A portable power station is the simplest way to run an ICECO fridge away from the vehicle. There's no wiring, it recharges from the wall, the car or solar, and it moves with you. The right size depends on two numbers: how much energy your ICECO uses in a day, and how many watt-hours the station holds. Below we work that out for 14 of the Jackery and BLUETTI stations we carry, then recommend sizes by trip length.
How we worked out the days
- Fridge energy per day comes from ICECO's 24-hour consumption table in its user manuals (the most complete version is in the manual on ICECO's GOPACK12 page). The VL Pro figures match the yearly kWh on the EnergyGuide labels ICECO posts. ICECO calls these laboratory figures.
- Station capacity is the rated Wh on each of our product listings.
- Days on paper = rated Wh ÷ (ICECO kWh/24h × 1,000).
Worked example: a Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 is rated at 1,070 Wh. An ICECO VL45ProS uses 0.510 kWh, or 510 Wh, a day. 1,070 ÷ 510 = 2.1 days on paper.
Running more than the fridge? What size Jackery do I need for my RV? sizes a station by appliance.
Real runtime will be shorter than "on paper." Converting stored battery energy into 12V or 120V output always loses some energy. Hot weather, freezer settings and door openings raise the fridge's use. ICECO's product pages quote higher Max mode at 0°F figures for some models: about 0.715 kWh/24h for the VL45ProS and 0.805 for the VL75ProD, 27–40% above the lab table. Treat these numbers as an upper limit and size up.
Days per charge: Jackery and BLUETTI vs ICECO size
| Power station (rated Wh) | APL20 21 qt 0.293 kWh |
APL35 37 qt 0.381 kWh |
VL45ProS 47.5 qt 0.510 kWh |
VL60ProS 63 qt 0.548 kWh |
VL75ProD 79 qt 0.636 kWh |
VL90ProD 95 qt 0.658 kWh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLUETTI Handsfree 1 (268.8) | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Jackery Explorer 300 v2 (288) | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.4 |
| Jackery Explorer 500 v2 (512) | 1.7 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.8 |
| Jackery Explorer 600 v2 (640) | 2.2 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| BLUETTI Pioneer Na (900) | 3.1 | 2.4 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.4 |
| BLUETTI Premium 100 V2 (1,024) | 3.5 | 2.7 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 1.6 |
| Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 (1,070) | 3.7 | 2.8 | 2.1 | 2.0 | 1.7 | 1.6 |
| Jackery Explorer 1500 v2 (1,536) | 5.2 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 2.8 | 2.4 | 2.3 |
| Jackery Explorer 2000 v2 (2,042) | 7.0 | 5.4 | 4.0 | 3.7 | 3.2 | 3.1 |
| BLUETTI Premium 200 V2 (2,073.6) | 7.1 | 5.4 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 3.3 | 3.2 |
| BLUETTI AC200P L (2,304) | 7.9 | 6.0 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 3.5 |
| BLUETTI Apex 300 (2,764.8) | 9.4 | 7.3 | 5.4 | 5.0 | 4.3 | 4.2 |
| Jackery HomePower 3000 (3,072) | 10.5 | 8.1 | 6.0 | 5.6 | 4.8 | 4.7 |
| BLUETTI Elite 320 (3,200) | 10.9 | 8.4 | 6.3 | 5.8 | 5.0 | 4.9 |
Other ICECO models fall between these columns. By ICECO's table, the IPT20 (0.266 kWh) uses a little less than the APL20, the APL55 (0.326 kWh) sits between the APL20 and APL35, the VL35ProS (0.430 kWh) and GOPACK12 (0.488 kWh) sit between the APL35 and VL45ProS, and the VL45PLUS (0.542 kWh) is just under the VL60ProS. ICECO's table doesn't list the VL45ProD, BF65, BF86 or the Jeep edition APL35.
Run the fridge from 12V DC, not AC
A power station stores energy as DC. Run your ICECO from the station's 12V car outlet and the energy goes almost straight to the fridge. Plug it into an AC outlet instead and the energy is converted twice: the station's inverter turns DC into 120V AC, then the fridge's AC adapter turns it back into DC. Every conversion wastes some energy, and the inverter also draws power just by being on. So 12V DC is the more efficient way to run an ICECO from a power station. Use the AC outlet only if the station has no 12V socket.
Check the port list before you buy. On our listings, the BLUETTI Elite 320 lists a 12V/10A car outlet. The Jackery HomePower 2000 Plus v2 lists a 12V port, and the Jackery HomePower 3000 lists a cigarette lighter port. For other stations, confirm a 12V car outlet on the manufacturer's spec sheet. Also note which fridges need DC: ICECO's manuals list the BF65, BF86 and GOPACK12 as 12/24V DC only, and our IPT20 listing shows the same. Those must run from a 12V outlet.
Our picks by trip length
Because real runtime is shorter than the paper figure, these picks leave a margin over the trip length.
Day trips and a single night
For an IPT20 or APL20, a Jackery Explorer 300 v2 covers about a day on paper. The Explorer 500 v2 or 600 v2 is the more comfortable choice for an overnight with a 37–63 qt fridge. ICECO's own PB250 250Wh magnetic power bank sticks to a metal-cased ICECO and is made for running the fridge away from the vehicle. At 250 Wh it suits a day out, not a multi-day trip.
Weekends (2–3 days)
For APL-series fridges, the Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 or BLUETTI Premium 100 V2 shows about 2.7–3.7 days on paper. For a VL45ProS or VL60ProS, step up to the Jackery Explorer 1500 v2, which shows about 3 days. For winter trips, the BLUETTI Pioneer Na uses sodium-ion cells that BLUETTI says charge down to 5°F.
Long weekends to a week
The 2 kWh class, meaning the Jackery Explorer 2000 v2, BLUETTI Premium 200 V2 and AC200P L, gives about 3–8 days on paper depending on the fridge. Add a folding panel and a mid-size ICECO can run indefinitely in good sun.
A week or more, or the big dual-zone fridges
For a VL75ProD or VL90ProD, or for running the fridge plus everything else in a camper, look at the BLUETTI Elite 320, the Jackery HomePower 3000 or the expandable BLUETTI Apex 300. Even these show only about 4–5 days with the largest ICECO, so pair them with solar for longer stays.
Recharging on the road
Solar is what turns a few days into an open-ended trip. Our guide to what solar panel runs an ICECO fridge shows the watts each model needs, roughly 70–220 W by the math. If you'd rather build a permanent 12V system, compare costs with our ICECO battery runtime guide and the RV solar and battery calculator.
Choosing the fridge too? Browse the ICECO collection, the matched ICECO fridge setup bundles, or our roundup of the best 12V compressor fridges for RVs and overlanding.
FAQ
How long will a Jackery 1000 run an ICECO fridge?
The Explorer 1000 v2 is rated at 1,070 Wh. On paper that's about 3.7 days for an APL20, 2.1 days for a VL45ProS and 1.6 days for a VL90ProD, using ICECO's lab figures. Expect less in real use.
Should I plug my ICECO into the AC outlet or the 12V outlet?
The 12V outlet. Running through AC converts the energy twice, once in the station's inverter and again in the fridge's adapter, which wastes energy. Use AC only if the station has no 12V car outlet.
Can a power station charge while it runs the fridge?
Many can. Our listings note pass-through charging on the BLUETTI Premium 200 V2 and Elite 320, for example. Check each station's listing for pass-through support and solar input limits.
Which ICECO fridges can't use AC at all?
The IPT20, BF65, BF86 and GOPACK12 are DC only (12/24V). Run them from a 12V car outlet on the station.