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Luxury on the go - retrofit a cool box in the car!

Reading time 5 Min.

Luxury on the go - retrofit a cool box in the car!

A cooling compartment in which drinks such as sparkling wine and lemonades or small dishes can be kept cool on long journeys is only something for the luxury class? No it is not! A champagne compartment can also be installed below the luxury segment and is a practical accessory for frequent travelers and families and also an eye-catcher. In addition, it is another option to keep food cool for a certain period of time if the vehicle already has a glove compartment or a cooled center console, for example. Many vehicles have this function ex works. But it looks different for the cool box as a separate refrigerator. The accessory is almost never available from the factory and is far from standard even in the luxury class.

Advantages of a built-in cooling compartment

Luxury on the go - retrofit a cool box in the car!

Classically, on a family outing or on vacation, you take small or larger cool bags with you, which work with the help of previously cooled cooling pads. Or you just use the mentioned option in the glove compartment or the center console by means of the air conditioning system connected to it. Unfortunately, the space here is often very limited. The advantage of another internal cooling system is obvious: no external cooling pads required, permanently installed and therefore safe from being thrown around during heavy braking or overtaking, as well as improved space management. The disadvantages are the dependence on the energy supply (Depending on the model, it only works when the ignition is active or only for a short period after the engine has been switched off) and the usually very small space. In addition, it is difficult for the driver to reach the compartment because it is usually installed in the rear part of the center console or in the backrest of the rear seat between the seats (depending on the vehicle). Such a vehicle is usually more of a 4-seater than a 5-seater. The cool box is still well suited for resting at motorway parking lots and as an eye-catcher for business partners traveling with you on the way to the meeting.

Installing a refrigerator in the car!

Luxury on the go - retrofit a cool box in the car!

Installation is relatively straightforward when the cooling function was already available for the vehicle at an additional cost. If the box is to be installed, a professional should still lend a hand, as electrical lines must be laid in the car. This applies in particular to the factory variant. In the case of simple devices from third-party suppliers to be set up, however, a few fastenings are usually sufficient. Of course, the price of the fixed and the simple devices differ considerably, although the following applies: fixed is safer. In the event of an accident or emergency braking, cool boxes that are not permanently installed can become detached from their holders and become projectiles.

Law & Power Consumption

Luxury on the go - retrofit a cool box in the car!

Retrofitting cool boxes in the car is of course not forbidden, but it is recommended that such interventions be carried out by specialists, unless you are a specialist yourself. And how does a new electronic device affect fuel consumption? Of course, it also applies to cool boxes, more electronic devices that are directly connected to the supply of the car, increase the consumption of energy and thus also the fuel consumption. But mostly only slightly. The situation is worse for electric cars, where the demand for electricity can increase significantly, especially if the batteries lose power over time.

Mobile cool box - what should you watch out for?

Luxury on the go - retrofit a cool box in the car!

An electric cool box is suitable. excellent for excursions and festival visits. In this way, drinks and food can be transported and stored in a cool place at the same time. And a thermoelectric box can even keep the contents warm. There are usually three cooling systems: Peltier, absorber and compressor. The first variant is suitable for cooling and heating. A good electric cool box has connections that can be expanded with a converter. Thus you also connect the box to 230 volts outside of the vehicle.

cooling box Benefits Disadvantages
Electric cool box as an electric cool box for the car impractical for camping
Compressor cooler large dimensions, good cooling capacity, enables freezing now and then operating noises, high costs
Thermoelectric cool box large selection, different sizes, hot / chilled drinks and meals possible power supply always necessary
Cool box including absorber Various power levels, noiseless, can also be used as a camping cool box expensive, high operating costs
Electric cooler bag similar to a cool box,
small / handy
low
space

Conclusion on retrofitting a cool box!

It's doable and worthwhile for people who travel a lot and drive long distances. However, permanent installation is not worthwhile for annual vacation once a year. And if you are a layperson, you should rely on the help of specialist workshops with permanently installed products. A cool box with a connection to the cigarette lighter is much more suitable for the trip on vacation. On the one hand, the volume of the box is much larger, and on the other hand, the individual installation position (behind the seats, firmly anchored in the back seat, in the trunk etc.) more practical. The cool boxes available ex works in a BMW 7 Series, an S-Class, a Rolls-Royce or in a Bentley with integration in the center console or the rear seat are more suitable for a bottle of sparkling wine and two glasses and are intended as eye-catchers to the luxurious claim of such Underline the vehicle. But they are not really useful.

We hope that you the info report on the topic / term Retrofit cool box (further names / keywords: retrofit bar, bar compartment, champagne compartment, cooling box, insulated compartment, cool box, refrigerator compartment, refrigerator, champagne compartment, thermobox) from the field of autotuning. Our goal is that the largest German-language tuning dictionary (Tuning Wikipedia) and to explain tuning terms from A to Z easily and understandably. Almost every day we expand this lexicon and how far we are, you can HERE see. Soon the next one will be Tuning scene concept be illuminated by us. By the way, you will be informed about new topics if you have ours Feed subscribe to.

Luxury on the go - retrofit a cool box in the car!

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Luxury on the go - retrofit a cool box in the car!

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Luxury on the go - retrofit a cool box in the car!

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About Thomas Wachsmuth

Thomas Wachsmuth - He has been an integral part of tuningblog.eu since 2013. His passion for cars is so intense that he invests every available penny in them. While he dreams of a BMW E31 850CSI and a Hennessey 6x6 Ford F-150, he currently drives a rather inconspicuous BMW 540i (G31/LCI). His collection of books, magazines and brochures on the subject of car tuning has now reached such proportions that he himself has become a walking reference work for the tuning scene.  More about Thomas

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