Compressor fridge or cool box

[ybeandy]

So we are having a leisure battery and 240v hook up installed.
What are the difference between a compressor fridge at £200+ and a Halford coolbox at £50 (apart from the expensive one has 240v for when hooked up), surely the 12v one would still work on hook up?
I know the expensive ones go down to -20 but for keeping milk fresh etc do we really need one?

 

[Deaky]

A cool box will only cool so many degrees under ambient. It will also flatten your leisure battery in no time. Not an issue on hook up but a compressor fridge is worth the extra all day long.

 

[benp1]

Cheap one doesn't get cold enough in warm weather. It's a powered coolbox, if you need a proper fridge only that will do

I don't camp (properly) enough so mine is used for day trips and quick overnighters, I have an electric coolbag which means it packs down when not in use

 

[True Romance]

Get a compressor. Coolers will leave all your stuff wet.

 

[ybeandy]

A cool box will only cool so many degrees under ambient. It will also flatten your leisure battery in no time. Not an issue on hook up but a compressor fridge is worth the extra all day long.

So a compressor won't flatten leisure battery as quickly either?

 

[Broadside]

So a compressor won't flatten leisure battery as quickly either?

Correct. Our compressor fridge will run off the starter battery for 2 days without running the van. By comparison an old coolbox we had with the rubbish piezo 12v cooler would flatten it in about 8hrs. There is no comparing the two things, if you want stuff to stay cold and fresh the only option is a compressor, they are worth the money.

If you go for the 12v cooler the only way to keep it cold will be with ice packs which are a bit of a nightmare and also take space that should be used for storing food/drink.

 

[Scottish Scrutineer]

All covered here. I've just purchased a 45L compressor fridge as the coolbox options were pretty unsuccessful.

Fridges & Cold Beer -- How I Done It --

Fridges & Cold Beer -- How I Done It -- For Most Beer Lovers, Cold Beer is a Must. (especially Larger) and for Her-Indoors a cold wine or G&T will always help smooth the situation . . . . maybe even Cold POP for the kids (My nanas term) Then there is the necessities of camping and Fridges...

www.t6forum.com

 

[Adam H]

Halfords coolbox ( non-compressor ) will kill your battery in a few hours.
However a good compressor coolbox, like the Alpicool ones are actually better and more efficient than the typcial camper fridge, the downside is they are fiarly big so doent just slot into the kitchen space that a camper fridge does.

 

[Huba]

We ran a halfords 24l one for a couple of years. When your driving or on hook up it works fine for milk / cheese etc. Before setting off adding a couple of freezer blocks to the bottom helps. A lot of sites have freezers where you can swap the freezer blocks. The pros were it was cheap and pretty small, it also can be run on hot so if you get a take away you can put it in and keep warm. We never ran it at night so battery use was just about okay if you kept an eye on it.

We now have a 25L compressor, its better and loads less hassle, just plug in a forget pretty much. Its larger and more expensive, thats's the only downsides. If you can afford it go that route. Now when were away we bring food back for home use if we dont use it, before it was a case of making milk ect last best we could and then having to buy new.

 

[n10n]

Go for the compressor fridge. Besides all other advantages it will also double as temporary one at home when you need to defrost a freezer or clean the fridge or whatever.