Iceco VL35 ProS 12V Fridge Freezer vs BougeRV CR 30 Quart (28L) 12V Portable Fridge Freezer

The short answer

If the fridge will run every day, buy the Iceco VL35 ProS. It has a Secop compressor with a long record in full-time use and a 5-year compressor warranty, a metal cabinet, a published 24-hour energy figure and 35 liters inside. That's what you want in a fridge that has to keep working for years in a van you live in.

If you camp on weekends, are doing a first build or want a second fridge or a dedicated freezer, the BougeRV CR 30Qt is the sensible buy. It costs far less, it's much lighter and narrower, and it's a real compressor fridge-freezer, not a thermoelectric cooler. Just know what you're getting: BougeRV doesn't name its compressor maker, and owner durability reports are mixed.

For the full detail, read our Iceco VL35 ProS review and our BougeRV 30Qt review. If you're still choosing between compressor and thermoelectric, or deciding what size you need, the 12V fridge complete guide covers it.

Compressor and long-term durability

This is the real difference between a budget compressor fridge and a mid-range one. The VL35 uses a Secop compressor (ICECO doesn't publish the exact model), and ICECO covers it for five years. Secop (formerly Danfoss) supplies many serious 12V fridges, and its long track record under daily, year-round use is the main reason full-timers trust it. Owner complaints about the VL35 tend to be about finish and the interior plastic, not about cooling failing.

BougeRV doesn't disclose its compressor manufacturer, and it doesn't market the unit as a Secop. Budget compressors have improved a lot, and most BougeRV owners report good cooling and quiet running. But BougeRV doesn't publish its compressor maker, and its long-term durability record is shorter than Secop-based fridges'; the warranty (2 years, 3 with registration) is the protection you can count on. If a dead fridge in year two would leave you without food storage in the middle of nowhere, that uncertainty matters.

One setup note: BougeRV's current manual says to leave the fridge standing level for 12 hours after unboxing before switching it on, so the compressor oil can settle. Its website FAQ says 6 hours, but the manual's figure is the safer one.

Edge: Iceco VL35 ProS, for a proven compressor built for daily use.

Capacity and what fits

The VL35 holds 35 liters, which Iceco rates at about 50 twelve-ounce cans. That's four to five days of food for a couple, or close to a week if you pack carefully. The BougeRV holds 28 liters (sold as 30 quarts). BougeRV's capacity graphics show it holding 35 cans, nine one-liter bottles or two one-gallon milk jugs standing upright. That suits one person for four to six days, or two people on a weekend.

Layout differs too. The VL35 comes with a removable basket and a drain plug. The BougeRV has a removable partition board but no basket and no interior light. Its main well is about 12.4 inches deep, so tall bottles stand up, but items at the bottom are a reach.

Both are single-zone. Each runs as a fridge or a freezer, never both at once.

Edge: Iceco VL35 ProS, for seven more liters and a basket.

Size, weight and portability

The BougeRV is listed at 22.7 x 12.6 x 15.5 inches. ICECO lists the VL35 ProS at 28.1 x 15.9 x 15.7 inches. That makes the BougeRV about 5.4 inches shorter and about 3.3 inches narrower, at about the same height. The smaller box is its biggest practical advantage when you carry it, but check the clearances before you assume it fits a smaller bay. BougeRV's manual asks for at least 7.9 inches (20 cm) behind the fridge and 3.9 inches (10 cm) at the sides. ICECO's manual asks for more than 5 cm (about 2 inches) at the VL35's sides and 10 cm (about 4 inches) at its front air outlet. Added up, the BougeRV needs roughly 30.6 x 20.4 inches of floor space, and the VL35 about 32 x 20. In a ventilated install, the two take up almost the same floor.

It's also much lighter. BougeRV lists it at 24.3 lbs empty, so one person can carry it in and out of a vehicle. The VL35 is a 48.7-pound metal box, about twice the weight, that most owners strap down on a slide or the floor and leave there. ICECO sells a tie-down kit and a slide mount as accessories for the VL ProS series.

Edge: BougeRV 30Qt, for a much lighter box that's easy to move.

Power draw and battery sizing

ICECO's manual lists the VL35 ProS at 0.430 kWh (430 Wh) per 24 hours, about 36 Ah per day at 12V, and its EnergyGuide label gives the same figure. ICECO calls that a laboratory figure and doesn't state the test ambient, so treat it as a moderate-conditions planning number. ICECO publishes no nameplate wattage.

BougeRV publishes running power instead: 45 W in ECO mode and 60 W in MAX mode, or about 3.75 A and 5 A at 12V while the compressor runs. It doesn't publish a daily average, so daily use depends on how much of the day the compressor runs. Our review's estimates, which are assumptions rather than measurements, come to roughly 27 Ah (325 Wh) per day in mild weather and around 40 Ah (485 Wh) in warm weather. Footprint Hero reported three days of continuous use on a 100 Ah LiFePO4 battery, roughly 27 to 33 Ah per day.

In practice:

• 100 Ah lithium: a weekend to a few days with either fridge, longer with solar or a DC-DC charger topping it up while you drive. The bigger VL35 will usually use a little more.
• Full-time or hot-climate use: plan on 200 Ah of lithium and 200 W or more of solar with either one.

Both have three-level battery protection, with different thresholds. ICECO lists 12V cut-outs of 9.6V, 10.4V and 11.1V. BougeRV's current manual lists 8.5V, 10.1V and 11.3V, and ships set to the middle level. Plug your own conditions into our fridge battery calculator.

Edge: Tie on likely draw. The VL35 has a published 24-hour figure to plan around, but it's no lower than the BougeRV estimates, and it cools a bigger box.

Build, controls and noise

The VL35 has a metal outer shell and a latched lid that opens from either side or lifts off, per ICECO's manual. Owners report the latches staying tight after long use in a slide tray. Its button panel covers temperature, MAX and ECO modes, and battery protection.

The BougeRV has a molded plastic body with recessed carry handles and a top lid hinged at the rear, on a short tether. BougeRV specifically warns that direct sunlight can deform the lid, so keep it off a dashboard or a sun-baked tailgate. The Amazon listing says it runs at up to 30 degrees of tilt, though BougeRV's manual says to keep it under 5° for long-term running. Controls are a small button panel with a digital display on top of the compressor step. Neither fridge has an app or Bluetooth.

On noise, BougeRV rates the fridge at 45 dB or less. One independent reviewer measured about 53 dB in MAX mode at the lowest setting, its hardest-working condition, so expect it to be audible in a small van while it pulls down. Iceco doesn't publish a figure for the VL35. Owners describe a low hum and a faint click at start and stop, and most who sleep near it don't flag it as a problem. With either fridge, keep the compressor vents clear.

Edge: Iceco VL35 ProS, for a metal cabinet that suits daily use.

Value

The VL35 ProS is a mid-range fridge and the BougeRV 30Qt is a budget one, so the Iceco costs considerably more. Check current prices on Amazon, since they move often. The extra money buys a proven Secop compressor with a 5-year compressor warranty, a metal cabinet, seven more liters, a basket and a published 24-hour energy figure.

Whether that's worth it depends on how often the fridge runs. For a full-timer, a fridge that runs 24 hours a day, every day, is one of the hardest-working parts of the van, and the VL35's compressor record is worth paying for. For a few weekends a year, the BougeRV does the same basic job, and the money you save does more elsewhere in the build.

Warranty: ICECO's manual gives 5 years on the VL35's compressor and 1 year on other parts. BougeRV's manual and product page list two years, extendable to three with owner registration, while its Amazon listing describes two years of tech support. Check the current terms with both brands before you buy.

Which one should you buy?

Buy the Iceco VL35 ProS if:

• You live in your van and the fridge runs every day.
• You travel in hot climates where the compressor works hard.
• You want 35 liters for a couple's groceries.
• You'd pay more up front to avoid gambling on a no-name compressor.

Buy the BougeRV 30Qt if:

• You camp on weekends or a few weeks a year.
• It's a first build and you're not sure the lifestyle will stick.
• You want a second fridge or a dedicated freezer.
• You need a narrow, light box you can carry in and out.

FAQ

Is the BougeRV 30Qt a good alternative to the Iceco VL35?

For occasional use, yes. It's a real compressor fridge-freezer at a budget price, and it's lighter and narrower. For full-time use, the VL35's Secop compressor and metal build are worth the extra cost, because BougeRV doesn't name its compressor and durability reports are mixed.

Does the BougeRV 30Qt use a Secop compressor?

No. BougeRV doesn't disclose its compressor maker and doesn't market it as a Secop. The Iceco VL35 ProS uses a Secop compressor (ICECO doesn't publish the exact model).

Which uses less power, the VL35 or the BougeRV 30Qt?

ICECO's manual lists the VL35 ProS at 0.430 kWh (430 Wh) per 24 hours, about 36 Ah per day at 12V, as a lab figure. BougeRV publishes only running power, 45 W in ECO and 60 W in MAX, with no daily figure. Never multiply those by 24. Estimates for the BougeRV land around 27 to 30 Ah (325 to 360 Wh) per day in mild weather and around 40 in heat, so the smaller BougeRV is likely no hungrier.

Can either fridge be a fridge and freezer at the same time?

No. Both are single-zone. The BougeRV's partition board divides the space, but both sides hold the same temperature. For both at once, you need a dual-zone fridge.

How much bigger is the Iceco VL35 than the BougeRV 30Qt?

The VL35 holds 35 liters against 28. On the outside, it's about 5.4 inches longer and 3.3 inches wider, and at 48.7 lbs it weighs about twice as much as the BougeRV's 24.3. Once you add each maker's required ventilation clearance, though, the floor space they need is almost the same.