MacGregorSailors.com

I am currently thinking about buying a Mobicool Portable cooler for my 26C.

http://www.mobicool.com/en/product/fr40/

However due to the dimensions of the cooler (aprox 60cm x 40 cm) I do not know if it would fit. Since I am currently away from home, can any of you guys tell me the dimensions of the area right beside the sink? I thought that would be the perfect position for it, but I am not certain that it will fit.

If it does not fit there which location do you guys suggest for installation? I plan to use the boat for 4 persons so I need to have both bed areas as free as possible..........

This year we bought a Mobicool portable cooler for our 26X, of just about the same dimensions (40cm high x 30 cm wide x about 50 long). The only place it fits in the X is under the aft dinette seat, but of course a C is totally different and I can't help you there.

It's an OK unit for the price (paid $75 cdn on sale), and keeps things reasonably cool when it's plugged in and running. It doesn't have the best insulation, and you'll need ice anyway unless it's always running and the ambient temp isn't too high. If it's not plugged in it will only keep a block of ice for about a day: max two days if it isn't hot outside and you don't open it much. It doesn't hold as much as a normal cooler of the same size, because the lid panel contains the electronic parts and is much thicker than a normal cooler. If you pack it full for 4 people, the cooling fan outlet on the lid will be blocked and air circulation and cooling effect will be greatly reduced.

It's OK for keeping the beer coldish when connected to shore-power, and for keeping things cold in the truck on the way to the boat, but it's not a great cooler. I'm going to try a Yeti or Pelican cooler next year for when we travel, and keep the Mobicool on the boat only when in the slip in the Marina, to have cool (not cold) drinks ready when I get there. My expectations weren't high when I bought it and I am not entirely disappointed in it, but in my opinion it's only marginally better than a normal cooler, and has less usable space. Ours doesn't have a drain hole either, so it fills with water as the ice melts.

So my recommendation is "meh". Take it or leave it. Hopes are high on the Pelican.

On re-reading your data sheets you linked, my cooler isn't the same as yours. My comments apply to the Mobicool thermoelectric cooler only.

Thanks for the reply Starscream, but I am buying the version with a compressor (like a normal fridge).

I purchased a Mobicool thermoelectric cooler a couple of yrs ago was approx $400.00 got it on sale for $140 or $160 can,t remember now it has 7 cooling settings & will freeze beer & food in the highest setting & will also heat food I have the TC-35 its big enough for me and is a great cooler
But I like the one u r lookin at how much do they cost ?

J

Highlander, it costs 300 euros, but it has a built in compressor

Ricard_M wrote:Highlander, it costs 300 euros, but it has a built in compressor

Hi R
Thx I have sent an E/M to mobicool & asked them if they r avail. in Canada

J

I am looking for a compressor style one ...

It seems the thermo-electric ones all have about the same stats.. with respt to cooling. I have a coleman, .. and it seems like it jsut runs 24X7, I don't kno if it has a low temp shut off. , if it does I have never seen it turn on.

IF you get one(Coleman), I think the lid is un insulated, .. so that might be opertunity for improvement. also .. my understanding is the thermo-electric unit cool, relative to the surrounding temperature of air, .. and so I was thinking ov adding a replaceable water resivouior to the "cooling fan" .. that might up the specs a bit.

At the end fo the day though , .. there is a huge differeance it seems form compressors to thermo-electric. Waiting for a good used deal on a compressor unit.

More the issue with the thermoelectrics is power consumption, they use about 1/2 again more than compressor units for lesser cooling, so really not efficient.

I have a top of the line Waeco Thermoelectric and its performance is really pretty poor considering the money being asked for them, that being said the Waeco are far better than the cheaper thermoelectric units, but you can get a compressor driven fridge for much not more than a Waeco thermoelectric

So in reality they are pretty uneconomical every which way, cost, cooling and power consumption in comparison with compressor driven units

Sailboatmike, kevinmen,

I think you guys did not notice that the unit I am considering, has a compressor. It is not Thermoelectric.......

I did notice.. just putting information in here, for future visitors that read through the thread.

TLDR; compressor units beat thermo-electric by a long shot.

Sailing UMA installed a themo-electric cooler in to custom fridge, their unt is $$$ and is liquid cooled from water. I think pretty much any unit could be "modded" to work that way , with some benifit, not sure how much though.

I wondering if you could build a unit, using a mini fridge...if you could end up ahead. would use 120volt power, . but .. well anyway .. for another day.

Thermo electric coolers will freeze things if the outside temp is cool. They usually lower temps about 30/35 degrees. If outside temp is 60/65 degrees things will be icy. I have had sodas freeze and rupture in them before.

kevinnem wrote:I wondering if you could build a unit, using a mini fridge...if you could end up ahead. would use 120volt power, . but .. well anyway .. for another day.

The PO of my boat had one of those little dorm room cube fridge/freezers mounted under the galley table, semi-permanently. I took it out, for a number of reasons, including wanting to be able to lower the table to serve as a bunk, as Mac intended. Very comfy there.

Nauti Nell wrote:Thermo electric coolers will freeze things if the outside temp is cool. They usually lower temps about 30/35 degrees. If outside temp is 60/65 degrees things will be icy. I have had sodas freeze and rupture in them before.

That happens in the fall with my Igloo thermo-electric that we've had for a long time (maybe pushing 20 years at this point). Drinks are always very cold in the summer, but they often freeze in the fall, when the nights get cold.

I've been using my FIL's small thermo-electric lately, which is small enough to sit between the front seats of his Odyssey for his seasonal trips between here and Florida, and the actual thermo-electric unit freezes up in a day or two. Loads with frost. I don't know if there's a vent between inside and outside, or if the lid just doesn't seal well enough, but my big Igloo doesn't do that, even though it freezes water bottles in October and keeps them very cold even in the summer.

Ricard_M wrote:Sailboatmike, kevinmen,

I think you guys did not notice that the unit I am considering, has a compressor. It is not Thermoelectric.......

I did, just commenting on power use of thermoelectric against compressor based units for others that may read the thread and be wanting to have some idea of the pros and cons

FYI
From: John Shields
Contact Number: your-tel
Subject: Mobicool Product Enquiry
Message Body:
I,m inquiring to find out if the FR40 AC/DC is avail in Canada

Hi John

Mobicool is part of the Dometic Group of companies. The FR 40 is a compressor cooler which is marketed under the Dometic brand. This specific model is very new and may not be available yet. However, if you go onto the Dometic website there are several compressor coolers available. Look for a dealer in your area and contact the dealer to find out which models are available.


Soren Dumrath




Mobicool / Hus-tek International Co. Ltd
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