Compact Fridge Versus 12 Volt Cooler

I was issued my 2013 prostar today and was curious about thoughts regarding small fridge versus 12 volt cooler....one versus the other.... Ice in a cooler is sorta a pain.

I was issued my 2013 prostar today and was curious about thoughts regarding small fridge versus 12 volt cooler....one versus the other.... Ice in a cooler is sorta a pain.

I've had both the Coleman and Koolatron 12v "iceless" coolers. Neither keeps stuff very cold. I'm currently using the Koolatron and I'm making do, but some people have told me the ice will keep stuff colder, just a pain to fill and drain.

If I could have a fridge I'd prefer that, but it'll take a lot to get me to strap one in the passenger seat like I see a lot of drivers do.

I have a Coleman iceless (40 QT). I slide it into a compartment but I always have the cooler fan pointed out of the cabinet, not inward like you'd think would look better. This keeps stuff plenty cold, and I prefer really cold sodas.

BTW, I shut the cooler off when I hit the sack and turn it on in the morning. The contents stay cool enough.

It's best to shut it off when you're not running the engine. You may get an alarm early in the morning for life battery.

Thanks.. The truck has an APU that monitors battery life/ charge so I'm good there.

APU:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

Went with a insignia 1.7 cu ft fridge... Sits perfectly on one of the bunk side table tops. Best buy,$89.

I have used both at one point. Fridge is better with an apu in my opinion. It doesn't run all the time like the cooler does.

APU:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

Any idea why my inverter is making a brief chirping noise as the compressor kicks in on the fridge? I'm getting use to it but in the dark silence at night I'd prefer not to hear that.

Any idea why my inverter is making a brief chirping noise as the compressor kicks in on the fridge? I'm getting use to it but in the dark silence at night I'd prefer not to hear that.

That is a quirk of inverters. Has to do with the way they're built. Some are better than others, but I doubt you want to replace the thing.

(I used to work at a place that built an inverter type power supply, and when they'd kick on under load during testing, they'd all chirp.)

Pj is right about the coolers running continuously. This is one of the reasons they don't last very long, and eventually when you buy several of them, you will end up spending enough to pay for a real refrigerator with a thermostat that allows the power to kick on and off.

Here is a link where you will find some quality refrigerators with thermostats that will last for years.

TRUCKFRIDGE