Hi. I have a 30l cool box that runs off my car battery or electric hook up.
I want to power it myself to allow wild camping. What will sensibly power it? A solar panel? Or something else? It is 50 watt I believe.
Thank you
a car battery will power it for a few hours at best, dont leave it plugged in the car without the engine running as it will drain the battery dead. they arent designed for wild camping at all. you need a gas powered fridge
I suspect we are talking a thermoelectric/Peltier type coolbox!
If so, you can't in any practical sense, they consume far too much power to be run off independent batteries, they kill even decent capacity (100Ah +) batteries dead in a few hours (that's why most have battery protection circuits that switch them off when battery starts to get flat, and can only work in cars with the engine running!)!
Solar won't save you, maybe 8 hours a day output when sun bright enough, other 16 hours would be pure battery power! The Solar panel has to be large enough to BOTH run the coolbox AND have enough spare capacity to fully recharge the battery in a few (say 5-6) hours too - that's a BIG panel or panels and not terribly portable. Only going to work effectively in sunshine as well!
Even Lithium batteries (high power density/deeper discharge levels/low weight) don't really stretch it into practicable use, enough kit I suppose it becomes marginal, but still only a not terribly effective coolbox! - better results from a high quality (Icytek, Igloo etc.) coolbox and ice, and no electricity!
Make and model of coolbox would give us the chance to confirm.
Compressor fridges have some scope for up to few days on battery, if battery big enough, but you are then running into size and weight issues, certainly not the kind of kit you'd be hiking far from the car with! Potentially with a solar panel of right size, and a battery of right capacity, you can be off grid continuously at least for the summer months where sufficient sun, but that's bulky heavy kit needing a vehicle really. It's also not cheap once you've added it all up!
Quote: Originally posted by navver on 24/6/2025
Look for a 3 way absorption fridge. Expensive but runs on mains 230 volt, 12 volt dc in car when driving or gas.
They are also absolutely silent in operation.
Probably £300 or so new.
Despite owning a 12v/240v compressor camping fridge bought a few years back now, I refuse to get rid of my now ancient (it's branded Electrolux rather than the Dometic more current branding) 3 way fridge which I purchased s/h many years ago, it still gets used on off grid camping trips, 240v at home to chill down, 12v in car on journey to keep contents cool, and gas on pitch as a very effective proper fridge rather than a so-so coolbox. I paid about £60 for mine s/h! Love them, so versatile. Got us through off grid camping in France for many years where ice filled coolboxes had previously failed us.
Even a small cool box will use a lot of car battery power in a few days so your car battery won't last out.
You'll probably need more than 20w in solar panels. Since the solar panels are made in China they are often uprated compared to their actual charging ability.
Between your solar panels and your car battey you'll need a solar charge controller, these are also made in China and may not be what they claim to be, watch Big Clives video about this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ezh0ylkAyTw
It is sad that the promising solar industry has been ruined by people selling trash.
As already mentioned, without EHU, hooking up a thermo-electric coolbox or small fridge will drain the car battery or a leisure battery in no time.
Found that out the hard way myself, only once, however, once was enough!
DK
------------- Apple The Campervan - A Van For Work, Rest & Play!
- 2027: ? NL+DE+FR
- 2026: FR+DE
- 2025: 17/77
'24: 10/49; '23: 9/47;'22: 8/46; '21: 9/34
* Ex-tenter
* Treat life events like a dog: if you can't eat it, play with it or hump it, p1$$ on it and walk away!
As well is two words!
How does a sage know everything about everything? or does he? or does he just think he does?
Remember, if you buy something you bought it, not brought it.
Instead of hooking up the thermo-electric coolbox to the car battery via the 12V socket in the cab while I was on the road from home to North Wales which was about 6h's drive with pit stops, I hooked it up to one of the 12V sockets in the van instead, and was shocked to see how much electricity it had consumed during that time!
For my next trip involving long distance driving, I shall hook it up to the car battery while I am driving.
DK
------------- Apple The Campervan - A Van For Work, Rest & Play!
- 2027: ? NL+DE+FR
- 2026: FR+DE
- 2025: 17/77
'24: 10/49; '23: 9/47;'22: 8/46; '21: 9/34
* Ex-tenter
* Treat life events like a dog: if you can't eat it, play with it or hump it, p1$$ on it and walk away!
We used to use an efficient cool box with ice to keep things frozen for a weekend; several other threads on this very topic,
I don’t know where the OP is planning to drive & pitch his tent. The Scottish Outdoor Access Code has legal standing and wild camping specifically excludes a vehicle. You must walk in carrying your camping gear (including the fridge…). However, it’s not widely enforced except in the Cairngorms and Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Parks.
I see that fixed penalty parking fines are now being given to vehicles parking in passing places on single track roads at popular sites on Skye & elsewhere, where traffic congestion could prevent emergency vehicles getting through. Another thing for the OP to be aware of.
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Powering small cool box
via mobile 24/6/2025 at 12:22pm
