Electric Cooler for Maverick

[martyi48]

The outlet box in the bed of the Maverick is a great idea and could have many, many uses. I live out in the country in hot, hot Texas and some of the stores I shop are over 30 miles away (my favorite of all, Trader Joe's, is over 100 miles away). Although I don't shop these stores that often because of distance, when I do I often buy frozen goods that no matter how well I ice down my cooler, these goods always thaw out a little.

I was thinking of an electric cooler that I could plug into the Maverick's outlet that would keep my food frozen. Does anyone have one of these coolers they would recommend? Would the Maverick's wattage be strong enough to handle the demands of the cooler?

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[CLH917]

I don’t know technical specifications of any particular cooler but I think you’ll find the bed outlet to be quite underwhelming.

 

[JASmith]

You have 400 watts to play with which is more than enough, but I'm not a fan of them. The problem is that you can't just plug it in and think to yourself, awesome, I now have a cool storage unit. They often take quite some time to get cool, and ideally you're supposed to prechill them at home before you pack it in and head on the road trip. They are expensive and can ultimately break, and usually only have 1 year warranties.

Instead I prefer this setup:
* Soft cooler that can be folded flat for storage (variety of sizes, I went with biggest they sold, forget the size)
* Slim large dry-ice style packs

The slim ice packs can be stacked neatly away in your freezer until needed, they get colder than ice, they soften into a gel inside their durable packaging so there's no water mess, and they are instantly cold so no pre-cooling required. So when heading out just slip them out of the freezer, pop them into the soft cooler, and voila everything you put in from the grocery store will instantly be chilled. And because there are no electronics, you know this can last 10 years w/o breaking, and the soft ones are lighter and easier to store and can be "burped" to squeeze them down to size a little bit if they aren't very full (less air space is better in a cooler).

 

[martyi48]

You have 400 watts to play with which is more than enough, but I'm not a fan of them. The problem is that you can't just plug it in and think to yourself, awesome, I now have a cool storage unit. They often take quite some time to get cool, and ideally you're supposed to prechill them at home before you pack it in and head on the road trip. They are expensive and can ultimately break, and usually only have 1 year warranties.

Instead I prefer this setup:
* Soft cooler that can be folded flat for storage (variety of sizes, I went with biggest they sold, forget the size)
* Slim large dry-ice style packs

The slim ice packs can be stacked neatly away in your freezer until needed, they get colder than ice, they soften into a gel inside their durable packaging so there's no water mess, and they are instantly cold so no pre-cooling required. So when heading out just slip them out of the freezer, pop them into the soft cooler, and voila everything you put in from the grocery store will instantly be chilled. And because there are no electronics, you know this can last 10 years w/o breaking.

This set up looks simple and effective. Sure lot less expensive too! Some of those electric coolers I just saw on Amazon are over $500!

 

[abjbrtd]

Definitely doable
Fairly heavy, the 12v ones are pricey, add a $100 for 120ac.
Keep it plugged in 24×7.

When we haul frozen food we have a big ice chest and make it a point to shop at stores that sell dry ice. Cost is cheap, lasts ALL day

 

[JamesHenry]

The outlet box in the bed of the Maverick is a great idea and could have many, many uses. I live out in the country in hot, hot Texas and some of the stores I shop are over 30 miles away (my favorite of all, Trader Joe's, is over 100 miles away). Although I don't shop these stores that often because of distance, when I do I often buy frozen goods that no matter how well I ice down my cooler, these goods always thaw out a little.

I was thinking of an electric cooler that I could plug into the Maverick's outlet that would keep my food frozen. Does anyone have one of these coolers they would recommend? Would the Maverick's wattage be strong enough to handle the demands of the cooler?

If you want something of quality, stick with the offerings from ARB, Dometic, or Engel. I had an ARB 50QT in the back of my Subaru Crosstrek.

 

[notfast]

If you want something of quality, stick with the offerings from ARB, Dometic, or Engel.

Or just anything with a Danfoss compressor. I have a Dometic CF18 but the Massimos from Costco and the offerings from Truck Fridge are more value-priced.

Would the Maverick's wattage be strong enough to handle the demands of the cooler?

Absolutely. Even the biggest Dometic CFX65s don't draw more than 100w. My CF18 draws 40 watts peak.

You have 400 watts to play with which is more than enough, but I'm not a fan of them. The problem is that you can't just plug it in and think to yourself, awesome, I now have a cool storage unit. They often take quite some time to get cool, and ideally you're supposed to prechill them at home before you pack it in and head on the road trip. They are expensive and can ultimately break, and usually only have 1 year warranties.

Correct. Pretty much any 12v compressor fridge takes about 30 minutes to an hour to reach the target temperature. It's still faster than an absorption fridge that is common in RVs. Those have to prechill overnight (or at least for several hours).

They definitely are expensive, especially if you go with a name brand. They are also pretty heavy, even empty. My CF18 weighs something like 30 pounds dry.

But it just depends on what you're willing to compromise on. Having ice cream in the middle of the desert is a luxury, as is having cold but dry food and drinks.

I was deciding on a rotomolded cooler vs. a 12v fridge and ultimately chose the fridge. I figured I can generate my own electricity, but I'd always be needing to buy ice and deal with meltwater. Also, you can stuff a lot more in a fridge than an equivalent-sized cooler because you don't have to leave space for ice.

I just leave my fridge in the truck during the summer/fall. I have a Jackery 240 that provides the fridge uninterrupted power. Before departing somewhere, I'll head to the garage and flip the Jackery and the fridge on. Takes 2 seconds, and by the time I'm ready to head out, the fridge is at or nearing the target temp.

The Jackery is plugged into a Key-On-Power 12v outlet, so it charges when the truck runs, and stops charging when the truck shuts off. The Jackery can power the CF18 on its own for about 15-20 hours.

If I'm parked at the track/campsite/wherever, I have a 160w solar panel I throw on the roof. At peak sun, I get about 100w.

 

[06Warrior]

YouTube channel cheaprvliving.com

The channel is for nomads or people who live out of their vehicles.

The host reviews different products from companies that send him their product.

He has several reviews on different portable coolers/refrigerators.

Here is just one review. He has several.

 

[spyderman01]

I carry one of these with me now. Get a decent 12v/120v compressor fridge. Yes, it takes 30 minutes to reach temperature, but that is not bad. Load it up, turn it on, and it will keep things cool. For you, put in some water bottles and turn it on for your trip out there and it will be ready by the time you get to the store. I take mine on short road trips, hitting up a brewery and keeping those take homes cold if we decide to purchase some. The Maverick will handle it no problem.

 

[06Warrior]

I carry one of these with me now. Get a decent 12v/120v compressor fridge. Yes, it takes 30 minutes to reach temperature, but that is not bad. Load it up, turn it on, and it will keep things cool. For you, put in some water bottles and turn it on for your trip out there and it will be ready by the time you get to the store. I take mine on short road trips, hitting up a brewery and keeping those take homes cold if we decide to purchase some. The Maverick will handle it no problem.

Does it have an a/c power plug as well ?

Was wondering if it did and you could plug it in the house before your trip to have it up to temp before you left than the vehicle could just maintain the temp.

 

[spyderman01]

Does it have an a/c power plug as well ?

Was wondering if it did and you could plug it in the house before your trip to have it up to temp before you left than the vehicle could just maintain the temp.

Yes, mine has both an AC plug and a 12V DC plug. I will sometimes prechill in the house, then put it in the car, especially when I am bringing items with me. I've actually found these to be more reliable than my RV fridge!

 

[notfast]

Was wondering if it did and you could plug it in the house before your trip to have it up to temp before you left than the vehicle could just maintain the temp.

Absolutely. I'm just lazy and leave it in the vehicle. The fridge will draw less power from the vehicle or battery by prechilling in the house since it takes less energy to maintain a cold temp than chill from ambient temp.

 

[Flythesjs]

I went with the BougeRV 12V Refrigerator, and it's been great for the price. It cools down quickly, holds a decent amount of food, and doesn't drain my Maverick's battery too much. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles of some of the more expensive models, but it gets the job done!

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