Re: [A/S] 12 Volt cooler question

[Jerry Flanders <jeflanders@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I have a large one - almost a small tabletop refrigerator. Forget the 
brand. Takes maybe 3-4 hours to cool down, so you have to plan to use it. 
Uses around 3 amps, so it could kill a 12V battery in a day or so if not 
charging.

I think the brand is not important - they all use the same thermoelectric 
cooler devices and all have the same limitations.

Should work fine in an application where you plan ahead to use it, and have 
110 power or are driving and recharging as you go.

No good for quickie unplanned needs like taking home leftovers from 
a  restaurant, because it wouldn't be cool fast enough (unless it runs all 
the time).

OTOH, if you threw a small bag of ice in it when you needed to use it, it 
would cool rapidly and the cooler would kick in to make the ice last a LONG 
time.

One limitation - they can't take the temp lower than about 40 deg F below 
the ambient, so in a 120 degree parked car interior they can only cool to 
maybe 80.

Seemed like a darned good idea when I got it, but haven't found many uses 
for it, since the camper fridge works AOK.

When driving, we just take frozen bottles of water from the camper's 
freezer and sip on them for hours as they thaw.

Jerry 4404