Freelander said:
That's exactly why I said you may have to run the genset.
OTR truck drivers have used them and continue to use them, they work well in Over The Road sleeper trucks because we generally have 4 large truck sized starting batteries AND the fact that the truck is operating many hours a day, keeping the batteries all charged up. We are not doing anything different to power those coolers. Plus they will operate in any position, standing on end or laying down...which is handy in a truck cab. And, of course, the interior of a truck cab is normally around 65-75 degrees, day or night, when a driver is in the cab...which means the thermo cooler operating temps are about right most of the time.
I wore out many of them in my career...probably 10 or more. They have a service life in a truck of a couple of years to maybe 5 years if you keep replacing the fan motor and electrical plugs and such. Sometimes hinges get busted or the lid seal needs replaced. Sometimes they get dropped out of the truck and crack on the concrete...sometimes they catch on fire...no I'm not kidding.
The main issue is that they will discharge those 4 big batteries (below cranking voltage) when you park the truck and go home on a long weekend if you forget to unplug the cooler.
Long story short: They work but are not the best solution...the 12v compressor fridges are less power hungry but even those need to have a continuous source of power, usually from a battery or two and a couple of solar panels.
