Buying guide
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11 min read
Buying guide
For you if: you overland, road-trip, run OTR, or truck-camp and you want true compressor fridge/freezer temperatures without buying ice. You will wire DC carefully and use the maker battery-protection modes so the truck battery does not go flat overnight.
Skip this page if: you only want a thermoelectric “12V cooler,” a soft cooler, or an ice chest — those are out of scope. Skip if you need dual-zone fridge+freezer at once without confirming bed/cab footprint — use the Aspen series or APL55, not these single-zone main picks. Skip if you planned on an ICECO APL45 — that model was not found as a current maker SKU. Use VL45 or APL55 dual-zone instead.
Figures below come from each maker’s product page.
| BougeRV CRPRO30 (E0401-03003) | ICECO VL45 | |
|---|---|---|
| Who for | Compact 30 QT; colder −8°F floor; lighter box | Larger 47.5 QT metal SECOP; longer compressor warranty |
| SKU / model | E0401-03003 / CRPRO30 | VL45 |
| Capacity | 30 Quart | 47.5 QT / 45 L |
| Zones | Single | Single |
| Temp range | −8°F ~ 50°F | 0°F ~ 50°F (−18°C ~ 10°C) |
| Compressor | Compressor (BougeRV CR-PRO) | SECOP |
| Cabinet | Portable CRPRO exterior (maker dims below) | Metal cabinet |
| Exterior (L×W×H) | 23.7 × 12.6 × 16.1 in | Not printed on ICECO VL45 page |
| Weight | 27.55 lb | Not printed on ICECO VL45 page |
| Noise | 45 dB | Not printed on ICECO VL45 page |
| Power modes | ECO 45W / MAX 60W | MAX / ECO; FAQ avg ~55W (lab) |
| Power inputs | 12V/24V DC; 110–240V AC adapter | 12/24V DC; 110–240V AC |
| Battery protection | See BougeRV manual / optional battery kits | 3-stage Low/Mid/High |
| Warranty | 2 years | 5 yr SECOP compressor / 1 yr other parts |
| Buy on this page | Amazon Shop + BougeRV maker | Amazon Shop + ICECO maker |
| Not this pick | Thermoelectric; ice chest; battery bundles as this SKU; Aspen as CRPRO30 | Thermoelectric; APL45 (not found); APL55 as VL45; Wh runtime not printed |
Credit: BougeRV
01 · Compact 30 QT compressor
30 Quart single-zone compressor fridge/freezer. Temp −8°F ~ 50°F. Exterior 23.7 × 12.6 × 16.1 in. Weight 27.55 lb. Noise 45 dB. ECO 45W / MAX 60W. DC 12V/24V + AC 110–240V adapter. Interior light, storage box, safety tie-down point, and bottle opener on the CR-PRO feature set. Optional 266Wh battery and insulated cover sold separate. Warranty 2 years. Fridge-only — not a battery bundle. SKU E0401-03003.
Credit: ICECO
02 · Larger SECOP metal cabinet
47.5 QT / 45 L single-zone portable fridge/freezer. Temp 0°F ~ 50°F (−18°C ~ 10°C). SECOP compressor. Metal cabinet. MAX / ECO modes. AC + DC cords (12/24V DC or 110–240V AC). Three-stage battery protection. Maker FAQ average wattage about 55W (lab note). Warranty 5 years SECOP compressor / 1 year other parts. Not dual-zone. Not APL55. Not APL45 (not on the current maker line). Model VL45.
A compressor fridge/freezer uses a sealed refrigeration circuit — the same idea as a home fridge — on 12V/24V DC in the truck and usually AC at camp or in the garage. You set a temperature. The compressor cycles to hold it. That is different from a thermoelectric cooler, which typically only cools a fixed number of degrees below ambient and will not hold true freezer temps in hot truck beds. It is also different from an ice chest, which needs ice and makes wet food.
Do not buy a thermoelectric listing because the title says “12V.” A battery sticker’s watt-hours are not a printed runtime for these fridge pages. Do not treat optional battery kits as included with the fridge-only models on this page.
Same aisle. Different size and warranty story.
BougeRV prints 30 Quart in a 23.7 × 12.6 × 16.1 in exterior at 27.55 lb — easier to slide behind a crew-cab seat or nest against a bed wall. ICECO prints 47.5 QT / 45 L — more groceries or multi-day protein — in a metal cabinet. If the VL45 has to live on a crew-cab floor, measure the footwell before you buy; if the CRPRO30 has to feed a family weekender, confirm 30 QT is enough without ice.
BougeRV CR-PRO table: −8°F ~ 50°F. ICECO VL45: 0°F ~ 50°F. Both freeze. BougeRV prints the colder floor on this compare. Set the thermostat for fridge or freezer mode based on what you packed — single-zone means one temperature for the whole box.
BougeRV: ECO 45W / MAX 60W on the CR-PRO specs BougeRV prints. ICECO: MAX for quicker cool-down, ECO (or MIN language on the page) for efficiency, with a FAQ average about 55W as laboratory reference only. Neither page prints a Wh “days of runtime” figure for a specific power station. Wire size, battery state of charge, ambient heat, and how often you open the lid all change real draw.
ICECO prints a three-stage (Low / Mid / High) dynamic battery protection system that shuts the fridge down to protect the vehicle battery. BougeRV supports DC vehicle power and optional battery kits; read the manual for low-voltage cutoffs on your exact harness. Cigarette-plug-only trucks without a sense of battery protection are how overnight drains happen — use the maker modes and a sane wiring plan.
BougeRV CRPRO30: 2 years. ICECO VL45: 5 years on the SECOP compressor, 1 year on other parts. If compressor longevity is the buy rule, ICECO’s printed compressor term is the longer warranty on this page.
BougeRV CRPRO20 (SKU E0401-02003) — smaller 21 Quart CRPRO sibling. Exterior 23.7 × 12.6 × 11.9 in. Weight 23.80 lb. ECO 36W / MAX 45W. Same −8°F ~ 50°F class and 2-year warranty. Tight crew-cab floors. Maker link only on this page. BougeRV CRPRO20 (maker)
BougeRV Aspen / Aspen Pro series — premium dual-zone IceDrive™ line (marketing sizes include 34 / 43 / 53 QT class on BougeRV’s Aspen page). Confirm the exact Aspen model on BougeRV before you buy. Upgrade path when you need dual-zone and IceDrive features, not a CRPRO30 substitute by another name. BougeRV Aspen IceDrive (series)
ICECO APL55 — aluminum dual-zone 55 L / 58 QT. Temp −4°F ~ 68°F. Bluetooth app. About 63.14 lb. Dimensions 29.7″ × 18.9″ × 19.3″ (maker). Damping hinges. Dual-zone premium option — not the VL45 main pick on this page. ICECO APL55 (maker)
Not on this page: ICECO APL45 — not found as a current maker SKU. Use VL45 or APL55.
Makers do not print a truck-model fit chart for these portable boxes. Measure the space you actually have:
Always leave compressor ventilation space per the maker manual. A sealed toolbox with no airflow is a bad home for either fridge.
Use the included DC cord on a circuit that can handle compressor startup. Prefer a dedicated run with a fuse near the battery for full-time installs; cigarette-plug use is fine for short trips if the socket and wiring are healthy. Set ICECO’s three-stage protection to match whether the fridge shares the starter battery or a house battery. BougeRV’s optional 266Wh battery is a separate purchase — not assumed in the CRPRO30 fridge-only Amazon Shop pick. Watt figures alone are not “X days of runtime.”
Credit: BougeRV
Pick: compact 30 QT compressor
For cab-floor or tight bed space when you want the colder −8°F floor in a lighter box.
Drawback: 30 QT may be tight for a family weekender without ice. Optional battery kit is separate. Dual-zone shoppers should look at Aspen, not this single-zone box.
Credit: ICECO
Pick: larger SECOP metal cabinet
For more quarts, a metal SECOP cabinet, and the longer compressor warranty.
Drawback: no printed exterior dims or weight on the maker page for a tight crew-cab measure. Not dual-zone (see APL55). Not APL45 — that model was not found. Wh runtime is not printed.
Thermoelectric coolers. Different tech. Hot truck beds expose the gap fast.
Ice chests as “12V fridges.” No compressor. Out of scope.
Battery bundles as the CRPRO30 buy. Fridge-only E0401-03003 is the Amazon Shop pick on this page; kits are optional add-ons.
ICECO APL45. Not found on the current maker line. Use VL45 or APL55.
Guessing Wh runtime or fill times. If the maker did not print it, it stays out of the table.
For this page: BougeRV CRPRO30 (E0401-03003) for a compact 30 QT compressor fridge/freezer with a −8°F floor and 2-year warranty, or ICECO VL45 for a 47.5 QT metal SECOP single-zone with a 5-year compressor warranty. Both are compressor units — not thermoelectric coolers or ice chests.
CRPRO30 is smaller and lighter (30 QT, 27.55 lb, 23.7 × 12.6 × 16.1 in) with −8°F ~ 50°F and ECO 45W / MAX 60W. VL45 is larger (47.5 QT / 45 L) with a SECOP metal cabinet, 0°F ~ 50°F, three-stage battery protection, and a longer compressor warranty. Pick on capacity, footprint, and warranty — not on a guessed runtime.
For true fridge/freezer setpoints in a hot truck, yes — that is why this page locks compressor models only. Thermoelectric coolers generally track ambient and are out of scope here.
Measure your floor or bed pocket. CRPRO30 prints 23.7 × 12.6 × 16.1 in at 27.55 lb. VL45 does not print exterior dims on the maker page — confirm on the carton or maker sheet before a tight cab install. Dual-zone APL55 prints 29.7″ × 18.9″ × 19.3″ and 63.14 lb. No maker truck-model fit table.
It can if you leave it on the starter battery without protection. ICECO prints a three-stage battery protection cutoff. BougeRV expects sane DC wiring and offers optional battery kits. Use the maker protection settings and a fused circuit; do not run overnight amp-hour math the pages do not print.
Stay on CRPRO30 for a single-zone 30 QT buy. Look at the Aspen / Aspen Pro series when you want BougeRV’s dual-zone IceDrive premium line — confirm the exact Aspen model on the maker series page before you order.
Buy VL45 for a single-zone 47.5 QT SECOP metal box on this compare. Buy APL55 when you need dual-zone (55 L / 58 QT, −4°F ~ 68°F, Bluetooth, damping hinges) and you have space and payload for about 63.14 lb. Do not buy an APL45 that is not on ICECO’s current line — use VL45 or APL55.
Last updated September 27, 2026. Author: TruckDaily.