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Long road trips don’t leave behind big appetites. So why risk a moody partner or screaming children over soggy or spoiled food, when technology has brought us the beautiful invention of heat transfer? Leave your foam cooler at home (or the trash) and read on to find if the Dobinsons fridge/freezer is the right choice for you.

In this product review, i will tell you the good the bad and the ugly about my Dobinsons 12V fridge/freezer. We will go over who really needs this kind of product, my first impressions when i first received it, how it stacks up against the competition, some things i like bout it, some things i don’t, and where to get it for less.

General Info

Product was purchased on October 15, 2018 from Amazon for $755.00 shipped. At time of writing, The product has been used in 5 trips, for a cumulative 22 days of use. The Product has been to Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois.

NOTE: So far, this product has not been tested in weather above 60 degrees Fahrenheit due to winter season. Review will be updated in the coming summer months.



Who Needs This and Why?

If you go on long camping trips in warm climates, where you are constantly resupplying ice for the cooler that contains your food and drinks, this is probably a good buy. Sometimes you just don’t have access to ice, and if you can’t find ice, you likely can’t get food either.

If you have ever gone into your cooler to find your melted ice found its way into your food containers, this is probably a good buy. This will save you money in the long run for both ice and wasted food.

If you need to save space in the back of your vehicle, not having to allocate space for ice allows you to have a smaller fridge/freezer that can hold the same amount of food and drinks. You can also leave the bulk of your drinks outside of the fridge/freezer, and only put them in as you drink the ones inside. With a normal cooler, this causes the ice to melt faster; not the case with a 12V fridge/freezer.

If you use your vehicle at least every other day while camping, while having a single (in good condition) battery system, you can run a fridge/freezer without worrying about draining your battery.

If you have a dual battery system, more power to you (pun intended). You can run a fridge/freezer no problem.

First Impression

I received the Dobinsons fridge/freezer on October 17, 2018. Only two days after ordering, thanks to Prime. It came well packaged inside a cardboard box lined with formed foam around the fridge.

The handles were enclosed within a smaller cardboard box inside the main compartment of the fridge/freezer, along with the insulating cover. In addition, the package includes a basket with a divider, a 120V converter to use your fridge at home, and a 12V cigarette outlet connection.

A warranty slip is included for you to complete and send back to Dobinsons, to register and protect your new purchase.







After installing the cover and handles, i put a gallon of water inside to test fit the available space. I honestly thought it would be bigger; i think part of that issue is that the compressor consumes some real estate, and the way the space is divided is kind of weird.

Luckily, you can remove the included basket and divider if you wont be needing to segregate your food.







The interior of the fridge/freezer has a light that turns on when you open it. It is a weird blue color; not my favorite but it helps reduce the impact of contrast when looking inside in the dark. The lid prevents over extension with a simple plastic strap, as pictured. There’s no provision that keeps the lid open, so it could close on you by surprise.

Likes/Dislikes

Likes Very quiet when operating

Removes the irrational fear of water leaks

removable divider and basket

ECO mode to protect you Vehicles battery

Built-in low voltage cut-off to prevent battery drainage Dislikes The controls are in the back. Not very convenient, especially with tall vehicles.

No available remote temperature monitor like in ARBs

Cannot be easily hardwired

How is it Different?

Cost. The Dobinsons fridge/freezer is more affordable than most other brands that are aimed at the overland/camping community. This was an important factor in my purchase, because most other fridges are not designed with the thought of offroading present. Having some experience in refrigeration, i can tell you compressors do not like to operate sideways, or being constantly jerked around.

Comes in lots of sizes. Other brands have either a “picnic size”, or a ” you can throw your deer in here” size. It was refreshing (though a little more time consuming) to have some options. Take the time to measure your vehicle to see what you can physically fit, and then think about how much food you really need for any given trip, before you make a decision.

Comes with a cover . These things alone can be over $100 bucks. Its nice to have it thrown in when you are already spending a bunch of cash on the fridge itself.

. These things alone can be over $100 bucks. Its nice to have it thrown in when you are already spending a bunch of cash on the fridge itself. Other accessories available. When you are ready to spend even more cash, you can get a fridge slide or straps for the Dobinsons fridges. ARBs actually have more accessories offered, like a remote fridge monitor, but they are also substantially more expensive.

Where to Get it Cheaper

as of 2/10/2019, the most economic place to get the pictured Dobinsons 50L fridge freezer is Amazon. It includes free shipping, and an insulating cover to maintain temperature and reduce compressor cycling and battery drainage.

My 2¢

I have seen and compared several brands and sizes of 12V portable coolers. Before committing to any purchase I considered Dometics, ARBs, Engels, and others.

Ultimately, what drew me to Dobinsons was a combination of lower costs, more size options, product quality and design.

The Dobinsons fridge/freezer is more economic than other similarly outfitted products, while not showing any evident shortcuts in the product design. Accessories are more affordable as well; Fridge slides can be around $60 less than the comparable ARB counterpart.

Dobinsons offers their fridge/ freezer in 40L (42.3 qt), 50L (52.8 qt), 60L (63.4 qt), and 80L (84.5 qt) sizes, so there is bound to be a model that suits your needs.

To top it off, this is an Australian product that is designed for the very specific environments we as overlanders see. They are made with gravel road vibes and weird angles in mind, unlike many other brands.

With all these points in mind, this is a solid 4.5 start product in my book.







The half star deduction is due to the awkward placement of the temperature controls. In my application, it is somewhat annoying to see the settings without climbing in the back of the truck. Otherwise, this is a great buy and i recommend it.

Product Information

For product specifics, you can find Dobinsons user manual here.







If you are ready to take the plunge, you can buy your Dobinsons fridge/freezer from this link. When you buy using this link, i will receive a small commission that wont increase the cost to you at all.

that small commission will help me continue putting out product reviews for all of our community to benefit from!

Contact me for any further comments or questions you may have; thank you for taking the time to read!