12 volt Thermoelectric Coolers

[AlbertaClipper]

I just bought a new Matrix Rover trailer and I am looking at mounting a cooler (and possibly some spare gas) on the tow bar. Has anyone put one of these thermoelectric coolers on their trailer. I see a lot of trailers with coolers on the tow bar and I was wondering if one of these would be worth looking into. http://www.colemancanada.ca/Catalog/COOLERS.THERMOELECTRIC.en.products I know I would have to make some sort of rain protector for it.

What have others done it?

[BigBoyinMS]

Wow... I'm surprised! It only pulls 4 amps! Shouldn't be a problem at all. Just watch the weight. It's 17 lbs empty.

[Guest tx2sturgis]

Well, I'd pass on those. They need to pull 4 amps the whole time your keeping food and drinks cool. That means pulling 4 amps even when the bike is shut off. With motorcycle batteries rated at around 20 amp hours or so, in just a couple of hours you'd probably be push starting the bike. Plus, they use what is called a piezoelectric junction, which cools to about 40 degrees below ambient. Meaning, on a 100F degree day, it would be doing good to cool the inside to around 60F. I have used these types of coolers for years in trucks, and in an air conditioned cab, they work pretty well, but we also have 4 large truck batteries powering the unit overnite, so the truck easily starts in the morning. Accidentally leaving one plugged in over a long weekend tho, will drain even the 4 large truck batteries.

[MiCarl]

We have one we used occasionally on the boat, didn't think it even got to 40 degrees below ambient. They have small space for the size of the overall package. They are heavy. Works ok to keep your sandwich from turning gray, but doesn't keep beverages refreshingly cool. Oh, and they won't ever chill anything, it has to be pre-cooled.

 

I think you'd be much better off with a good cooler and a bag of ice.

[Snaggletooth]

Yeppers! What they said!

 

Used one in my truck for years and it did fine. I had one hooked up in my van for camping and it didn't quite cut it in the summer when it was hot out and would kill the battery overnight. I installed a isolator system with a second battery to run the cooler and the interior lights but it make no difference in the operation. It would keep things cool but not very well.

 

On a bike battery, a death wish.

[a1bummer]

I used to have one, until my cousins "borrowed" it anyway. I used it alot in my wrecker a while back during mudbogs and demolition derbies. Even with duel 1100 cca batteries I would sometimes have a hard start if I let it sit to long. I didn't get a chance to see just how much current it was actually drawing before my cousins "borrowed" it. I did come in handy on a trip through Arizona one year. The car was never off long enough to make a difference.

 

Bill