Running a Camping Fridge on Tool Batteries - I Tested It

G'day, I'm Cahn. Lately I've seen people running a camping fridge on 18V tool batteries and it sounds good... especially if you already own a stack of them. But how practical is it really? In this video I compare running a camping fridge directly from a 12.8V LiFePO4 battery versus running it from an 18V tool battery through a 12V converter. Everything is measured properly, no guessing. I look at: Energy capacity (watt-hours, not just amp-hours) Voltage conversion losses Real-world runtime Battery swap frequency Charging practicality And overall cost... The results? It works! But there’s around a 10% efficiency loss through the converter and you’ll be changing batteries roughly every 4 to 5 hours depending on conditions. If you already own the tools, it can absolutely get you out of trouble for day trips or light use. If you’re building a camping power system from scratch, a dedicated 12V lithium setup may make more sense long term. As always, this is real-world testing... not theory! Cheers!