Does anyone have a freezer in their RV that’s too big? I didn’t think so.
Mine is about the size of a shoebox, and there are times when a little extra room sure would be nice. Enter the AC/DC portable fridge/freezer. These small units run on either 12VDC or 120VAC and vary in size, from around 30 quarts to 80 quarts or more. They are compressor-type real refrigerators and are very efficient.
There are a number of different brands out there, and prices range from around $400 up to $800. The unit I chose was the Whynter 43-quart unit, and they could be purchased from a number of online stores for around $450. I got mine through Home Depot. The unit is about 21″ tall, 24″ wide and 17″ deep and weighs about 45 lbs. It draws about five amps of DC power when it is running, and it runs about a 50-percent duty cycle. I have run mine for months with the temperature set at 0 degrees, and it holds that temperature +/- about three degrees. It is quiet when it is running and only consumes about 60 amp/hours per day on 12V, so it is boondocker-friendly. I easily support mine with the addition of a 160-w solar panel. And having the extra freezer space is wonderful.
This same freezer is sold under other brand names, like Edgestar and Koldfront. A great place to check out the various brands and sizes is CompactAppliance.com
As a side note, don’t let the low price of a “thermoelectric” cooler lure you. These units run on a solid-state heat exchanger and are limited in what they can do. Most units can only cool a certain number of degrees below the ambient temperature and aren’t designed as true freezers. They are really just self-cooling ice chests. Finally, these units can be set to almost any temperature, so they can be used as a refrigerator as well. A great backup fridge option if your main RV fridge goes on the blink.
Product Name: Whynter 45 Quart Portable Fridge/Freezer
Company Name and Info: Whynter LLC., www.whynter.com
Online Shopping Links: https://amzn.to/3UoiN9F
Average Street Price: Around $450
Original Publication Date: MA/15
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