! The iCooler is now available for retail sale direct from ICECO with the same 5 year Danfoss compressor in their other models. You can score 12% off SITE WIDE at the ICECO Store Page hobos.cc/iceco
Just got a Tacoma pickup and a geo pro travel trailer going traveling have a jackary 500 to charge my exiles wen 3800 to run trailer off grid plus the geo pro trailer has a 100 watt solar panel on roof and can use my jackary portable panel for trailer when not in use with jackary 500
What colors are what on ice on icooler
Just ordered the 3 in 1 Great review, thanks
Do a video of freezing water and how long it takes to melt
Thanks for reviewing. What are the dimensions?
@Diggy d Check again. There are plenty still but none at $299.
Got one of these as a mobile drink fridge in my truck (main fridge in mounted in my off-road trailer). 4 years and a bunch of rough roads and trails, and it has never let me down.
It takes up alot o room
@@leeinwis it’s about the same as a regular full size cooler, and on that 3rd camp day, when you don’t run out of ice, it’s worth it
I am a traveling pastor and have been on the road for 4 years now, in the very beginning I lost my dometic 3 cu. ft. 3 way refer. I have been waiting for something to come out and kick some butt on these other refer companies who have a monopoly on rv refrigeration, seeing these stats really gives me hope, maybe I will end up with a fridge again. I only have 145Wh in my campervan and 165 watt go solar system which is awesome, praise God not one hiccup. Thank you for your input and hard work and of course all the video editing that goes with it. God bless in your endeavors.
Subscribed 👍
Professor, great review. I am not an RV'er. I am a sailor with a 30 foot trimaran down in San Carlos, Mx. I have an old Engel freezer/refridge. That is why i was so interested in your findings. Man, you are so thorough in your review. I am now a subscriber. One trick that i might add that i use for my freezer that i run on 12v....I use the Engel as a freezer only. I keep a one liter of water in a soda type bottle. I have another cooler that is a Yeti-like box. At the beginning of my trip everything is already precooled or frozen. The Yeti box is filled and has an identical 1 liter bottle with frozen water in it. Those Yeti like box's can keep everything very cool for 5 days plus before you swap out the bottles between the freezer and the Yeti box. One of the main tricks is not to open up the boxes very often...Plan ahead. I also turn down my freezer from hard frozen ...level 5 ...on the dial to about 2-2.5 on the knob at night. This will save you some amps overnight. You do not need to keep things at hard frozen 24 hours a day ...7 days/wk. As long as things don't thaw you are good to go. Great review and thank you Sir...
I'm a sailor too and echo your comments and a new subscriber as well! Grateful for the review too.
@@kkots I'm not a sailor. 😪 But my dad was. 😬👍
Tom. I just think you changed the way I live. I got my Jackery 500 to run my CPAP. I can get three nights running by just plugging in the converter straight into 110. If I can get more nights by putting a 12 plug on it WOW, WOW!!!!! That would change everything. I just looked on amazon. I did not even know you could get a 12volt plug for it. If this works, and after I get my Jackery 1,000 back....... this will totally change my life when I am off grid. Dude...... you are seriously the man! Step 1: get correct 12 volt plug. Step 2: get my Jackery 1,000 back. Step 3: Determine how much juice I can get with 12 volt. Step 4: conquer the world!!!!!
Yep Hobotech Tom's our man! You The man is a genius.
Dude, I really enjoy your reviews. You answer ALL the questions I can reasonably think of. Your thorough demonstrations are key!
I received an email today that my Iceco 3 in 1 is on the way!! What a relief, Its been a long wait. I was #411
Sept. 8 delivery date.
It took a while to get here, but I was an early backer and got in on the $399 level back in May and it just arrived today. So far it's working great. Dropped from 75f to 20f in about an hour. I'll be testing running off of my "solar generator" later. This thing is going to great in my van.
I got mine from Indiegogo and it was working great for a week or two until it presented an error message of E7 and would only freeze. I contacted Iceco regarding their warranty but have not heard back. The manual says that is an NTC fault. After investigation that means the thermistor. Thankfully I was able to fix this error myself by opening the vented outer chamber and investigating. The thermistor cable had wiggled loose, which I then rectified. Thankfully this was a quick fix this time. We will see if they return my email. Great little fridge, I hope it lasts a long time!
I use this model in my semi truck as a freezer to store my chicken and steak. Super quiet like you don't even hear it. Had it for 3 months and have not turned it off. I keep it in eco mode. 100% and I have it plugged in on my APC. recommend for truckers.
It took 3 months to deliver it to my door. I had to return mine because of a temperature control issue and it had strange scratches (used?) inside the bottom of the fridge. It took 3 phone calls and a month to get a return authorization from support.
A dorm fridge is also not designed to travel. The compressor jumps around and leads to refrigerant leak and SOL.
I have had a lot of problems with cigarette plug that comes with these refrigerators. My fridge is a Joy Tutus. The red tipped plug will not stay inserted in the receptacle. I removed it and installed a different brand of plug.
🤔 I would be interested in your opinion of this refrigerator compared to your Dometic 👍
I bought this refrigerator biased in your review and couldn't be happier. Thank you very much. Wife happy too.
I run a Snomaster 35 liter fridge at 33 degrees off a Jackery 240 with a 60w Jackery solar panel. On a sunny day, the solar panel keeps the Jackery at 100% all day long. If days were sunny, I wonder how long I could run it. Maybe indefinitely. I'm going to try it out. That little Jackery is a nice unit. This setup beats buying ice and dealing with melt water and soggy food.
Where did you buy the snow master fridge?
I just ordered the Jackery 1000 and might order this cooler for hurricane season here in Puerto Rico. Thank you so much for these reviews.
Get you 400w of solar
@@Nimashet I do have two 200 watts panels and just ordered the Anderson adapter with a cable extension, thanks.
Did it arrived to PR? Both? Do we have representative of products here in PR, San Juan?
@@alexisbrewer200 unfortunately no, I ordered it and it arrived a friend's house in Miami and she sent it to me to Puerto Rico.
@@alexisbrewer200 as of the panels, I had them since Hurricane María and kept them, and use them with the Jackery.
Makes sense. Price is right. It's a little bit large for van life. But it performs the way it should.
I've been off grid since 1984. I am so amazed at how much information and product is now available...thanks for the info.
I wonder while we charge in cigarette in our car it will draining car’s batteries out .
How often how long we can using car charger?
Damn I would have loved one for 299
I have bought two non compressor coolers they don't really keep things cool a closed car very well. I don't know what they draw but it seems that they draw a lions share but don't do much. The only thing I don't like about it is where it is made I am not against that country but made in USA would sell me for sure. Your tests proved its worth for sure. Thank you for sharing your video.
Good luck finding a 12v fridge made in the USA. Even the #1 brand Dometic is made in Sweden.
@@HOBOTECH unless there is capital to be gained I agree but with things the way they have been globally I would think someone would come up with a USA made like this.
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH !! I ordered mine from the kick starter when Russ did the preview. Glad you did the testing. I've been watching you & SUBD quite a while back. TAKE CARE..
That is great. I could use the fridge for my landscaping business. I am always delivering drinks (and maybe beer) to my landscape workers.
Thanks for the review!
Personally, I am not a fan of the rubber clasps from the Yeti cooler design. I like a lid that seals itself when you drop it with an option to lock it if you wish to. These newer designs require to be clasped tight to make a seal what-so-ever.
Excellent review and very educational. I learn almost all my off grid electrical from you. You rock!
Great test and interesting results. I will be looking for one of these and the Jackery.
Impressive, and so are your thorough reviews.
You're a credit and exceptional public service to any company and consumer.
Definitely love appliance tests. More coolers, and maybe power usage on cooking appliances like Instapots.
😉👍
Needs coverings for exposed receptacles, the plastic water drain cap needs to be attached to the drain so you don't lose it
There's more small area for food
Excellent explanation and break down in a time where majority of "reviews" are reading specs from the web. Thank you.
Excellent review. Just a heads up, when using the fridge in conjunction with a vehicle charging system’s start battery it is bad to allow it to drain below 10.0 volts. Only lithium ion batteries are designed for that, such as the jackery. Permanent could result if one drains the start battery to 9.0 volts. Thanks for sharing and great review!
An excellent test to for this unit would be inside a van and run it off solar 8am-8pm in lowest temp/freezer mode and see if it freezes water, then turn it off until 8am the next day and see what temp content is at? We usually have an abundance of power during the day either due to good sun or driving alternator power, but at night we are just consuming power for cooking, ventilation and media devices.
Well done sir, I loved the shoot of the inside electronics.
you had me until crowd funded......The Coolest Cooler flashbacks.
I received mine today.
Coolest cooler didn't make coolers beforehand. Iceco has been making powered coolers for years
The ICECO iCooler is now available for retail pre-order for $509. Visit the ICECO Store Page via this link then add your desired model to cart. Use code HOBOTECH at checkout for 12% off. icecofreezer.com/discount/HOBOTECH
Excellent review!
One thing I continue to notice ( although I could be wrong) I see a Jackery Explorer here and there in your videos.
Could it be you really like them ????
I love mine 🙂
Iceco makes a quality product. I did a review on the VL60 and that thing is built to last. Not sure about the one you are reviewing but mine monitors the batteries to prevent draining.
I use the Hobotech videos as a primary source for product reviews. I really like that he gives in-depth reviews - and shows his work!
Here's an interesting test. Since it works as cooler as well. How efficient would the fridge part be if you also had Ice in it at the same time?
Can you fill it with beer cans, and tell me how long it takes to chill them all to 40 F. My old waeco 35 could do it in about 2 hours on a hot day. It would make an interesting video.
I'm not 100% sure about what you said, but damn it sounded convincing! Got to invest in the Jackery and the ICECO! Love your channel HOBOTECH!
Awesome review! I especially like the watt/amp usage for AC and DC in both power settings. I backed the iCooler and EcoFlow R600 Pro on Kickstarter for my overland build. I also live in AZ, so the high temp tests are very relevant. Your review helps me better plan for my power usage! 👌🏼Thanks!!
Sales are about to Skyrocket. 💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼Great review as always and really good product.! Thanks again
I appreciate your reviews. Just bought this cooler to go with the Bluetti you convinced me to buy. Thank you sir.!!
Power plug looks flipped upside down and would put some strain on the wire by bending?
Finally! A TH-cam recommendation I can actually enjoy👍 subbed
Yeah
Hobotech, that aluminum blanket is a mixed blessing. It is blocking the sun, but it might be retaining the exhaust heat from the cooler, basically making a big oven around the cooler. Airflow is important. I noticed that the windspeed was very low. Are you feeling a blast of hot air when you raise the blanket?
An additional comment, while I agree on using the 12v capabilities is more efficient what about those who are (off grid cabin) using regular chest freezers with an external thermometer to regulate the temperatures? Chest freezers do have better insulation and top lid access allows for less cold loss.
Chest freezers still use AC to DC conversion to run the compressor. While much better insulated you are still wasting a lot of power to heat to run off AC.
Smart guy... Probably first review I've watched all the way through... Subbed.. Hope to see you out there. Keep it up!!
Just buy a cheap 20 dollar cooler and add 5 dollars of dry ice. No water to drain, and all the cold you’ll ever require for days
@@richkreyche7064 i agree.. But after like a week im like.. I got solar! Why am i always trying to find dry ice!? So.. Makes sense for me but if youre just a weekend warrior, more or LESS power to ya!
@@richkreyche7064 Wanna be cheap, here's an idea you might consider, just set the freezer and make your own ice to sell to other travelers. I'm going to do it for sure. Got my order shipped, should be here Wednesday.
Some of us live full time on the road and need a real refrigerator. Sure a $5 ice chest is fine for a weekend warrior but it is not a long term solution for most.
@@HOBOTECH couldn't have said it better myself
You came close to answering all my questions about boondocking, but not quite. My thoughts on boondocking is that i need to keep and make ice for 14 days off grid. This is based on a mostly or highly carnivorous diet.
My thoughts are if I can keep a 3 cubic ft (max) freezer full of frozen meats and still make ice to keep a cooler full of fresh vegetables, eggs, condiments below 40*, that i can boondock for 14 days at a time with ease!
Prove me right or wrong.
Finally, a cooler to carry my change!
Lol
The lowest priced cooler on your link was:
ICECO 32QT JP30 12V Refrigerator Portable Fridge Freezer
Sale price$499.00
There is nothing for $299.
Just checking math. At 24:07 it says the compressor ran for 1421 minutes (40%) in a 24 hour period. 60 minutes per hour x 24 hours is 1440 minutes in a day. So in 24 hours the compressor was only off for 19 minutes?
I'm sad, I can't get the offer in Canada. This one has the best design features. We get the little mini rounded versions. Why is it so hard to get good efficient appliances in Canada? CANADIAN GOVERNMENT! ARE YOU LISTENING? YOU WANT TO GO CARBON NEUTRAL? ENABLE US TO DO IT AT THE RIGHT PRICE POINT! Sorry for yelling.
I'm in Toronto, I ordered a Joytutus fridge from Amazon, 299 CAD free delivery. Came in 3 days. Not quite as big as this one, 18L capacity, but it seems to be good so far. I haven't tested the Eco mode yet, nor anything but deep freeze (-18c) with a full load. Draws about 32w consistent on 12v.
For testing I froze it on AC power and let it drop to temperature before switching to DC. For my purposes that simulates real use; cool it down the night before my trip then run it on a power station for a day/weekend trip.
It doesn't say so on the Amazon listing, but they also offer you a free insulating and carrying bag if you email them post purchase. I haven't recieved it yet, but it's on the way.
I'll be doing more testing this weekend.
this reminds me of The Kernel from KFC teaching us all how to prep and survive the apocalypse. I have the need for BBQ sauce at this time -- a super food.
he wears gloves because he eats lots of barbeque
Looks pretty useful. And the price is right. But this is one of those times where I’m glad I didn’t order right away. I walked into a garage sale and purchased a “new” Dometic cf50 for 30 bucks. Works like a champ.
when you said you were out in arizona weather i kept watching... none of that easy climate ... fellow arizonan
Professor HOBO, thanks for the info on how to power a compressor fridge on a power station.
Could you do a similar product review with a dual-zone compressor fridge?
Thanks for the help! You’re a big reason why I picked up a ICECO TR60 today! Just put up a first look video on my channel!
I got the small dual zone fridge/ freezer. Made by Iceco. I took out the devider and only use it as a freezer. Works great ! But the app sucks, couldn't get it to work at all. But I don't need it anyway.
Great reviews with a lot of angles of performance levels on the products you review, sometimes you do advise beyond expectations because of troubleshooting in various ways. Thank you.I did subscribe.
very informative. i bought a new energy star 2.6 cubic ft chest freezer for under $200.00. i also bought a new external thermostat for $60.00. it over rides the chest freezers settings so you can run it as a fridge. As a fridge in 80 degree heat it uses 70 watts for 24 hour period.If i disconnect the external thermostat and run it as a freezer in 80 degree heat it uses 260 watts for a 24 hour period.
i have also tested it on a non energy star chest freezer but never recorded the results but do remember it used much more energy when not energy star. i used my killowatts meter for this test. i been doing this for 20 years or so.
Great review. I appreciate u telling us exactly what we need to run one of these.
I had been eyeing the ICECO 21 for about $50 more on fleabay. This is a far better deal! Thanks for the heads up on this campaign!
It is nice to see more of these affordable frigs on the market. Earlier this year I bought one of the XtremepowerUS 21 quart frig/coolers. I think I paid about $230 for it. It isn't as big or nice as this one though.
So the retail version iceco icooler says it is using secop compressor. Do you think it will be more efficient? Then the one you reviewed that does not have it?
Seems like a ad for power bricks
So I will tell other wise, get a 12v leisure battery. also has in setting to turn off at min of 9.6v
Just saying
instead on the 240wh of the Jackery you get 1380Wh with a 120ah battery. third the price 5 time the battery bank
THANK YOU GREAT DETAIL VIDEO ON 12V REFRIGERATOR
Very Thorough Test..thanks for the info and efforts
Was very informative and will look into one of these. For me all the technical information was mind numbing but I can see it would be helpful for those that are that technical. For me just want to know will it keep things cold, how long and will it kill my battery. Good review
I clicked the ICECO link you have and dont see this cooler/frig/freezer you did the test on..Thanks HOBO-DUDE
Same for me......not on their website and the same if you use his Hobo tech/amazon link...shows other Iceco coolers ....something isn't right
As stated, it is not yet for retail sale.
For other models visit the ICECO Store Page icecofreezer.com/discount/HOBOTECH use code HOBOTECH for a store wide discount.
@@HOBOTECH Sorry...... Wife says I dont listen either..Must be true...
Wow!! Great video!! Bought an ICECO a couple months ago. I guess it was the previous model...JP50. Very impressed with it but I paid $500 bucks for it. Love this model....looks like we gonna get another ICECO!! CHEERS!!!
Keep extra water bottles to fill unused space and act as thermal mass...
why?
@@48956l The extra thermal mass will help the cooler maintain a steady temperature without the compressor having to cycle on/off as much. It will also have the side benefit of lower overall power consumption over time due to less on/off cycling of the compressor. ;-)
@@LordTimelord Even if the compressor kicks on more with less stuff inside, doesn't it have to run for shorter intervals? I always thought that was what balanced it out.
@@48956l With less stuff inside, their is less thermal mass. This means that the temperature will fluctuate more often between highs and lows (especially when you open the door and let the cold air out) because there is more 'air' inside the unit. So a fridge/freezer that is 50% full vs. 90% full will use more energy maintaining temperature because there is more dead air space inside that has to be cooled back down again. Just be sure to allow some room for airflow around the inside as 100% full is bad as there is reduced airflow. If you have lots of extra room, adding water bottles (fridge) or salt-water bottles (freezer) is a easy way to increase how much thermal mass you have inside. This comes in very handy if you loose power, as it will take significantly longer for the contents to warm up and spoil (especially if you keep the door shut until the power is restored).
@@LordTimelord Sure the temp fluctuates more rapidly but that goes both ways. The compressor will kick on more frequently but less mass cools more rapidly so it stays on for a shorter period of time. Additionally, you'll lose power more quickly if you have to get those bottles down to fridge or freezer temp in the first place, so it doesn't actually net you any additional cool time if you're purely on battery power. Finally, not much cold air rushes out of a chest-style fridge/cooler when it's opened, since cold air is heavier than warm air. Sure, some is exchanged, but I don't know if it's a huge difference between a full and half full fridge or cooler.
It sounds like most of what you're saying applies to grid-powered upright house units, battery powered chest-units with a finite power source are different.
I would be concerned that pouring water in and freezing may damage it when the water expands into ice pushing on the side??
So maybe fill other containers with water and freeze though instead?
The freezing water would expand upwards.
I put and old couch cushion on top of my old chest freezer or use a chunk of shiney styrofoam on top. if in sun
HOBOTECH path of least resistance👀
Hobo - when running tests on my Iceco (lowest battery setting) Rockpals DC doesn’t drain the battery fully only to 10.6. When I switch it over to AC I can use the remaining battery down to 8.8. Just wanted to share my testing.
Yep, I mentioned not to run fridges on unregulated 12v for this reason.
I love watching your reviews. The details you give, let's us know the likely performance of the products.
I have seen other people comment that these 12 volt refrigerators have about a 5 year life expectancy with continual use. Question I have is what is the failure mode? Do these compressors have brushes on the motors? Or are these motors brushless? Do any fridges have brushless compressor motor? Brushes are the only fragile component I can think of that would limit life.
Well done! I am enjoying this and appreciate the work and thoughtfulness you put into this work.
Thanks a lot for all your testing! I was looking into this type of test for off road trips out west.
Thanks for the DC power consumption info, just what I was looking for.
Update... now $550, almost twice the price...
A couple questions and comments. It did not seem to maintain the set temp, even when checking the temp in the morning instead of in the evening. Apparently not accurate regulation. How much did it vary during the heat of the day? Set at 40 and 10 degrees off at 8 am after a cool night, might your food get on a hot day with an unregulated cooler? Better than ice coolers and Pelletier style for sure. But I would expect a $400 plus compressor cooler to be accurately governed. If you are putting stuff in it that doesn't matter, get an ice chest. Freezing is a great option, but I probably wouldn't rely on this for safe food storage any more than a cheap ice chest.
Thanks for the video, just installed a 110vac resi fridge in our RV and am considering a fridge like this also.
Noticed you lurk outside lake Havasu pyro, you should join the WPA. I went in 19 and am going to their other event (do it) this year. It's super fun and informative.
Love Hobotech videos, We might use it with lid open and the 12v fan to blow cold air without install Air Conditioner :-)
LOL
Great video! I got the early bird. Waiting to receive it! Thanks hobotech!
Yipes!!! even with discount code as of October 1, price is $465!
Excellent video man. Liked and subscribed!!!
This seems to be the perfect fit for my Jackery 300 during hurricanes down in Louisiana. I am usually out of power for a week. I would have it fully frozen as the storm approaches, and there is usually good sun after the storm passes; my two panels will do fine in charging it up in 2 hours. This unit has a 2 yr warranty but the other one has a 5 year warranty, so I would aim for that 5 year one. Question, if I call and tell them I am buying it because of your website, do you still get credit? I don't want to buy it, if it is on a boat outside of San Francisco waiting to be unloaded sometime in the next 5 years. Thank you for what you do for us, K
Great video and information. You earned my sub. I'm looking forward to learning more from your other videos.
If someone could make one of these with a dual fridge freezer Id buy one in a heart beat. But all the existing compressor coolers on the market are'nt insulated enough.
Excellent presentation Sir! ...I'm in a Hard Lean towards ICECO, just which one...this unit has thought out scenarios. Impressive. I'm checking to see.if you have reviewed any other Iceco freezer s..
Thank you!
Russian Blue's are amazing.
trailer will be located on the Mogollon Rim. I have the following setup, 4-6v 225AH batteries fed by 3-170w solar panels through a 30amp solar controller. I was thinking of plugging the DC into the trailer utilizing the 6V batteries and letting the solar maintain the batteries. How long do you think the Fridge could be plugged in and running before I need to worry about the batteries?
Great review! You covered all questions I had. Thank you.
Just bought the 80th of 80 Sky blue version for $334! Whoohoo! Can't wait to get it. For once I was not a day late and a dollar short.
did you got it? I dont understand when they say it is not guarenteed, is not a purchase !!that kills me. really work hard for my money just lile everubody else i guess. can you please tell me if this is a reliable place to purchse a perk.😅
Sky Blue version is up to $446, no thanks.
@@massa-blasta I just spent the summer growing, picking, washing, breaking, blanching, packing, freezing, green beans. I bought one because no way do I want all that effort wasted in a power outage. $509 & a Jackery will give me peace of mind.
Thanks for the review. One thing I like about your reviews is you give power consumption over 24 hours which lets us calculate the average power consumption.
Would you mind sharing the makes and model numbers for you DC power meter and your AC power meter? Thanks.
Everything I use is on hobotech.tv/amazon under tools.
HOBOTECH I found the AC one under under "Tools" but I do not see the DC one anywhere on the page.
@@gregfuller999 Look again at the very bottom.
I'm putting together a van build for my work van. Your videos are very helpful in making expensive decisions. I sure do appreciate you! Thanks for all the time and effort you put into these. I'm not good with all the math calculations. I'm trying to figure out if I can run this refrigerator for 48hrs,and my CPAP for two 10hr sleep cycles on one fully charged 1000 Jackery Explorer. I know there are many things that figure into this calculation. I am just looking for a good guesstimate. Thank you in advance if you are able to help me!
Hi Hobotech. I have a JP42 that I purchased based on your review. I have had 3 units now ICECO has replaced that do not cool properly. I even offered to come to their facility at their request only to get no response. Either I have the worst luck or there is something inherently defective with this model. I have another ICECO model and it has been working fine. I am very frustrated with them. This is my experience with their poor customer service. I am sure since you have a TH-cam channel they would not treat you this way. A warranty is useless unless the company honors it. Has anybody out there had any problems with their JP42 models?
Thanks for the great info. Mine just arrived! I have a battle born Latium wired to charge thru my van isolator and hooked to my 12 volt outlets. Do I also need an isolator to run this off the 12 volt outlets?
If your battery is on an isolator and you plug this into your battery, then no.
Not too fond of the whole Indiegogo thing. Especially since I just clicked on the $348 option and it never let me open it to add. What other fridge/freezers would you recommend in the same price and performance area?
Campaign ended a few days ago. Refrigerator recommendations are on hobotech.tv/amazon under kitchen.
@@HOBOTECH ah ok...so wont be able to purchase it anymore? Or until released as a manufacturer item?
Props Props... excellent work and well appreciated. I looked through your library and couldn’t find a video on the Harbor Fright Predator 2000 inverter generator. Thank you again for your time.
I have reviews on other generators. I don't believe Harbor Freight is interested in TH-cam reviewers.
@J Lee There are 12 volt electric blankets. They draw about 50 watts.
Yesterday I ordered this Iceco (which has gone up in price) from Amazon warehouse deals for $400 with a dent in it, and a jackery 300 with 100w panel with the 15% off sale for $500. Road tripping and then camping, The only duty of the jackery is the fridge, and filling up a air mattress once a day. Of course I find this video after 😉 the gear arrives Friday... professor, could I have gotten more value for my $$ since this video was made?