Anyone have any experiece with these? Reliability? Will it work ok at higher altitudes, like 7-13,000 ft? Just looking for something to keep a few things cold for a full day of wheeling sometimes. Check them out here: http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...y=1&Ntt=517232&noImage=0

I've used 12v electric coolers for at least 30 years and been pleased with them.. They are not noticeably affected by thinner air at altitude..

I've had this one for the last 20 years, and it's still working great..

I like the Koolatron because of their reliability and that replacement parts are available if you need them.

I just replaced the fan in my cooler since the original one seemed to be getting a tad noisy after 20 years use... Spare parts available here

Hmmm, sounds pretty good, I hadn't heard of them before. Might look into them some more, thanks a lot. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

I've used a few Peltier Effect coolers before I went to an Engel refrigerator and haven't looked back since.

I think the Peltier coolers work cool in moderate weather and when the stuff is already cold. What didn't work for me was the 40 degree differntial limit in really hot weather like 90-100 degrees and how long it took to cool things down that were placed in the cooler at ambient tempature. They do draw very little power and could theoretically be left on all day long or better yet, attached to a solar panel and just left turned on all the time, not even plugged into the car electrical system.

I think they would work a lot better if they had much larger element and fans or multiple elments. Of course this would draw more power, and cost more money, but I think it would be worth it, since there's a massively huge price gap between the moderately effective standard Peltier coolers and the super expensive real refrigerators from Engel, etc.

I started to canabalize my three Peltier coolers to make one really nice one, but gave up on that project when I bought the Engel. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I've got a coleman peltier cooler that I picked up from a friend for free. Like Brian said it's best to make sure everything is already cold when you put it in there. Plus, the reason my friend got rid of it was because he stepped up to an engel because the coleman would drain his battery overnight.

The biggest problem is that they can't be used with real ice since water and electronics don't mix. However, I've taken mine apart and it seems like the peltier is sealed so the only thing than you need to worry about is getting the fan wet. To remedy this I've drilled a hole in the bottom, ran a tube through the wall and sealed it up with silicone. This will allow me to drain the water from the melted ice.

I haven't had a chance to try it out, but I think it should work like that.

I have had a 39lt Engel for 12 years, it's been in 2 major collisions, I just tighten the screws and blow the motor out with compressed air once a year.
Best investment I ever made....keeps the VB at -1 deg C. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

I've been using one of ARBs coolers for awhile now and can honestly say it kicks serious butt.
Beer stays 2 degrees above freezing when it's over a hundered outside. Cup holder dents suck but I have 2 in the console so whatever.
Holds 2 full cases plus sandwiches and locks down tight.
I can leave it running for days without killing my battery.
I wish it read in F instead of C but cold beer is cold beer 400 miles away from home. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

Any chance you could use the Link function to shorten that link up? Or use a website like TinyURL.com? It makes it easier and avoids the side to side scrolling.

They now sell USB drink coolers! But you can also make your own cooler yourself, if you want to buy the parts and install them in a hardened cooler.

http://www.melcor.com/

We use them at work; while they have an overall limit, in general the cooling level is determined by:
- Current supplied
- Fan to remove heat from the the other side.

Obviously, you can reverse the current and use it to heat as well.

If you were working in a chamber instead of on a device, you could put heat sinks on both sides with a fan; that would provide pretty good heat exchange.

Nope can't shorten the link; I overlooked it when I moved it here, so can't edit. Note the date of the post.

BTW, with reference to salmon, pull some shrimp out of a pot and grill 'em on hot rocks. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/notooth.gif" alt="" />