No more YETI... Hello, Alpicool!

jahorsle

So, we decided to ditch our YETI ( I already have a Roadie 24...) and look into the world of small compressor fridges which would fill the same space. This forum has been so helpful in our search, and I spent hours measuring and measuring again. The 2021 XL can accommodate a cooler/fridge with dimensions less than: 16.5"H x 16.75"W x ~23"L. The length gets iffy because it all depends on the height of your fridge. Too tall, and the fridge must be shorter in order to not hit the door. After wandering and wandering the internet, I did not want to get a Norcold NRF30 because of the negative reviews and the high cost. I know many folks have gotten years and years out of their Norcolds, but I was not convinced. Plus, $600+ for a fridge seemed excessive to me.

In the end, we went with the Aplicool C30!

This fridge has the following exterior dimensions: 13.8”H x 22.6”L x 14.4”W

The interior will hold about 42 cans of soda, and can have a little freezer section in the top corner.

It is also Bluetooth compatible! You can check on it while on the move, or from the comfort of your camp chair with a beer in hand.

We are currently in the process of building a sliding shelf for the fridge, and I will report back on how much we like it. For $230, I am very impressed with its ability to get cold fast, and stay chilly. Of course, this has only been tested in our house and not out in the camping world of higher temps and sunlight. We have our fingers crossed!

LuckyJ

Being able to check the beer temp while sitting close by is simply awsome! 😎

HikinMike

I'm sure you will be happy with the change. Keep us posted.

beaky

we are looking at a Dometic CFX, has the lowest draw of any 12v fridge. but xpensiv

ras

Make sure your wiring is at least 12 ga. The wiring to the Norcold on our T@G was way too small. When I ran 10 GA straight from the battery with a 7.5A inline fuse, all our problems disappeared.

jahorsle

@beaky said:
we are looking at a Dometic CFX, has the lowest draw of any 12v fridge. but xpensiv

We were in that same boat with our searching. We loved the low draw fridges, but the pricing is insane. I can buy 3 of these Alpicools for the price of one Norcold or Dometic. Crazy stuff...

jahorsle

@ras said:
Make sure your wiring is at least 12 ga. The wiring to the Norcold on our T@G was way too small. When I ran 10 GA straight from the battery with a 7.5A inline fuse, all our problems disappeared.

Good to know! I will see how things are wired. We have done some garage testing and all has been well so far.

jahorsle

So, we conducted our first "field" test of the Alpicool while boondocking at Roosevelt Lake this weekend in Arizona. Everything went very well! The fridge only draws about 35-45 watts when set to MAX mode and the temp set to 35 degrees. It cycled every 30 minutes or so, with high ambient temps in the upper-50s to low-60s. The fridge spent about 60% of the day in shade, and the rest was in partial to full sun. Our food stayed nice and cold the entire trip. During the day, we would consume about 10% of our 81AH battery in total. This includes all of the other things we ran during this time (water pump, lights, etc.). Our solar (Factory 120W panel) easily topped up the battery each day and we did not need to charge up via our generator, which I brought along just in case it was needed. The only issue we ran into was discovered when we got home... I did not install any kind of support under the slides, and the weight of the fridge under transit caused the slides to droop about 1/8". I plan on adding the 3/4" blocks, which I used to align the slides, under each slide as permanent supports.

HikinMike

You will enjoy that

packetjunkie

I see the wires out the front - how did you wire it in and can it be done so as to hide the wiring?

jahorsle

@packetjunkie said:
I see the wires out the front - how did you wire it in and can it be done so as to hide the wiring?

The plug for the fridge is in the front. We are still trying to see how we want to go about a more permanent wiring solution. For now, we have it just plugged into the 12V outlet in the kitchen, and it works fine. BUT, the wires are kind of in the way when opening and closing. Our main goal for now was to just make sure it worked as intended. Now, I can button up the whole mechanism.

packetjunkie

I'll be curious what you come up with - I take delivery in a few weeks and I ordered a unit based on your recommendation. I'll admit to being a bit of a neat freak when it comes to wiring, so would want to find a way to make it easy to use without the wires being in the way.

normaandchris

We bought the Massimo from Costco. For the price compared to the Norcold & Dometic, I'll take the chance.
@jahorsle -- what type of venting did you do?

LuckyJ

@normaandchris said:
We bought the Massimo from Costco. .........

What is nice with Costco is that you can get it, try it and return after a few week trial.

jahorsle

https://teardrop-trailers.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/comment/10206#Comment_10206

I did some testing with just the fridge installed with the door closed, and it had no issues with heat build up. The Alpicool we have is smaller than the opening the YETI took up, and there is plenty of room around it for venting. The Alpicool also vents on the front side, midway up the fridge.

toner

Super helpful finding this! We have a non-XL, but the cooler/fridge compartment has the same measurements, and I noticed the same fact about the extra length limited by the clamshell door. With your work confirming what I already knew, I ordered a C30 myself today.

Would you be willing to share the dimensions/plans for your tray? I'd love to start work on one before the Alpicool gets here!

CharlieNY

I just took a 1500 mile road trip with an AlpiCool C30 in the galley of our T@G XL Boondock. The weather was cold much of the time, so I sought out power hook-ups at night for the sake of the heater, and didn't test the cooler on solar power only. But I can say that it is lighter than the YETI, and slides in and out of the little dungeon much more easily than the YETI, which came with the new T@G.

CharlieNY

The Alpicool slid out of the compartment so easily that I thought it might bounce out of its hiding place on rough roads, so a stuck a roll of paper towels between the cooler and the galley hatch. No problems.

jahorsle

https://teardrop-trailers.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/comment/10262#Comment_10262

Awesome! I’m glad someone else has had a positive experience with their Alpicool. With our homemade drawer, the distance between the fridge and the hatch door is pretty small. We use a piece of foam to stop it from moving around. So far, so good!

jahorsle

https://teardrop-trailers.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/comment/10244#Comment_10244

Our drawer was made to fit the dimensions of the opening minus the 0.5” on each side for the slides. I think it is 26” in total length from the back to the front. We used 0.5” pine for the base, as well as, for the sides of the drawer. It was very affordable at Lowe’s. I glued and screwed everything together. Make sure your slides are rated to at least 50lbs, especially if you travel with the cooler in the kitchen hatch. I had to modify ours and add supports under the slides so the slides don’t pull out and slide down under transit. Also, the slides need to be raised up 0.75” from the base of the cabinet in order to miss the hook for the hatch latch when it is pulled out. I made little 1”x0.75” blocks of wood to line it up and then left them in to stop the slides from moving downward at all.

toner

Johnny - thank you so much! This is very helpful information to get me started. So glad you took the time to post your work in detail!

zgfiredude

I'll get some photos of my version of the pull out shelf and post shortly.....but I'll echo fundamentally what Johnny stated above.

On mine, I wanted the "shelf" to be virtually level, and as such the front of the sliders are 7/8" up from the floor, and the rears are 1 3/4" up as the floor is not flat in this area. I spent A LOT of time measuring and comparing Yeti to Alpicool measurements and I have it such that both will fit. The issues are A. as the "shelf" pulls out, the bottom has to clear the footman loop that the hatch locks to, AND B. there is a drop down bit of cabinetry in the upper back of the space that makes it super tight (doing it level)...I am guessing that Johnny's version of what I assume is a more angled pull out makes it better for rear clearance and perhaps footman loop clearance as well.

I had an aluminum tray made up at a fabrication shop to measurements I provided. I wanted something thin and strong and hopefully a bit stronger than wood......and my woodworking skills are somewhat less than Amish quality!! I am super pleased with how mine came out. The slides lock in and out, and the whole thing seems quite sturdy. Pics to follow.

LuckyJ

As I read this, going from ice box to fridge, reminded me that the T@G that came with a fridge should have a floor vent under the fridge, that help get air moci g a bit, so the tgis area does not get to warm whe hatch is close.

Do not know if this is there for T@G with cooler.

jahorsle

https://teardrop-trailers.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/comment/10275#Comment_10275

You are correct! There was a ventilation hole under the Norcolds that vented into the same area as the AC uses. In the newer T@Gs, the vent isn’t there, but I have not experience any excessive heat build up in the kitchen area with the door closed. I think there is enough air flow through and around the microwave, that it helps. I noticed that the area behind the microwave is open to the vented area used by the AC system when I was looking underneath the camper and into the vent underneath. Once we get back out camping again, I’ll stick my temp sensor I use for measuring outside temps in there overnight to see how warm it gets.

jahorsle

https://teardrop-trailers.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/comment/10270#Comment_10270

I wish I could have done an aluminum one! Our wood shelf is “rustic”. 😂😂

I put the rear of the slides as low in the rear of the opening as possible and raised the front until the slides were level and it cleared the footman loop. With the C30, I wanted to make sure I had plenty of clearance on top. The big issue we had was when I installed it all, I didn’t have the slides even with the face of the opening. I couldn’t open the cooler door and had to move the slides 0.25” further forward. Measure twice, and install once didn’t happen. Lol.

zgfiredude

Ok, pics

JohnnyLoco

Hows that alpicool working out. I’m looking to get one for the house

CharlieNY

You should market those aluminum trays!

larmet

Recently bought an Alpicool C40 with no intention of replacing the Yeti cooler in my 2020 T@G XL Boondock. I like having the cooler for ice. I did a trial run last weekend with the cooler in the bed of the truck and ran the DC connector with an extension cord to the trailer battery. Worked well. I will probably wire in an alternative plug into the bed of the truck so I can continue to run the refrigerator when I leave the campsite. Perhaps not an ideal setup for everyone, but it works for me.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073WW7QYN/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
And the connectors do not fit my battery. I will have to change them or drill out the openings slightly.

Also, for those interested in tweaking the setting on the c series refrigerators, I managed to drag this info out the company. Some of this is in the user manual and some is not.

1. Car battery protection setting (voltage cut out setting)
   Power on, and press "SET" button for 3 seconds until it appears ”L” or “ M”　or “H” display, press “ SET” button to choose from the three stages of car battery protection stages: “ L”, “M”, “H.”
   12V input
   Stage L (8.5V off;10.9V on), M (10.1V off;11.4V on), H (11.1V off;12.4V on)
   24V input
   Stage L (21.3V off;22.7V on), M (22.3V off;23.7V on), H (24.3V off;25.7V on)

2. Other settings
   Standby mode, Press ”SET” button until it displays “E1.” Press “SET” button, it will displays settings of “E1”, “E2”, “E3”, “E4”, ..... in accordance with the order cycle. Choose the setting you need, and press “UP” or “DOWN” button to change and set the parameter.
   Setting instructions:
   Setting - Function - Setting Range - Factory Default
   E1 - Lowest temperature setting - -40℃~Highest temperature setting - -20℃
   E2 - Highest temperature setting - Lowest temperature setting~40℃ - +20℃
   E3 - Temperature return setting - 1~10℃ - 3℃
   E4 - Soft start setting - 0~10 minutes - 0 minutes
   E5 - Fahrenheit and Celsius setting - F or C - C

3. Temperature compensation setting
   Displayed temperature= detected temperature+ temperature compensation
   Setting - Function - Setting range - Factory Default
   E6 - Temperature compensation for temperature set ≥7℃ - -10℃~10℃ - 0℃
   E7 - Temperature compensation for temperature set rang -7℃~-12℃ -
   -10℃~10℃ - 0℃
   E8 - Temperature compensation for temperature set rang ≤-13℃ - -10℃~10℃ - 0℃

How to return to factory default?
At standby mode ( plug in, but power off) , Press “SET” button until it displays “E1”, then press button “UP” and button” DOWM” at the same time until it displays”888”. Then all data returns to factory default.

Some but not all of these settings I had previously found here.
http://www.florida-prepper.com/hiddensettings.html

Lastly, I did find a factory-made metal slide for a different model Alpicool on Alibaba. If someone really wants a factory-made one for the C30, you might write the company and see if they have an interest in making it.

I hope some of that is helpful.

larmet

correction, refrigerator in the bed of the truck, Yeti in the T@G

toner

Well, thanks to all the help here, I'm almost done with my tray. Before last weekend, I didn't have a table saw and had never really tried my hand at woodworking (outside of 7th grade shop class decades ago). I used a 2'x4' sheet of 1/2" pine plywood. I rough cut the base of the drawer with a circular saw first to make the board more manageable, then cleaned it up on the table saw. Then I ripped boards from the remainder. The front and rear sides of the drawer overlap the long left and right sides; I attached all using #6 1-1/4" wood screws, countersunk (also had to pick up some countersink bits). Here it is, with the fridge doing a test sit:

We are taking it on a trip tomorrow for four days. We'll see how it goes! When we get back, I'll sand and stain it. I'll post pics of the installed drawer and the final product, eventually.