Post summary: The best portable fridge freezer for a long road trip / or Living on the Road; we did the research and the testing for you on our 3-month road trip across the United States living out of a pickup truck and rooftop tent!
Say goodbye to ice-melted water-filled coolers! It’s time for an upgrade!
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The BEST Portable Fridge Freezer for a Long Road Trip – 2023
What is a Portable Fridge, and why do I need one?
A portable fridge is an independent unit that uses an outside power source to control its internal temperature. So, unlike a traditional cooler that relies on ice or freezer packs, a portable fridge doesn’t require that, so your food won’t be sitting in liquid!
A portable refrigerator can plug into a car battery or run on solar panels, mobile power packs, or a vehicle power inverter.
Some portable refrigerators even have dual zones, meaning both a fridge and freezer section!
What Mattered to Us When Searching for a Portable Fridge
- Durability/Ruggedness/Weather-Hardiness
- Tilt Capabilities/Spill-proof/etc.
- Size
- AC/Car Adapter
- Dual Zones
Additionally, I love cooking, and I love fresh food!! So having something where we can pack or pick-up local produce and meat from Farmer’s Markets is important to us, and our Dual Portable ICECO Fridge/Freezer was PERFECT for us!
The Fridge we Chose for our 3 Month US Cross-Country Road-Trip
ICECO Portable Fridge Freezer
The ICECO VL60 Dual Zone Portable Fridge is the one we went with, and the one we felt fit our travel, rugged lifestyle the best!
Design
First off, the design is what caught our eye! It looks rugged and sturdy with steel tight latches to secure the goods from spills, impact-resistant caps, metal handles, and a 40° Operation (meaning the fridge/freezer still operates on a 40° tilt!). This shockproof design allows the refrigerator to withstand harsh environments. Additionally, the overall design looks super rugged and not like it’s made cheap!
Power Source
Since we will be traveling and living out of a truck with a rooftop tent, having a fridge that plugged into our truck’s cigarette lighter, our Jackery Solar Generator and truck inverter was important to us!
The ICECO VL60 Dual Zone Portable Fridge includes 2 power cables to separately connect with 12/24V DC (Car Cigarette Lighter) and 110V to 240V AC power for Vehicle and Home sockets.
Additionally, this can also be used as a fridge/freezer in your home, or if you’re like us, when you order a bulk supply of meat from your local farmer and need to transport it home!!
Dual Zones
Honestly, I didn’t even know you could find this in a portable cooler-style fridge! The dual zones are perfect for our kind of lifestyle! Packing local produce and meat! We filled the freezer section up with 25 lbs of meat!
Either section can be a fridge or freezer, so different temperatures for each side, or both sections could be used as a fridge or both as a freezer, so the same temperature! To preserve energy, you can also turn one section off if it is empty! It also has fast cooling capabilities!
Both sections come with removable storage baskets too for better organization and 0-50° F cooling
Size
The ICECO VL60 Dual Zone Portable Fridge is ICECO’s smallest dual-zone in the VL Series, and honestly, I don’t think I would want a bigger one! It weighs 64 lbs empty, so not one that can easily be moved, especially with one person, however, ICECO also makes car sliders for easier movement! Capacity is 60L (63QT), and dimensions are 31.2 x 19.5 x 18.9 inches. It can fit 89 cans, 50 mineral water bottles, or 20 750ml wine bottles!!
We fit 25 lbs of local meat into the right side, which we made our freezer side! And came home with lbs of salmon from the Washington Coast!
Summary of Pros/Cons
Honestly, I have a lot of good to say about the ICECO VL60 Dual Zone Portable Fridge, and really don’t have anything negative to say about it! This was perfect for our 3-month road trip, no matter the conditions. We were in the hot, hot desert, and we were in temperatures below 30.
Pros
- Dual Zone, Fridge & Freezer
- Fast-Cooling
- Durable/Rugged for all lifestyles
- Independent temp control of fridge & freezer zones
- 5-Year Warranty on Secop Compressor/ 1 Year For Other Parts
- Large capacity + organizer baskets
- 40° tilt operation
- Multi-use & built-in AC Adapter
- Stylish!
- Global Product Insurance
Cons
- Heavy
- Thin handles – can be hard to move
- Price – Although looking at others of similar capacity, the other brands have a much higher price, and to me look less durable and cheaply made!
Save for later!
Did you find this info guide to the best travel fridge helpful? Let me know in the comments!
Who we are
Hi, We’re John and Ally! Off-the-beaten-path adventure enthusiasts and wellness experts who aim to inspire travelers to explore the outdoors, their well-being, and local culture in a mindful way. We are based in the rolling hills of Central NY! Our focus is all about slow travel, budget travel, and minimalistic traveling! You can learn more about us here!
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