Alpicool NCF45 Portable Fridge Freezer,12 Volt Car Refrigerator, 42 Quart (40 Liter) Fast Cooling 12V Car Fridge -4℉~68℉,for Outdoor, Camping, RV, Truck

I bought this in August 2020. Reviews had been mixed. My experience was very positive. I use mine on my boat and in my van. It works flawlessly on 110 power. It works extremely well with my 100 amp HR lifepo4 battery also. I have it powered by a 100 watt solar panel, which is not always enough. I just purchased a 2nd 100 watt panel though. That should be all I need. What I learned: the fridge is great. I use as a combo fridge freezer. I think it works best that way overall. I set mine at 20F. I add about 4 to 6 prefrozen pint water bottles first. This acts as a "cold battery" to hold the temp down and increase efficiency. I add frozen meats on bottom in Ziploc bags. Then milk, cheese, butter, mayo. Veggies go on top. If you don't have that intermediate layer I recommend putting a light hand towel to protect veggies from freezing on one side. A paper bag might work but probably end up soggy. Towel is perfect. I do this to minimize run time and keep food frozen up to a month. I got this thing to cycle on for only 20 minutes per HR. I figure that's drawing approximately 1.5 amp hrs. If you're using lead acid battery, you won't get more than 2 days, and I can't say that you will be able to recharge as efficiently either, because of their increased resistance at higher capacity. I have lived on the road in my van and it works. But... with only 100 watt solar and 100 amp battery fridge will run on eco mode for about 3 days. You can run into a problem if your battery runs down and the temp rises into 40s for longer than say 12 hrs. The contents will still be safe because the frozen food and ice bottles will keep things cool, even though the thermostat says 45. Just like a cooler. The problem being that as temp comes up, when your battery has recharged, fridge has to run longer to get temp back down, so that can lead to temp spiraling upward as fridge keeps running and drawing down battery. I've actually shut my fridge off at night to conserve power and restarted in morning with full sun. I also have a noco genius 10 amp charger if I need to recharge battery and have access to power. I think I did that once over a month on the road. You can also help things out by adding bagged ice or frozen foods. Common sense tweaking. But with a 2nd solar panel I expect few issues. Don't block the vents either. The unit will shut down to prevent overheating. Overall Im quite happy with this unit. Also, on AC power at my slip this thing just rocks. No issues. Uses less power than a lightbulb. It will even make ice if you put a Ziploc with water on the bottom. Cheaper than a Yeti cooler and no ice unless you want it. Several of my neighbors at the marina have purchased also. If you have some common sense these are a good value, economical to run, easy to clean, durable within reason, perfect for 1 to 2 people. Mine is running right now and I have the Bluetooth app on my phone. I have it set at 28 because I didn't want to freeze some sodas that I put in there. Its reading 31 and the fridge is humming along after 9 months. Happy camper.

So far, so good. Took it on a 6 week camping road trip and it never gave any trouble. I have owned it for about 4 months and used it numerous times without issue. It is nice when things work. It was fairly quiet. Minor negatives: the cord can come unplugged from the small transformer box on the cord very easily. In the back of a camping vehicle, with gear getting pulled out, the plug often slipped out. Annoying, since if I did not notice it, the frig went warm very quickly in the summer heat. That is user error, not a product defect, and I just got used to being careful around the plug. Temperature control is unprecise. I used the "eco" setting to preserve battery life and the ice box would almost never hit the set temperature. If I set it for 39, it would only hit 41-44 degrees on the screen. Not a big deal as one can compensate and set lower than needed. The nice thing about the "Eco" setting is it really saves the battery. It was only drawing about 30-35 watts much of the time... and would often shut the compressor off and draw nothing off the battery. If battery life was not an issue, and took it off "Eco" setting, it would drop the temperature to 0 degrees in a hurry, but use 80 watts constantly while doing it. Ambient temperature obviously impacts performance and I was in hot conditions this summer. In summary, yeah, the chain and clip latch as a bit flimsy, but the ice box works and draws little power while doing it. I was glad to have it as I saved about $200 in buying ice for a chest on my 6 week road trip. Now we wait to see how long it lasts -- at this price point, if I get 3-5 years out of it I'll consider it a victory.

I have wanted one of these for years! I finally got it and I am so pleased. As I was doing research, I read that the ones with CF in the model name have a better quality compressor, that have a reputation for longevity. That's why two models that have the same capacity might have different prices. But, just in case, I did buy the extra warranty. Even adding in that cost, it's still way cheaper than Dometic! I have a Jackery 1000 watt battery and this fridge will use up about 15% of the battery overnight when it gets down to the 50s. I leave it connected to the Jackery all the time and charge the Jackery while driving or with the solar panels. I'm planning on buying the insulated cover to make it more efficient, but for now I cover it with a blanket. I make sure to leave the vents uncovered. It seems to really help. It's big enough that I can go a whole week by myself without grocery shopping. I tend to make things from scratch, even while camping, so there's a lot in there. It really makes a difference not having to use space for ice. I have only used it as a fridge, not a freezer, so I can't say how cold it gets. The small compartment over the compressor is a little bit warmer than the main area, as advertised, but it's really not that much. I drive on some crazy bumpy, rocky roads that test the 4L on my truck, and the fridge continues to work perfectly. I drive a Ford Ranger with the extended cab. The fridge fits behind my seat, but I have short legs. There will be even more room after I remove the jump seats. Also, this will fit in our Dodge Ram, 8 ft bed in front of the wheel well. This fridge opens from the end, not the side. That works perfect for both my trucks. I have only used it for two 7-day trips and it has run perfectly so far. I also like being able to plug it in at home and pack the fridge before my trip. When I only had a cooler, I had to wait to pack it until right before I left. Empty, it's easy for me to carry. Fully packed, I can handle it for a short walk from the house to the truck alone, but I usually ask for help. I highly recommend this refrigerator/freezer!

The size was perfect for the space on our catamaran. It got cold quickly and holds the temperature steady so far. It is very quiet and doesn’t draw much power wired into our 12v system. However, it is constantly covered in condensation. We had to take the insulated cover off and keep it on a towel. I’m hoping I am able to put it back on in less humid weather bc it really is nice with the cover on.

I've had it now for a week. I wanted some use before writing the review. At the one week mark, i'm really liking this unit. The size and price were right. Delivery was about a week faster than anticipated. I really can't find anything bad to say about it so far. The power it uses to run is miniscule. It stays nicely and steadily cool as long as you aren't opening it 4x an hour. Oh, and it's *very* quiet. With it plugged and compressor running it makes less noise than a desk fan. Add all that in with the fact it's an actual refrigerator and not just an electric cooler, makes the alpicool cf55-lg a killer buy. If you're in the market for this type appliance have a look at alpicool once the sticker shock from a comparable one by Dometic wears off. EDIT AT 1 MONTH IN: It's been in constant use since I received it. Still cold and quiet. I haven't really used it as a freezer. I'm in greater need of drinks than ice cream. My thermostat is set to 36F so it swings from 32F - 40F during the complete cycle and moatly hovers about 38F. This is still cool weather however. We'll see when it's 90 outside. Max setting is hardcore cooling and eco just sips power. Be careful of using the 12v lighter plug. The power management software in the Alpicool is *very* aggressive. Great for not draining the car. Not so good if it shuts off at 11.8v and food spoilage. I'm currently using regulated 12v from a battery pack I'll update this monthly until 3 mos and then again at 6 mos and 1 year. EDIT AFTER 6 MONTHS USE: So, higher summer temps caused an expected increase in power consumption along with a slight decrease in efficiencey. It was not unexpected. The fridge still keeps everything nice and cool. This item is still one of my "best buys" in terms of cost/usefulness/durability. Well worth the money. Well worth the relatively small foot print space.

Okay, so I planned a very important business trip and due to all the electronics and paperwork on the car I wanted a cooler with no ice/water, so I decided to buy one of these. I made sure to leave it sitting flat for a few days so nothing was out of place internally. I then ran it in, inside, for 5 days to make sure there was no issue. I notice the temperature varied about 8 degrees. Not a big deal. I packed the car up, and literally made it not even 5 miles before it started flashing wildly and finally settled on F7. I turned around and went home. I hoped the user manual would help.... Manual? It’s a damn trifold pamphlet, not kidding, picture included. Error code F7... temperature sensor, please check sensor terminal.... no where is the location disclosed, in the manual or on the net. Speaking off this company seems to be Amazon and Alibaba only. So am I supposed to take this apart!?!? If so, where are the diagrams, the schematics? Verdict: This is a China only company making junk that is no longer dirt cheap, but still made with the same crappy QC they’ve always been know for. I’ve decided I’m not doing HVAC repairs on junk. Returning this and frankly I hope this costs them as many sales as possible.

This CF35 Alpicool car fridge(freezer) arrived via UPS on its side and in a "amazon" box way to big. Manufacturers box was well packed and protected. I let the unit sit upright for 12 hours on my shop bench before starting up. Ambient temperature in the shop was 68 when I started the unit. Within 15 minutes the unit temp was down to 45'. I put my amp meter on the unit during run mode and it draws .38 amps at 115volts so around 43 watts actual power consumption. That was in MAX mode. It has ECO mode but didn't measure. Its watts power use is lower than some of the "professional" review pages I'd read had reported. Unit is whisper quiet. It does occasionally make some "gurgling" noise as the owners manual mentions. The outside controls face temperature does move up or down +minus 3degrees as some reviewers noted but the stick thermometer I placed inside the unit read a steady 40' all day. I DON"T plan on running this unit on "freezer" mode but strictly fridge mode inside my Ford Sportsmobile camper Van. I'll be running this thing off 12 volt system (1.7kw lithium battery + 175watt solar on roof) operating in my Van except on those rare occasions when I happen to be at a RV park. I think this little unit will work just fine for my needs and the price$ with 3 year extended warranty was just under $300. Can't beat that with a stick! I'll update this post after my upcoming 2 week road trip, UPDATE: post 1200 mile trip. This little fridge performed beautifully! App setup on my android phone was easy and always connected if I was within 15 feet. Outside temp reading moved around +- 3 degrees but the manual stick thermometer I placed inside the compartment always read 42'. I had more than enough space for 10 day trip, just me. No issues on power draw while off grid, while also running my portable ice maker and my CPap at night. It's going into my wife's CRv for our upcoming trip to Southwest.

5 Stars. Affordable and solidly built. Doesn't need extra bells and whistles like Bluetooth or anything that would typically increase the price overall. Temperature is accurate and can get below -4°. Bought a Walmart indoor outdoor remote wireless thermometer, so I can monitor it from another part of the house if needed. Purchased it 3 years ago as a backup in case I had a typical "inconvenience outage" with my electrical company. Tested it originally, and everything worked fine. Had a 12-hour power outage in July 2026, and used it 3 hours into the outage. I previously calculated for the correct size in case I needed to transfer everything from the main fridge/freezer to this unit. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! Other than a few minor condiments in the refrigerator I chose not to save, it did its job perfectly!