My wife and I enjoy camping. We are still working, so can't go as often as we like. Since Feb. 2021 we've spent 65 nights camping. Sometimes short camping, 3-4 nights, others a week or two and entire month! Our trailer, a Black Series C15, came with a small 12 volt fridge (54 qt) and we knew, especially for our longer trips, that a larger fridge would be so convenient! I researched many brands, top brands you have certainly come across in your searching. I don't want to bad mouth the other brands, they were obviously of good quality and cost more than this model. But I tell you, this 78QT VL74 is outstanding and easily compares with, if not beats, the popular brands you've seen!
The Pros: all metal exterior, heavy duty/spring loaded handles, tight lock latch, insulation, stainless steel interior, & interior baskets!
This fridge is mounted in a storage compartment on a retractable tray, so we don't remove it. Mounting it in the storage area was so easy with those handles. If you should need to move it, even fully loaded, those handles will be a blessing. We bring the interior baskets into our home, load up all the food, then quickly put the basket in the VL74! It couldn't be any easier. It is secured in the storage area, so I'm not concerned about dings and dents. But I tell you, that all metal exterior and the corner guards, this VL74 is tough! The latches not only keep the lid closed, they keep the warm air out! And the insulation is one of the thickest I've found in any price range! That insulation is incredibly helpful on hot, summer days. My solar and batteries (200 watt solar panels & 200 amp hours batteries) were able to keep the compressor running without totally draining my battery (on eco mode) and the food and beverages stayed cold! The stainless interior is easy to clean and helps distribute the cold and keep temperatures even. In our other cooler, some items closest to the coils in the plastic lined interior, were sometimes frozen. Not so with the VL74! Meat on the bottom stayed very cold. The veggies on the top were crisp -- nothing was ruined. Let's talk about customer service. I purchased this VL74 through the ICECO web page at a price even better than Amazon! I later had a simple question and used their "contact us" tab to post it. My question was answered within hours... HOURS! Not days or weeks. I was so impressed with their customer service.
Cons: Haven't found a one.
If I ever have the need to get another 12 volt cooler, I will definitely purchase from ICECO!
