12v cool bags any good (1 Viewer)

[32143]

We are looking to get a cool box as our fridge is a bit small, the ridged ones take up too much space and whilst looking on Amazon spotted 12v soft types.

Mobicool S32 DC Thermoelectric Cool Bag

Tried to link, but kept defaulting to general amazon


Does anyone have this type and if so any good?
Would also get an adapter to use with mains.
Reviews are variable and although some are good I don't really trust them. ( one of my mates reviews goods, she gets sent stuff to test for free in exchange for submitting a review, she recently confessed to me she generally doesn't test anything she gets, just gives everything a glowing review!!! Which means she scores highly and now has companies begging her to review their stuff)
Hence would prefer a more trusted review.
Thanks

Lin

 

[Badknee]

I can only comment on a 12volt powered hard cased cool box. It used a lot of power and even melted the cigarette lighter plug, was very noisy and not that cool inside so binned it as I wasn't very pleased with it.

 

[Enword]

Same here cant say about 12v cool bag, but we have one of these & are very happy with it, when we are racing, although we have a full size fridge, we have carry 4 days worth of food for the team, so we put pre prepared frozen meals in it & you must remember to take them out because they are still frozen on the 3rd day, not that I ever forgot Its a 3 way fridge

http://www.caseysoutdoorleisure.co....g-Fridge/34P?gclid=CLmsurbgqMoCFU2NGwodJDEMxw

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[Electraglide]

V

I can only comment on a 12volt powered hard cased cool box. It used a lot of power and even melted the cigarette lighter plug, was very noisy and not that cool inside so binned it as I wasn't very pleased with it.

Very similar result with a powered cool box from Makro for £20.
Also have a Combicool chest cool box, cost £150 twenty years ago, still works as good as any fridge but they all kill a 12 volt.battery.

 

[SuperMike]

When we go away with Scouts, it can be in excess of 30 people, we use these. Other sizes are available.

Amazon product ASIN B004UAMVVM
Packed with frozen stuff, including the milk, the contents will survive a fortnight camp if stored properly, and not left out in the sun or in a hot tent. No power at a Scout camp, except for the leaders, of course.

 

[DBK]

After a lot of tooth sucking over the cost we bought one of these: Broken Link Removed It fits between the front seats when we stop and has a very useful capacity and is tall enough for wine bottles.

In Brittany last September in often cloudy weather a 100W solar panel couldn't quite produce enough power but with two leisure batteries we were good for a couple of days before we needed to start the engine.

It's expensive but quiet and we found we could turn it off last thing at night and the internal temperature only crept up about five degrees by the time we turned it on when we woke up. It draws about 5 amps but does not run continually, typically five minutes of running is followed by twenty minutes not running but of course it depends on the internal temperature you set and the ambient temperature.

Ours was £305 from Amazon but that deal doesn't seem to be available now.

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[eddie]

Ask DBK the Cool freeze range work, but they use a compressor so it is like a small fridge freeze, looking like a box, rather that a box trying to be a fridge freezer

I have large Cool Freeze on a slide out mout in one of the lockers in my Motorhome for beer and wine, typical consumption is about 35 watts, so about three amps. It is guaranteed to freeze to minus 20 in any ambient temperature.

The travel bags you refer tow are grossly inefficient as are most Thermoelectic cool boxes drawing on average 10 -15 amps constantly with a poor cooling results.

Having said that if off for a picnic, we use a Weaco travel bag, plugged into 12 volt whilst we travel to keep pre chilled stuff chilled, as power consumption isn't a problem when driving

 

[32143]

Thanks guys,
We don't have the room to carry a solid one unfortunately.
Would only use the 12v via a mains adapter when on hook up, so drainage on battery wont be an issue.
Our built in fridge has an ice compartment ( unfortunately unlike our 1st van it isn't removable, hence struggling with space) so we can carry those blocks which you freeze to add to the bag, which might assist. Think will keep looking as not keen on buying online unless have a personal recommendation.
If we didn't have the 3 dogs taking up so much space the possibilities would be endless
Our built in fridge runs off 12v which worried us at first as last was 3 way, seems to be ok up to now, but not yet been overseas with it or off mains

 

[Landy lover]

Over the years have tried most things cool bags powered or not are only suited to keeping things cool for a short period of time -- 2 to 4 hours say. To be efficient you need to spend over £100 at least on something in the Dometic or Waeco range. Many years ago when we were tent campers we had the then equivalent of this http://www.caseysoutdoorleisure.co....g-Fridge/34P?gclid=CLmsurbgqMoCFU2NGwodJDEMxw and now for days out in the Landy and extra storage on the move we have a http://www.waecofridges.co.uk/tropicool/tb15g.htm which is an amazing thing from not in use to reducing to the correct temperature is about an hour and provided not opened the temperature is held for about 8 hours . We have had it for about 10 years and its never missed a beat

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[bubble63]

Hi I am sort of with @eddievanbitz on this when he refers to thermo electric

quote "Thermoelectric cooling uses the Peltier effect to create a heat flux between the junction of two different types of materials."

So the cheap cool boxes/bag just have a fan and are quite economical to run on a battery
The expensive boxes have a compressor and they will eat a battery in hours

My themoelecric box only drops the temperature by 11 deg from the outside temp. so is limited in its use

I dont agree with eddie's power quote, these thermoelectric bags/boxes take around 4-5 amps to run so you should get all night from a normal size leisure battery

 

[32143]

Over the years have tried most things cool bags powered or not are only suited to keeping things cool for a short period of time -- 2 to 4 hours say. To be efficient you need to spend over £100 at least on something in the Dometic or Waeco range. Many years ago when we were tent campers we had the then equivalent of this http://www.caseysoutdoorleisure.co....g-Fridge/34P?gclid=CLmsurbgqMoCFU2NGwodJDEMxw and now for days out in the Landy and extra storage on the move we have a http://www.waecofridges.co.uk/tropicool/tb15g.htm which is an amazing thing from not in use to reducing to the correct temperature is about an hour and provided not opened the temperature is held for about 8 hours . We have had it for about 10 years and its never missed a beat

I do like the look and size of the second smaller one that might be possible if it would fit behind the passenger cab seat once turned around.

 

[DiggerJon]

Thank goodness for my cheap and cheerful £39.99 LIDL electric toolbox - mains or 12v - which does a splendid job of cooling beer and wine whilst on EHU and keeping it cool on 12v whilst the van is running. I wouldn't use it on 12v whilst not running - I know that it flattens a vehicle battery overnight!

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[32143]

Having done a quick search on Waeco, they also do the soft type, expensive though, which isn't an issue as long as they work/do what they claim.
We have a 12v plug in the cab area which indicates it should run off the mains, it doesn't at the moment. When Terry did some work for us his mate Paul had a quick look but didn't have enough time to sort it out for us. Think a return visit might be on the cards @Terry
If we get it working a solid box which fits in the wells would be an option as it would also work as a barrier to stop Biskit (choc lab) trying to wedge herself in them.

 

[Zoppydog]

Same

Thank goodness for my cheap and cheerful £39.99 LIDL electric toolbox - mains or 12v - which does a splendid job of cooling beer and wine whilst on EHU and keeping it cool on 12v whilst the van is running. I wouldn't use it on 12v whilst not running - I know that it flattens a vehicle battery overnight!

Same here, we have a plug in the garage so when parked up it lives in there. We do turn it off at night as the fan can disturb if you are a light sleeper
Chris

 

[bubble63]

We are looking to get a cool box as our fridge is a bit small, the ridged ones take up too much space and whilst looking on Amazon spotted 12v soft types.

Mobicool S32 DC Thermoelectric Cool Bag

Tried to link, but kept defaulting to general amazon


Does anyone have this type and if so any good?
Would also get an adapter to use with mains.
Reviews are variable and although some are good I don't really trust them. ( one of my mates reviews goods, she gets sent stuff to test for free in exchange for submitting a review, she recently confessed to me she generally doesn't test anything she gets, just gives everything a glowing review!!! Which means she scores highly and now has companies begging her to review their stuff)
Hence would prefer a more trusted review.
Thanks

Lin

Hi Lin
I have re-read you post
These bags /boxes are not a replacement for a fridge
They drop the temperature, the ambient temperature, on average by 10-15 degrees, so if its 21 in your van the box could be at 11 which is well above the recommended 5 degrees for a fridge
A fridge on the other hand will work hard until it gets down to 5 degrees and stay there
I use one of these to keep a picnic cooler in a hot car when we are out for the day, but I can do the same thing with an ice block in a cool bag
On the odd occasion I tent camp I use it to delay the milk going off, but it aint a fridge!

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[32143]

Thank goodness for my cheap and cheerful £39.99 LIDL electric toolbox - mains or 12v - which does a splendid job of cooling beer and wine whilst on EHU and keeping it cool on 12v whilst the van is running. I wouldn't use it on 12v whilst not running - I know that it flattens a vehicle battery overnight!

We saw some mains ones last year I think in Spain which were much cheaper than the UK, should have bought one then
We don't have a Lidl

 

[32143]

Hi Lin
I have re-read you post
These bags /boxes are not a replacement for a fridge
They drop the temperature, the ambient temperature, on average by 10-15 degrees, so if its 21 in your van the box could be at 11 which is well above the recommended 5 degrees for a fridge
A fridge on the other hand will work hard until it gets down to 5 degrees and stay there
I use one of these to keep a picnic cooler in a hot car when we are out for the day, but I can do the same thing with an ice block in a cool bag
On the odd occasion I tent camp I use it to delay the milk going off, but it aint a fridge!

We would only use it for drinks, beer, wine and already frozen stuff as like you say not low enough for food. Our built in fridge is a pull out one and hardly fits anything, just about ok for a few days food and milk, but drinks no chance.

 

[eddie]

Hi I am sort of with @eddievanbitz on this when he refers to thermo electric

quote "Thermoelectric cooling uses the Peltier effect to create a heat flux between the junction of two different types of materials."

So the cheap cool boxes/bag just have a fan and are quite economical to run on a battery
The expensive boxes have a compressor and they will eat a battery in hours

My themoelecric box only drops the temperature by 11 deg from the outside temp. so is limited in its use

I dont agree with eddie's power quote, these thermoelectric bags/boxes take around 4-5 amps to run so you should get all night from a normal size leisure battery

Your right, that I over estimated the power consumption, I have just looked at the units in my shop as we stock Thermoelectric and the CDF Compressor types

The Cool Fun range is 75 watts so at 12 volts about 6.5 amps, which is still a whopping 78 amps over a twelve hour period. Most peoples leisure battery capacity cannot sustain that, along with domestic use of 12 volt such as lights, pump, TV, heating etc

Things have improved since I stopped using thermoelectric boxes, as has flat batteries as I have forgotten to unplug it and warm beer and wine lol

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[DBK]

I've dug out a couple of shots of ours in use. It fits even when both seats are turned around although these days I tend not to turn mine around. The mutt will go in the passenger's footwell at night in his bed but when he was a very small puppy he went in a crate/basket on the driver's seat.

It fits sideways behind the passenger's seat when we are travelling. The lid lifts off if required.

I don't think it would fit in the passenger's footwell unless the seat was pulled back a very long way - but I haven't tried it.

 

[eddie]

My Wife kept removing my beer to make room for her wine and our food in the fridge/freezer So something had to be done lol

The slide out mounts were originally designed to allow the Dometic (Weaco) boxes to be installed in motorhome garages, yet still be easily accessible. Don't forget that the compressor units can be used as freezers as well for those that need to take specialist foods etc with them when they start a trip

Or two slabs of Stella Artois

 

[32143]

I've dug out a couple of shots of ours in use. It fits even when both seats are turned around although these days I tend not to turn mine around. The mutt will go in the passenger's footwell at night in his bed but when he was a very small puppy he went in a crate/basket on the driver's seat.

View attachment 89244

It fits sideways behind the passenger's seat when we are travelling. The lid lifts off if required.

View attachment 89246



I don't think it would fit in the passenger's footwell unless the seat was pulled back a very long way - but I haven't tried it.

Thank DBK
Thanks exactly where we used to keep our dog food box, similar shape and size as we have 3 labs so tend to always have a 15kg bag of food even on a short trip. With the new van the space is a lot shorter, there is a moulded drinks holder integrated to the dash, which is annoying as it restricts putting boxes in the wells too.
I think we will have to check out a few on our uk travels and hope shops are happy for us to test sizes in situ.

Lin

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[32143]

My Wife kept removing my beer to make room for her wine and our food in the fridge/freezer So something had to be done lol

The slide out mounts were originally designed to allow the Dometic (Weaco) boxes to be installed in motorhome garages, yet still be easily accessible. Don't forget that the compressor units can be used as freezers as well for those that need to take specialist foods etc with them when they start a trip

Or two slabs of Stella Artois View attachment 89251

Looks good, funnily enough we do now have a boot area on our pvc and it has a socket fitted, unfortunately the stuff we need to get in there wouldn't allow room for a fridge . When we are dog free ( not for a very long time) would be a good option for us.

Lin

 

[gus-lopez]

I've got a 40L Camping Gaz one that doesn't work. I just use a 5 litre bottle of water , frozen for weeks in the deep freeze at home. Stick that in the bottom & it'll last for days.

 

[32143]

I've got a 40L Camping Gaz one that doesn't work. I just use a 5 litre bottle of water , frozen for weeks in the deep freeze at home. Stick that in the bottom & it'll last for days.

I'm thinking initially might just buy a soft bigger cool bag and use with ice blocks, we don't put much else in our van freezer section and it's on permanently so may as well have something in it.

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