How I Turned a 4Runner into a Mobile Studio in Arches National Park (Thanks to the Travoca eCooler + Vega 1500)
4Runner parked in Arches National Park with Travoca eCooler and camp chairs at sunset
The desert doesn’t care if you’re “on the clock.”
The light hits the red rock once, the clouds shift, and that moment is gone.
That’s why, when I’m shooting in places like Arches National Park, I need my car to function as a real mobile studio: cold drinks, fresh food, charged batteries, laptop ready to edit, and a cozy little corner to just be.
On my last trip to Utah, I brought two new pieces of gear that completely changed the way I work on the road:
Travoca 35L eCooler
Travoca Vega 1500 Power Station
This is my honest review of using them together in Arches—how they performed, how easy they are to use, and why I think they’re the perfect gift for any adventurer or creator who loves spending more time outside than at home.
✨ Gift note: If you decide to grab one, you can use my code TANYA15 for 15% off in December 2025 through my affiliate link:
👉 Shop Travoca with code TANYA15
This article contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you decide to purchase through them—at no extra cost to you. As always, I only recommend gear I genuinely use and love.
Turning a 4Runner into a desert kitchen (and office)
Picture this:
We’ve just finished hiking among those massive sandstone formations in Arches. The sun is dropping, the rocks are glowing orange, and the air has that perfect desert chill. Our 4Runner is parked on the overlook, tailgate open, chairs out, and between us sits the Travoca 35L eCooler on its stand—our tiny outdoor kitchen and snack station.
No digging through a melting ice chest. No soggy food in plastic bags.
Just sliding open the drawer, grabbing a cold drink, and sitting back to enjoy the view.
Meanwhile, next to the table, the Vega 1500 Power Station is quietly doing its thing: running the eCooler and charging my camera batteries, drone, phone, and laptop so I can offload photos and start editing right there on the tailgate.
This is how I love to travel—and this setup finally matches the way I actually use my gear.
The Travoca 35L eCooler: A tiny, smart fridge for the road
I’ve used traditional coolers for years, and here’s the hard truth: ice is a pain. You’re always chasing more, rearranging things, and throwing away food that got soggy or warm.
The Travoca 35L eCooler feels like the “I finally upgraded” moment.
What I loved about it in Arches
Dual-opening lid design
The lid opens from both sides, which gives you so much flexibility in how you place it in the car or at camp. Wherever it’s sitting — tailgate, back seat, or next to your chair — you can still easily get to your food and drinks without shifting everything around.No ice, ever
It’s a true electric fridge. You set the temperature, close the drawer, and forget about it. Our drinks stayed cold and our snacks fresh the entire time—even under desert sun.Easy, intuitive controls
The interface is simple and beginner-friendly. Set your temperature, glance at the display, and you know exactly what’s happening. No tech degree required.Car camping–friendly footprint
It fits perfectly in the back of an SUV and also looks beautiful on a table with the landscape behind it. The combination of olive green + wood panels honestly makes it look like a piece of outdoor furniture, not a clunky piece of gear.Plug and go
You can run it from your car’s 12V outlet or—my favorite—from the Vega 1500. That combo is where it really shines.
Tanya sitting in a camp chair at the back of a 4Runner with the Travoca eCooler and Vega 1500 power station while working in Arches National Park.
The Vega 1500: My off-grid office in a box
Now let’s talk about the Vega 1500, because this is what turns the whole setup into a workstation and not just a comfy camp.
I travel with a lot of gear:
Camera bodies & lenses
Drone
Laptop
Phone & watch
Portable lights
Hard drives & card readers
On a typical shooting day, any one of those dying at the wrong moment can cost me a shot—or an entire project.
How I used the Vega 1500 in Arches
We set the power station on the ground next to the table, plugged the eCooler into it, and then filled the rest of the ports with:
My camera battery chargers
Drone charger
Phone cable
Occasionally my laptop for offloading and quick edits
The Vega 1500 handled it all without feeling fragile or maxed out. I could glance at the screen and see how much power I had left, how much we were drawing, and how much time we could keep running everything.
A few things that stood out:
Peace of mind — I didn’t have to ration batteries or choose between charging my laptop or keeping the fridge on. I could do both.
Quiet — It didn’t disrupt the stillness of the desert or the audio of any behind-the-scenes clips I was recording.
Plug-and-play — No complicated setup, no weird settings. Just plug the gear in and move on with your day.
In other words: I could treat Arches like my office, not just a place to visit for a few hours.
Why this setup works so well for content creators
If you’re a creator, photographer, or someone who works remotely while traveling, here’s what this combo gives you:
Longer days outside. You can leave early for sunrise, explore all day, and still have power and fresh food when you roll back into camp.
More reliable workflow. Batteries stay topped up, memory cards get backed up, and you’re not tied to a random café or charging outlet in town.
Comfort + creativity. When you’re not stressing about logistics (power, food, cold drinks), you show up more present to the moments you’re actually there to capture.
A real “basecamp” feeling. Your car becomes more than transportation. It becomes a little mobile home, kitchen, and studio.
For me, that’s the dream: the freedom to follow the light, not the outlets.
The perfect gift for the adventurer in your life
If you have someone in your life who:
Lives for road trips and national parks
Loves camping but also likes small comforts (cold drinks, real meals)
Is obsessed with photography, video, or drone footage
Has been talking about “working from the road” or setting up their car as a tiny home…
…then the Travoca 35L eCooler + Vega 1500 setup is such a thoughtful, game-changing gift.
You’re not just giving them gear.
You’re giving them more sunrises, more road trips, more freedom.
Ready to upgrade your adventure setup?
I only share products that I actually use and love in my own adventures, and this Travoca setup has officially earned a permanent place in my car camping kit.
If you’re thinking about gifting it—to yourself or someone you love—you can use my code TANYA15 for 15% off in December when you shop through my affiliate link:
👉 Get your Travoca eCooler & Vega 1500 with code TANYA15
Whether you’re planning your next desert road trip, building a car camping rig, or trying to take your creative work off-grid, this combo makes the whole experience smoother, easier, and honestly… a lot more fun.
This post includes affiliate links. If you choose to purchase through them, you help support my work as a creator—thank you for being here. 💛
See you out there—probably parked somewhere with my tailgate open, editing photos with a cold drink in hand. 🚙✨
