I know this isn't exactly GRM, but it's too weird not to share.
Backstory: My 14th generation Ford F-150 has a huge center console. Like, it literally has filing cabinet rails for hanging folders huge. And ever since I bought the truck, I've been vaguely aware that Dometic (the RV fridge people) makes a drop-in compressor fridge that sits in the console. It was always a novelty in the back of my mind--sure, it would be great to have cold drinks on all the roadtrips and track days I drive this thing to, but no way I'm spending $5-$600 when a cooler works fine. Still, it's pretty cool you can get an actual compressor fridge from a real brand for your center console.
Then, well, they went on sale: $100 for the 13th generation truck fridge, or $299 for the one that fits new F-150s like mine. At that price, I couldn't resist. (They've since raised the price to $149/$299). Amazon link.
It finally showed up on Friday, and I practically ran to the shop to put it in. Installation took about an hour, and most of that was me being uber careful because I didn't want to mess up the most expensive vehicle I've ever owned. I had to drill two holes deep in the console, one for a vent fan and one for power, and pop a few interior panels out of the way. It's easily reversible with some plastic hole plugs that are included if I ever remove the fridge, so I'm not too worried about the drilling. I don't really have time for a full write-up and I had my hands full working instead of shooting, but here are a few photos to give you an idea:
The fridge draws power from the OEM 12v socket in the back seat--you just unplug the wire on the back of the cigarette lighter and plug it into the factory-style plug on the fridge's harness. This means you lose the 12v port's functionality (they're worried you'll overload the circuit), but if I ever need it I can build a little splitter or just cut the wires and splice them together. I've never used it, so I left it unpowered.
Once you've drilled a few holes and plugged your wiring in, the fridge clamps to that aforementioned filing cabinet rail, gets a finish panel, and looks like this:
And, after using it for a few days--I've got to admit it's awesome. It's not huge, but it's plenty of room for a track day or a roadtrip. It's nearly silent when running, and it cools down fast. Ice forms on the interior almost instantly, so it's basically "cold bottle of water by the time you drive 10 minutes to the gym" fast.
To turn it on, hit the power button, and it'll run until battery voltage drops below 12.0 volts and shut off. In my truck's case, it cuts power to the 12v ports after a few minutes of sitting turned off, anyway. The fridge remembers its last power state so it will return to on or off when power returns. If I had a gas F-150, I might hotwire the power to run all the time. With the electric truck, though, I normally leave it "running" 24/7 when I'm at the track, anyway, so I won't bother.
Bottom line: Is this necessary? Absolutely not. But at least in my case, with 1000-mile roadtrips 5-6 times per year, track days a few times per month and mountain bike trips mixed inbetween, it's an amazing upgrade from the cooler I'm always too lazy to pack because "we're just going to the FIRM for a few hours how hot can it be."
I'm not sure how much longer the 13th generation F-150 fridges will on sale, but they look to be more or less the same thing and all these need is a 12v connection. If I still had my old camping van, I'd pick one of them up, pair it with a junkyard F-150 console, and have a compressor fridge for way less than any of the overlanding options.
