I Bought a Cheap 12V Fridge on Amazon for my Van 

Hey Bob. A guy once told me to turn my fridge that stopped working upside down for half an hour and then turn it back and let it rest for half an hour. Well in an hour I had a working fridge again. Believe it or not it worked. All you got to lose is an hour, give it a shot.. it’s worked three times in thirty years now annnnnnd! It’s worked for others too. Cheers. Mario.

The 20 quart Alpicool is the same size refrigerator (bottom) portion as the 15 quart, but the lid of the 20 quart is taller (so larger bottles can stand upright).

Bob I’ve been using that same fridge in my Honda Element setup since going full time a year ago with the cover with zero issues. It’s been a great fridge.

Thank you for showing us a reasonably priced refrigerator. That’s a great size for me at a great price. Thanks

It's mind-boggling how many refrigerators are on the market now basically because of you,. You're doing a great job Bob keep up the good work

Bob, we are of the same generation my friend. I chuckle everytime I hear someone say "cigarette lighter" in reference to the modern power plugs. Keep on being yourself, and be safe. Blessings, Merry Christmas, and Happy Nee Year.

I bought a Alpicool C30 12 volt for 239.99 last year and I love it !

"I'm going to enjoy my Pepsi till my last breath." Love it! lol

You gotta love a man who gets excited about a fridge cover! A man after my own heart! When something is good, then it’s really good may as well make the most of it😂😂x.

...the you're dying, I'm dying thing totally cracked me up!

I bought this exact fridge in August of this year, so far it has been working perfectly with my Jackery power unit.

Thank you Bob, love these reviews on different products. Appreciate everything you do for us. 💕

Everyone should have a small fridge like this. We used to take ours on road trips with the kids, day trip adventures, extra fridge for get togethers.

My brother is 62 years old and he’s been drinking a six pack of diet Pepsi per day for 40 years. No health issues. He doesn’t take any meds.He’s in great shape. He climbed Mt Whitney this year. He bicycled 100 miles in one day last year. Drink ‘em if you got ‘em Bob!

" We're all dieing" Love your philosophy Bob 😊

Most appliances now are throw away items now. Repairing usually cost more than buying a new one. Sad to say.

I'm using a large Alpicool as a freezer and a Yeti roadie cooler for a refrig. The freezer is big enough to make ice for the cooler with plenty of room for food. I just keep rotating the ice containers so I don't have to buy ice.

at just $200 it is tempting to get 2 of the small ones, make one a dedicated freezer for my ice cream and the other for regular fridge stuff

3:13 Things like this is why people love your videos! So true, genuine, and funny!

I laughed about your commentary on your pepsi...I love you sense of humour...just one of the reasons your videos are so watchable. As well as being easy to listen to and very informative. Thanks Bob.

Ive heard Dometic fridges have plenty of failure issues so ive concluded, like you Bob...go with the chinese fridges.

Hi Bob! I bought the Alpicool C20 for $250 and use it for overland camping in my Jeep Compass. Last year while using a Coleman Igloo cooler I must have gone through 50 bags of ice. Finally I bit the bullet and ordered the Alpicool. I only use it on camping trips and road trips but I figure the savings will be quite a bit plus eliminate the aggravation of having to buy ice, wet or soaked food products (even with ziploc bags), emptying the cooler of water and driving to find a store to buy ice. I also bought a Jackery 240 to run the fridge when my Jeep is idle. Hey, good to know about the classes, too. I'm trying to convince my wife we could live in a van but it'll have to be something like the Mercedes Benz Sprinter van with satellite TV service. For myself I could live in my Compass as I have the accessories to live comfortably.

You totally ROCK Bob! I love watching your vlogs. They have kept me sane as I battle my latest episode of depression. I find your voice very comforting and stabilising. Thank you and keep safe and well 🌈

I took Bob’s past advice about a refrigerator with a Zarfoss Compressor so I paid about 1 1/2 times as much as he payed for this one. It looks to me that they’re all made in the same factory because they’re so similar either that or they’re stealing the plans from each other ( no not the Chinese they wouldn’t do that) the advantage to my iceco is that I have a divider I can place in so that one compartment is freezing and the other compartment is refrigerated of course with a 20 quart unit that makes those compartments very small. Bob is right the biggest pain is that somethings won’t stand up I’d like to have a half gallon of milk in it but can’t stand it up. It will be interesting to see him test this and see how long it works. He didn’t mention anything about the Zarfoss compressor. So I think Bob owes me The extra money because I followed his advice. Of course I’m not serious LOL. I’m very satisfied with mine except for standing up things it runs very well uses very little power I was tempted to get the cheaper ones but I went with Bob‘s recommendation. If I had the space I’d get another small one and use one for fridge and one for freezer. But I have very little space left over for anything. The future will tell us the story.

Great sense of humor, love watching u!

Outstanding! It's was Brilliant of you to physically show what fits inside. Gunna check your link...20 or 26 qt is as close as I have gotten to choice....26 it is.

We bought the exact same Fridge a few months ago, and we've already taken it on a 1,800 mile road trip. It's a really good fridge. It's quiet, and doesn't use much electricity. Our only issue with this fridge is that the temperature readout is off by about 8 degrees. We have to set it at 29 degrees to get it to maintain 37 degrees. This is discussed in depth in many of the reviews. I also wish it had handles that were easier to grab. But we love everything else about it - including the price. Good choice - enjoy!

Knock on Wood!!! My Dometic CF50 is still running going on 5 years fulltime vanlife. 35*F setting, hooked directly to fuse box. It’s survived 2 round trips to Alaska and the extremely bumpy Haul Road to Prudhoe Bay. Having said this it’ll probably breakdown soon.

Look forward to your review on this one - I haven't bought a fridge for my van yet but this one is much closer to my budget!!

@3:48 I died laughing " im not out here to traumatize my self"😂😂😂

It was 12 years ago that I ordered a WEACO refrigerator a CF24 when it came the side said DOMETIC. I still have my Engle 27 that I use as a freezer periodically, I have had 3 other Engle type refrigerators in the past 30 years (2 Engle, 2 Norcold) For dependability I would go with the rotary compressor over the linear compressor every time, Rotary compressors in my experience are quieter, especially if you sleep near it.

I've heard that 9/10, when a typical fridge just quits, it the thermostat. It would be worth investigating if these little frides can easily and cheaply fixed DIY rather than toss them for another $250 replacement. I would almost take a new one apart to see what's inside and identify spare parts to carry.

My Dometic CFX40 went wacky; it started cycling all the time and froze everything in the compartment. The Dometic CFX40 is a $900+ cooler. Luckily it had a 2 year warranty; sent it back to Dometic in August 2020 and just got the replacement unit. Took 3 months!!! Dometic replaced it with the latest model CFXS45. This model is warranted for 3 years parts, labor, shipping; and 5 years parts and labor. Even with this benefit; not sure if I would ever buy a Dometic again.... Keep up the good work Bob!

That’s a nice looking fridge! Looking forward to your review after you’ve used it for a while.

Just when I thought I couldn't love you more Bob you come out with this video God bless you & getting my van this year & I'm coming to meet you 💛🌷💛

I hit the like as soon as you said we are dying since the day we were borne . I`m 68 and I`ve been saying that for as long as I can remember ! I hope we both last quite a few years longer . Good luck to US !!!

Hi Bob, Thanks for sharing!!! Its good information to know. I look forward to the future update.

That's the exact fridge I bought for my Ram Promaster City a few of months ago. So far it has been great. Super quiet too.

Well Bob, I’m with you on the Pepsi and one of my favorites is a chocolate ice cream and Pepsi float. I’m 72 and don’t drink 2 Pepsi’s a day like I once did but still have it on hand at all times. If it tastes good to Me I will keep on eating or drinking it until the end.😎 IT will be interesting to see what kind of life you get out of your new fridge. Wishing you good health and safe travels in the new year.

Don't forget to get the extra 4 or 5 year warranty from Amazon. If it fails during the period you get money to buy another. I had to replace mine recently so it ended up costing me nothing. Just a thought.....

Wow Review, Bob! And big Thanks 😊 Happy trails to you and crew. Now hunting for the followup ….

Suggestion:. Get a simple ice chest for Pepsi and other items that don't have to in main fridge. Just grab lots of ice at pit stops.

I have been using a 43 qt Chinese freezer like that for almost a year. Draws 45 watts! WOW! I will use it to make ice when I hit road. Keep you posted on longevity.

Thank You Bob! I look forward to your update fridge review. I have the *Whynter FMC-350XP 34* waiting in my amazon cart for after the Xmas hustle bustle shipping tumble time is over. You brought up great points and now I will look into this fridge.

What I love is how the simple pleasures - like fitting the contents of 50 quarts in a 20 quart container -- make you so happy. Thanks for sharing!

I have a Dometic 65dz that's been in use for about 4 years; so far so good. It was the last model before Dometic changed the compressor and included bluetooth, wifi, or whatever digital gizmos they now stuff in there. I paid $630 and now the same 65dz is near $1000.

I love your attitude regarding life and pleasures. I've told many that I have no intention of being the healthiest guy in the graveyard!

I have the same it’s the 53 qt. I’m really happy with it. Keeps my food and beverages nice and cold. Only complaint I have is the 12v charging cord is very flimsy and easily breaks. Very quiet and does the job.

The price is amazing on that unit; the power draw is much more than the expensive units however. Nobody wants to spend 1200 bucks on a fridge, but you only spend it once, and the components are replaceable. The power savings is often the deciding factor. I only have 2400 watts on my roof, so I have to watch my loads closely. What I did was buy a pair of chest units; one reefer and one freezer, because they have a lot more insulation than the portable units available. They both run on 24 volts and they sip energy even in hot weather. The reason I spent the money is that it may come to pass that these units become unavailable, so something I will never need to replace is attractive to me. Keep truckin'. :)

Bob .He is the man with the plan.

I don't really like Pepsi. But my Mom did so I love you Bob for. Loving it

Tons better than carrying around ice. Saves $ in the long run. Can't survive without a ice cold drink.

I really really appreciate that this one also has that alternative plug where you can plug it into a wall outlet. Makes for a great transition. I need this for use as extra freezer space. 💛

Thanks for sharing

Nice to have a friend near by that had one available.

I would be really interested in the watt-hours used while in fridge mode, and in freezer mode!

Right there with you on the Pepsi Bob! I didn't know about the milk.

BOB, I'm devotedly watching as many of your videos that I can because I plan on 'hitting the road' as my retirement gift to myself. After all these years of faithful government service, I deserve it. :-)

Thanks for all you do to help us out here.

Bob, filming this while staring into the sun must have been a challenge. Good video.

Thank you Bob, I like this fridge.Cant wait to be able to try it out.

I bought one of these 20 months ago. 17 months in it started freezing everything. It wouldn't shut off no matter what the thermostat said. Much to my suprise Joy Tutus replaced it at no cost to me. I was impressed but now 3 months later the replacement is acting very similar. I have to fiddle with it to get it to turn on, then it running s till the power drops.

Thanks for all the great information Bob. I hope to hit the road this summer.

Congratulations on your new fridge, the reduced weight and adequate inner space.

Question first. On your next video, I'd love to know power usage. Big decision factor for me. Thanks for the unboxing! Another option to consider. Definitely getting something before next summer on the road.

LOL! 3:27 - Pepsi approves this message! Great video. TY for the unboxing.

G,day from OZ,came to the same conclusion about two months ago , and can go though three of the new fridges for the money I paid for the one it's replace .Merry Xmas to all ,keep the faith,stay strong,stay loving.😍🍀🇦🇺🌎🌏

You could turn that fridge into a freezer (assuming it has the capability to freeze) Freeze ice packs in it and take the ice packs into a cooler or a nonworking fridge as a cooler and then you'd have a freezer and refrigerator from a freezer.

i’ve been running a $279 C40 Alpicool (42 quqrt) compressor fridge on my 100 a/h solar system for four months now. love it. i replaced a 62 quart cooler and i have plenty of space. it’s bluetooth enabled so i can keep an eye on it from my ipad.

Thanks Bob for another great comparison....

I just bought a Vevor 20 from Wal-Mart. I'm planning to use it as a freezer and alternate two frozen 1 L juice jugs between it and my Ezetil 35 L cooler, that I'll use as a fridge, no power needed. The great thing about my cooler is that it is tall enough to hold 2 L bottles of diet Pepsi. :) I also have a countertop ice machine and jell-insulated cold mugs, to keep my pop cold. I might even take my SodaStream with me and make my own pop. Jon in rural BC, Canada

Thanks Bob. You Rock !

Rather than place it in the landfill, donating it to a charity thrift might have been a better option...perhaps a handy person could have made use of it. But I’m glad you got a good right sized working appliance that meets your needs - cold upright soda and all! 💚 Almost all of these ‘camping’ appliances are not meant for continuous use, so no matter the price - they’re all going to need replacement every few years. Thanks for the link for the ‘no name’ brand. As for the gold plated brands...they basically cost the same when pro-rated over time. The only good thing is less environmental load....

Wow how light it is wonderful in your van...

Bob, this was so so helpful! I had been a little worried about how I was going to ever afford a dometic if I wanted to keep my food refrigerated. I really appreciate your straightforward, honest, common sense logic.

Good to see you treat yourself for a change. 😊💗

I know the feeling well. Dr Pepper really is great. lol

I purchased this fridge 3 months ago and love it.....doesn't use much solar....I keep my rig in the garage over the weekends (no sun) and the 100ah lithium runs it with no issues....so far, so good 🤓

I think I'm still going to go for theApiCool 58 quart for $319. I'd really like to have a little freezer space (especially for ice for the margaritas!) and I like to keep my trips to the grocery store to a minimum.

A man after my heart. In 2000 the doctor told me I had to give up Pepsi or I would be dead in 3-4 years. I didn’t listen and here I am 21 years later, still kicking and still drinking Pepsi. I don’t drink booze, smoke, or do drugs. I drink Pepsi. I am happy.

All the best Bob 💚✌👍✋👏 God bless you

Great content Bob. I hope your new fridge works out great for you. Can't wait to hear your review of it. 👍😊

Hi Bob. Just to throw this out there , I bought a Massimo CX-50 from Costco last summer for $259. It is a 52 quartIt is now $339.99 + tax. right now But it works great. It’s also a freezer. Just thought I would share that

I'm looking forward to seeing how this fridge handles. Thanks for your work Bob, you're great!

Sounds like the expensive RV fridges are like RVs...seemingly designed for occasional weekend warriors and not full timers! I definitely opt for the cheap route since none of them will be around long enough to be heirlooms!...I had a small crack in the floor of my fridge (different fridge), easily repaired but under warranty, and the company found it cheaper to send me a new one, so I ended up with two. Happy Holidays, Bob!!

Interesting choice for in our truck. Had used a $99 (WallyWorld 120v special) for five yrs until it quit keeping beer, oj & dairy cold.

Hail to Pepsi. I am with you right by your side. Love your videos. And your good choice on you PEPSI,. ❤️❤️❤️❤️👍👍👍👍. GOD BLESS HAPPY PRAYERS YOU BOB. LOVE TO MOM & SISTER.

I love your life philosophy. You only live once. So enjoy your Pepsi!! 🥤

Thanks for video Bob. Nice fridge. Spend wisely. You get what you pay for.

If you can do the 20qt, thing...good for you Bob. You can always upgrade later. I like that milk to. Good idea to take products out of packaging and put in zip locks.

The Alpinlight has a recessed top in their 20 qt. And it holds 16.9 with room to spare..

Thank you, Bob. You're a treat to watch and so informative!

I bought an Alpicool 36 quart, freezer fridge combo, separate compartments, milk can stand up, that has been running 24/7 for 15 months trouble free, has wheels to make it easier to move, about 27 x 14.5 x 14.5, fits between seats of my Dodge van, $299 on Amazon, would buy again. Wish it had a case like yours.

Hi Bob! The reason you need to keep your fridge upright is because if placed upside down the compressor oil will go to the top and shorten the life of a compressor. Think of a compressor as an engine it has a piston to pump the Freon through the sealed system. Love your videos.

Will be nice to see how it holds up. I just purchased one. Thanks

Ha ha you are a hoot we all enjoy your Humor and videos

I have the 20 liter Alpicool it has a raised Lid so your milk and Pepsi can stand upright. Normal price $199, I caught it on sale for $169

Excellent information! Thank you for sharing 🙏 😊 💝

I greatly appreciate your videos. Being new to the vanlife, it is a true treasure to have the knowledge of experience at my fingertips. Thank you

Hey Bob Merry Christmas enjoy life and your journey keep doing what you're doing to help others may go a continue to strengthen you