The right setup to keep food cold, by trip length

Pick how long you'll be out.

A weekend (1 to 3 nights)

Ice cooler

8 days

on one load of ice, manufacturer rated

An ice cooler is all you need. One load of ice easily outlasts a weekend.

Feeding a group? The RTIC 65 QT, $269, holds 84 cans.

A week (4 to 7 nights)

Fridge + Power Station

1.5 days

of fridge runtime while parked

This is where ice gets tight and a small fridge takes over. The station runs the fridge at camp, and the truck recharges the station while you drive.

The kit: about $438

Sticking with ice? The Engel ENG65, $300, is rated for 10 days with one refill mid-week.

Two weeks (8 to 14 nights)

Fridge + Power Station

3.3 days

of fridge runtime while parked

The same setup with a bigger fridge and battery. Every drive day refills the station, so the kit runs the full two weeks.

The kit: about $1,058

Three weeks (15 nights and up)

Fridge + Station + Solar

Runs the trip

sun covers parked days, driving covers the rest

Add solar and the setup no longer depends on driving. Sun covers the parked days, driving covers the rest, and the kit runs as long as the trip does.

The kit: about $1,258

Three weeks, no sun (forest, storms, winter)

Fridge + Second Battery

3.7 days

of fridge runtime while parked

How we chose

The day counts are simple math on the manufacturers' own specs, the battery's capacity and the fridge's daily draw. Expect a little less on a real trip, since converting power wastes some energy and hot weather makes the fridge work harder. Power stations recharge from the 12V socket while you drive. Many factory AC outlets, like the 4Runner's 400W outlet, only work in Park or Neutral.

Want more choices? Every fridge and cooler we carry is in the fridge catalog, and stations and batteries are in power gear.

Want this dialed to your exact truck? The configurator builds a complete plan around your vehicle and how you camp.

Make your custom build plan