Setpower Fridges

What Setpower makes for camp

Setpower makes one kind of thing for camp: portable 12-volt refrigerators that run on a compressor, like the one in your kitchen fridge, and can also hold freezer temperatures. On this site they're on the portable fridge, car fridge and compressor fridge pages. Around the fridges, the maker sells bundles: a PG216 portable battery, insulated covers, slides, ice packs and tall lids.

The grid above shows what's available on Amazon right now. It changes as listings come and go, so I'll write about the series and what separates them, not about how many are listed this week. Most specs in the grid come from Amazon listings and are marked that way. The weights, capacities and settings below come from Setpower's own manuals and product pages.

The maker's site lists more series than the grid holds: PT, MC, AJ, AB and RV, alongside the RF, DT and FC lines. Some appear on Amazon at times, some don't.

How to read a Setpower model name

Setpower names are short: a series and a number.

• The letters: the series. RF is single-zone, DT is dual-zone, FC is the small compact.
• The number: close to the capacity in liters. RF20 is about 20 liters, DT45 about 45.

Amazon titles mostly give quarts instead. Quick math: one liter is a little more than a quart, so the quart number is always a bit bigger. The RF20 manual lists 21.1 quarts. The DT55 is the one to watch: its manual lists 56 quarts (53 liters), while some listings call it 59QT. If you're fitting it into a truck bed or behind a seat, go by the manual's outside dimensions.

Lineup notes: Setpower fridges by series

RF series: single-zone RF20 and RF25

The RF20 and RF25 share one body with a different height. Per the manual:

• RF20: 21.1 quarts, 22.1 lb, 24.3 x 13.1 x 11.9 in
• RF25: 26.4 quarts, 23.4 lb, 24.3 x 13.1 x 14.3 in

Both list -4°F to 68°F (the manual adds that -4°F is reached under specific conditions), 12V and 24V DC input, and a polypropylene shell. The maker says the RF series comes with an ice pack that doubles as a divider, turning one compartment into two, and that it keeps food cold for up to 50 hours without power. It lists ECO mode at 28 watts or less, a max of 40 watts on the RF25 page, and 32 decibels or less on the RF20 page.

Then there's the tall lid. The RF Tall Lid bundles in the grid add height to the same base; their listings describe 7 quarts of extra room, taking the RF20 to 28 quarts and the RF25 to 34. The RF25 tall-lid listing says it fits a 2-liter bottle standing up. (Renee says nobody needs to stand a 2-liter up. Renee has never chased a rolling 2-liter across a truck bed at 5 a.m.)

DT series: dual-zone DT45 and DT55

The DT fridges have two compartments, each with its own temperature. The maker says each zone holds anywhere from -4°F to 68°F, so one side can freeze while the other keeps drinks cold. Per the DT manual:

• DT35: 37 quarts, 38.1 lb
• DT45: 48 quarts, 42.1 lb
• DT55: 56 quarts, 44.3 lb

The grid holds the DT45 and DT55. The manual explains how to turn one zone off, which makes the DT a single big fridge when you don't need two temperatures. The maker lists ECO at 38 watts, max at 50, 35 decibels or less, Bluetooth app control, four fixing clips for rough roads, a stackable basket, an LED light, a drain port, and both an AC adapter and a DC cable in the box.

These are heavier than the RF by about 20 pounds. That's two people at the tailgate, or one person who'll mention it all weekend.

FC15: the compact

The FC15 is the smallest Setpower in the grid. Its Amazon listing gives 15.8 quarts, compressor cooling, -4°F, 12V and an AC adapter. The maker's energy report lists it at 0.304 kWh per 24 hours, among the lowest of the models it lists. It's the one for a lunch, a few drinks and a pack of venison on the drive home.

Other single-zone listings

The grid also holds Setpower fridges listed by size rather than series name: 21-quart and 27-quart models and a 34-quart model, some with a 216Wh battery and an ice pack. Their specs come from their Amazon listings. Read each listing for the series name and the voltage before you compare them to the manuals above.

The PG216 battery and the bundles

The PG216 is a portable battery the maker sells on its own and in bundles. Per the maker:

• 216 watt-hours
• 3.7 lb
• Magnetic back, so it sticks to a metal surface
• Charges from solar panels, a wall outlet or a car's 12V socket
• One USB-C, one USB and one DC socket, 100 watts max output
• Runs a Setpower fridge straight through a DC cable

The bundles in the grid pair it with the RF20, RF25, DT45 and DT55, some with a slide. A slide is a tray that pulls the fridge out of a truck bed or SUV so you're not climbing in after the mustard.

How to choose within the Setpower lineup

Zones first

One temperature or two. If you want frozen and cold at the same time (venison in one side, eggs in the other), that's the DT. If one temperature is fine, the RF is smaller and lighter, and its ice pack divider splits the space.

Then size by what you'll actually carry

Pack your normal camp load into a box at home and measure it. A weekend for two fits in the RF range. A full camp of hunters, a freezer side and a drinks side is DT territory. The portable freezer page covers fridges you'd run below 0°F.

Then power, because the fridge stops when the battery says so

Here's my one opinion for this page: pick the fridge for the power you'll have, not for the quarts you want. The reason is in the manuals. Every RF and DT has battery protection: when the voltage drops below the cutoff, the compressor shuts off to save your battery. On a 12V system, the maker lists:

• HIGH: off at 11.1V, back on at 12.4V
• MID: off at 10.4V, back on at 11.7V
• LOW: off at 9.6V, back on at 10.9V

On the RF, HIGH is the factory setting; the DT manual says H too. HIGH protects a truck's starting battery best. LOW runs longer on a deep-cycle or portable battery. An E1 code on the display means low voltage, per the manual: lower the protection level or recharge.

Quick math with the maker's own numbers: the energy report lists the RF20 at 0.438 kWh per 24 hours in its lab. The PG216 holds 216 watt-hours. On paper, that's about half a day. A September truck bed is not a lab, so treat that as an upper bound and plan to recharge. The battery-powered cooler page covers the power side across brands.

ECO or MAX, and which one you're on

Both series have two compressor modes. MAX is the higher-power mode; ECO draws less, per the maker's wattage figures above. The factory settings differ, which is worth knowing if you own one of each: the RF manual says MAX is the default, the DT manual says ECO. On the RF, you reach the mode, the battery protection and the Fahrenheit/Celsius switch through a long press on the power button; on the DT, each has its own SET button. The DT ships reading Celsius, per its manual, so a display that says 4 is not broken. It's metric.

On a portable battery, every watt the compressor doesn't draw is time the fridge keeps running, which is the whole case for ECO. Set it before you leave the driveway, not at camp in the dark.

Setup and care notes from the maker

First day: let it stand

Both manuals say to keep the fridge upright for 24 hours after delivery before powering it on, so the refrigerant settles. Yes, a full day. I know. I've waited longer for the deer.

Give it air and keep it level

The manuals ask for 2 to 4 inches of clearance around the vents, no tilting past 30 degrees, and straps or a slide when it rides in a vehicle. Keep it out of direct sun and rain. Don't put in anything hotter than 75°F; let leftovers cool first.

Set it and check it

FDA guidance is to keep a refrigerator at or below 40°F and a freezer at 0°F, and it says an appliance thermometer is the best way to know. A cheap one inside the fridge settles any argument about the display.

Defrost and clean

The manuals say to defrost when frost gets past 4mm, let it melt on its own (no sharp tools), and clean with mild soapy water and a soft cloth. Before storing it, clean the inside and leave the lid slightly open.

Charge the battery the safe way

For the PG216 or any lithium battery, the US Fire Administration's advice is to use the charger the manufacturer provides and plug it straight into an outlet, not an extension cord or power strip.

Warranty and who's behind Setpower

Setpower's About page and its manuals list a 3-year warranty on the compressor and 12 months on other parts, from the date of purchase. The About page says the Setpower name was created in 2008 for portable refrigerators and that its website has been online since 2020. The contact page lists support emails by where you ordered.

Zones, size, power. Write the battery-protection setting on a piece of tape on the lid, and the next guy to plug it in won't flatten the truck battery. (The next guy is usually Walt.)