Date:         Tue, 30 Jun 2009 21:50:40 -0400
Reply-To:     David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Subject:      Re: Coleman DC cooler
Comments: To: Paul Chubbuck <paul@TAKINGFLIGHT.NET>
In-Reply-To:  <000001c9f9e9$79a6cac0$6cf46040$@net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

At 09:15 PM 6/30/2009, Paul Chubbuck wrote:
>Does anyone on the list have experience with those Coleman DC coolers?

Me.

>It is said to cool down 40 degrees below ambient.

On a good day, with your mouth held just right...nah.  35 maybe?  It
performs noticeably better if you use a much higher-capacity fan and
open things out to get some serious airflow across the external heat
exchanger.  I left the original motor just powering the internal fan.

>   Do you think it is as well
>insulated as a normal ice chest?

I think likely as good as a regular one.

>   It would be great on travel days, but much
>of the time when I'm camping, I won't be running the engine, or have
>sufficient battery power to keep it plugged in.  Do you think it would
>continue to keep things cool if there was ice in it?

I've got (I think) an Igloo I could compare it with -- chunk of ice
in each and see how it keeps.  Give me a few days.


  --
David Beierl - Providence RI USA -- http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/
'89 Po' White Star "Scamp"