When you’re camping or living on the road full-time, having access to fresh food is a massive quality-of-life upgrade. Sure, we love a good campfire hotdog and we’re not above slurping down instant ramen when we’re tired, but for us, cooking is a huge part of the joy of van life. It connects us to the places we stay, gives us memories tied to specific campsites, and creates those cozy, shared moments around a warm meal.
But as beautiful as those moments are, keeping fresh food cold in a van isn’t always simple. Over the past year of living on the road, we’ve learned firsthand just how challenging cold storage can be with limited fridge space and a nearly non-existent freezer. We’re lucky if we can fit a tiny bag of blueberries in there, let alone anything bigger.
And after spending two summers traveling up to and around Alaska, those limitations became even more obvious. We’ve literally had to give away crab we caught because we couldn’t store it. We even had to ship halibut home, which ended up being insanely expensive. And if you’ve ever driven up toward the Arctic, you know how limited (and pricey) the grocery situation can be. One apple? That’ll be $5.
It finally reached the point where we realized something needed to change if we wanted to stay off-grid longer and travel the way we love, without compromising on good meals.
Why We Didn’t Want Another Traditional Cooler
When we started discussing adding a second cooler or fridge, the idea of getting another traditional cooler, like the kind that relies on ice, was honestly a non-starter.
We’ve used those for years in our Four Wheel Camper, and they’re… fine. But also a pain. Constantly hunting down ice at gas stations gets old fast. Ice gets expensive. It melts everywhere. And nothing ruins a bag of salad faster than it sitting in ice water pooling at the bottom of your cooler.
We wanted something that would actually improve our day-to-day van life experience, and not add more chores.
So after a lot of research, comparing options, and thinking through how we travel, we landed on something that has been a major upgrade for us:
👉 The ICECO APL35 dual-zone compressor cooler
Meet the ICECO APL35: Our New Favorite Van Life Accessory
We’ve been using the ICECO APL35 for over a month now, and honestly? We’re pretty blown away by how much easier it’s made our life on the road.
One of the biggest perks is that we no longer rely on ice at all. That alone is worth celebrating. But the real highlight is the dual-zone feature: you can run it as a fridge and freezer simultaneously, or switch it to be all fridge or all freezer depending on your needs.
On past trips, especially in Alaska, this would have solved so many problems. Instead of paying hundreds of dollars to ship halibut home, we could have just turned the whole unit into a freezer and enjoyed it over the following months.
Following are some features that really made the ICECO APL35 stand-out as the obvious choice for us:
Compact and Lightweight
For a dual-zone cooler, the ICECO APL35 is surprisingly compact. It fits perfectly in the backseat of our truck and slides easily into our van’s garage area without taking up any more room than our old cooler.
It weighs only 32 lbs, which makes swapping it between vehicles incredibly easy. And the build? Super solid. The aluminum body is corrosion-resistant, which is huge for life on the road where everything is constantly exposed to dust, moisture, and the elements.
Inside, the cooler has:
- 27 liters on the large side
- 8 liters on the small side
We’ve been genuinely shocked at how much food fits in here. It’s like unlocking bonus storage you didn’t realize you needed.
Bluetooth App Control
We’re big fans of anything that adds convenience, and the Bluetooth app control on this cooler is ridiculously helpful. From the app, we can:
- Adjust temperature settings
- Monitor both zones
- Make sure food stays safely chilled
- Check everything from the front seats or inside the van
No more hopping out in the rain or cold just to open the lid and see if things are still cold. This is one of those features you don’t realize you need until you have it.
Fast Cooling + Multiple Power Options
Another impressive feature is the APL35’s cooling speed. The premium NANO SECOP compressor (imported from Germany and backed by a 5-year warranty) can chill from 77°F to 32°F in just 11 minutes. That’s huge when you’re loading it up at a grocery store or campsite.
It runs off:
- AC
- DC
- Solar
But our favorite part? The separate magnetic battery. It’s incredibly convenient for short stops, grocery trips, or the days when you’re constantly in and out of the van. You can also use the battery to charge other items like your phone or camera, which is super convenient.
Top-Opening Design for the Win
We’ve used front-opening fridges for years in the van and truck camper, and while they’re fine, they can get disorganized fast. Stuff gets shoved into the corners, things are hard to see without getting on your hands and knees, and somehow that one yogurt always expires at the bottom in the back.
Switching to this top-opening style has been a breath of fresh air. You can see everything. Nothing hides. The lid stays open by itself. It’s honestly made finding things so much smoother.
A Quick Note on Organization
The APL35 doesn’t come with internal baskets or trays, but we grabbed some generic organizers on Amazon to keep everything tidy. If you travel with lots of small items or produce, we definitely recommend this little upgrade.
Would We Recommend the ICECO APL35? Absolutely.
At this point, we’re just really happy with this addition to our travel setup. It’s taken the stress out of keeping food fresh, given us way more flexibility with groceries, and made it easier to stay off-grid longer without having to restock in small, remote towns.
It also gives us a pretty solid excuse to take another fishing or crabbing trip, which we definitely will.
If you’re interested in checking out the ICECO APL35 or any of the other coolers ICECO offers, use our link:https://icecofreezer.com/ADVENTUREOUTTHERE and discount code ADVENTUREOUTTHERE for 12% off full-priced items.
Want to See the Cooler in Action? Watch Our Full Review
If you want a closer look at the ICECO APL35, how we pack it, where we store it, and what we really think after using it on the road, make sure to watch our full YouTube video.
🎥 👉 Watch the full review on our YouTube channel
(And don’t forget to subscribe if you love van life adventures, cooking on the road, and exploring North America with us and our adventure pup!)
If you have any questions about this cooler, or about van life gear in general, drop them in the comments below. We’re always happy to help fellow travelers make life on the road as enjoyable (and delicious!) as possible.
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