Massimo 12v fridge

Kevin B.

Big hippy
Moderator
Location
Vehicular limbo
$269 at Costco right now.


52 quarts, low voltage cutoff, claims it'll get down to zero. I haven't tested that yet, but I can tell you the compressor is fairly quiet and it took about 45 minutes plugged into wall power in my kitchen for the readout to go from 80f to 34f. Over the next couple of days I'm going to test the low voltage cutoff and verify the temp readout with an analog thermometer. Right off the bat, things it doesn't have that I wish it did include are a travel cover/insulating blanket, and a wire tray/liftout basket for the inside. Other gripes include the relatively tall and narrow build, it'll be hard to get to stuff in the bottom when it's full. But that makes it easier to access while packed in the back of the truck, so... eh? I can rig up a travel cover easily enough with the benchtop thread injector, and I'm sure I can find something to help organize the interior at Target or wherever.

Is it going to be an ARB or Engel? No way, but I haven't had a fridge until now because ARB and Engel are way outside the budget, it's made more financial sense for me to keep playing the ice game. I've been watching prices creep lower on these and biding my time, and this guy, for me, tips the balance. The Costco warranty gives me a little piece of mind, too. So I decided to take a flyer on it, and I'll update this thread after it's spent a couple weekends rattling around the back of my truck.
 
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benjy

Rarely wrenches
Supporting Member
Location
Moab
The 50 is massive! I did some quick measurements and I don't think I'd be able to open the lid with it in the back of our Grand Cherokee.

I ordered the CX40...
 

Hickey

Burn-barrel enthusiast
Supporting Member
The 50 is massive! I did some quick measurements and I don't think I'd be able to open the lid with it in the back of our Grand Cherokee.

I ordered the CX40...
I certainly like the shape of the 40 better. Do they have provisions for tie downs like all of the roto-molded coolers?
 

UNSTUCK

But stuck more often.
Anyone know if it can be ran with it on its side or does it have to be upright? It’s two inches too tall to fit in my truck with the bed cover on.
 

benjy

Rarely wrenches
Supporting Member
Location
Moab
Super happy with the 40. It got down to 39* from 95* in about 25 minutes. The only thing that feels cheap on it is the lid. It is a perfect fit in the back of our grand cherokee. The lid can open all the way. I’ll probably add a small wire rack for organization.

It definitely has enough space for our family of 4 3-4 day trip, including a few drink bottles.

6A7AA2BE-931A-41B5-B960-499F0F8671BE.jpeg
 

Kevin B.

Big hippy
Moderator
Location
Vehicular limbo
I think the voltage sensor in mine is not the best. When we took it out this last weekend it only ran about four hours after I turned off the truck, on the highest battery protection setting. I have a 70 amp hour AGM battery under the hood. At home now, and tied to a 105 amp hour marine battery, it's been going for over 24 hours straight now (on the lowest battery protection setting) and I'm watching the voltage readout on the cooler fluctuate. It's still reading 12.4 volts, which I don't think can be right, and I've seen it as low as 10.3.

So I think the voltage sensor is not very accurate, and the cooler would last a lot longer on the highest battery protection setting except the voltage sensor tells it to cut out early. I'm curious if @benjy has noticed the same thing.
 

benjy

Rarely wrenches
Supporting Member
Location
Moab
I think the voltage sensor in mine is not the best. When we took it out this last weekend it only ran about four hours after I turned off the truck, on the highest battery protection setting. I have a 70 amp hour AGM battery under the hood. At home now, and tied to a 105 amp hour marine battery, it's been going for over 24 hours straight now (on the lowest battery protection setting) and I'm watching the voltage readout on the cooler fluctuate. It's still reading 12.4 volts, which I don't think can be right, and I've seen it as low as 10.3.

So I think the voltage sensor is not very accurate, and the cooler would last a lot longer on the highest battery protection setting except the voltage sensor tells it to cut out early. I'm curious if @benjy has noticed the same thing.

Yes, I have :thinking: I've only tried to run it off the car battery one time, and it only stayed on for maybe 30 minutes, then turned off (medium battery protection setting). I actually wanted cold drinks, so I unplugged it from the car and plugged it into wall power and had not thought about it since

I'm glad you mentioned it, as I'm planning to use it camping in a couple weeks. I'll run some tests over the weekend and see how long it will run on the low battery protection setting.
 

benjy

Rarely wrenches
Supporting Member
Location
Moab
So my battery lasted <24hrs in my dry run, with the low battery threshold setting. Voltage reading on the cooler is accurate except when the cooler is running. When I checked on it this morning, the cooler would turn on for a few seconds, and voltage reading would drop below the low setting and turn off.

One caveat is that my garage is hot, so I included the garage temp...

(Ophie is the vehicle’s battery voltage)BCE59822-4BE7-4FC4-9FF1-936B5E980BCB.jpeg
 

J-mobzz

Well-Known Member
So my battery lasted <24hrs in my dry run, with the low battery threshold setting. Voltage reading on the cooler is accurate except when the cooler is running. When I checked on it this morning, the cooler would turn on for a few seconds, and voltage reading would drop below the low setting and turn off.

One caveat is that my garage is hot, so I included the garage temp...

(Ophie is the vehicle’s battery voltage)View attachment 129491
What size battery did you use for the test?
 
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