Buying cheap fridge, any advice?

[mike_nofx]

I'm looking to buy a fridge for the Landcruiser, but not looking to spend big bucks.

Not planning any round Aus trips or anything, just something to keep food + drinks cold for weekend camping trips 2-3 nights max. Especially now having a baby.

Looking around the 50L mark give or take a few L. And want to spend about $500. I dont know anything really about in-car fridges, but i understand that it needs to have a compressor to be a proper fridge?

I recently (Over the new year break) borrowed my bro's fridge and was happy with how it performed. It was from Repco and i believe he got it for below $500 on special can't remember how much exactly. Its an Outback Travelmate fridge the same the first one on here: http://www.happymicks.com.au/prod112.htm Although the 2 sections are not separated as in pic, they are open, and it comes with 2 seperate baskets.

It can freeze to -19 degrees celcius, which i think is unlikely. I had my own thermometer in it, and it showed about 4-5 degrees higher than the fridges setting. Eg. for me to achieve 4degrees, i needed the fridge temp set to 0 or -1. Thats with the cruiser parked in full sun.

Although i was happy with it, I do have nothing to compare it to. Can anyone tell me wether they could reccomend this fridge or not? How would it compare with more expensive fridges with regards to power consumption?

Is there any other advice that can be offered? I have seen fridges which you can connect an LPG bottle to, whats the go with these?

Thanks
Mike

[GUte]

Have seen some unknown brands very occasionally sell for roughly this figure.
But really for that figure your best bet is to check out say Ebay off season for a reputable brand.
I bought my little Engel in winter for $200.

Al.

[fester2au]

Some of those cheaper ones might appear to work well initially but some questions are how is their longevity and how well do they work in really hot conditons for several days. Hard to tell unless you find someone who has really put one through the wringer. And do you have details and confirimation of their true power consumption.
Trouble with a cheapie even if you onyl use it a couple of times a year is reliability. If you are camping for a 4 day long weekend and it shits itself on day 2 with all your food and the little ones food then was it worth the saving. I'd be inclined to look around for a good low mileage and cheap second hand name brand. My boss just picked up a good 50 litre Waeco for $500 with insulation bag etc.

Steer away from the portable gas fridges. My guess is they are no better than the 3 way ones in vans which are at best a little better than average. They are not compressor fridges and I expect they work even poorer when out in the open than when protected inside a van and if like the van ones they are very poor on 12 volts when you are travelling and you can't run them on gas whilst moving.

[zagan]

Aldi and repco have a 3way fridge between $400 and $500.

Look to be the same fridge make.

Also there's Aussie auto, that have a 50L comes with the case for $500 as well but 12v and 240v.

[RUFF]

Is there any other advice that can be offered?

The only advice i can give is buy a fridge once. Not two or three times because you bought crap the first time. On that note Buy a second hand Engel. You should be able to pick up a 40lt for around this sort of money second hand. Dont worry too much about how old it is. They run forever.

[Bad JuJu]

3 way fridges run great on gas, OK on 240AC but major crap on 12 DC.

Dont know why.

[RUFF]

3 way fridges run great on gas, OK on 240AC but major crap on 12 DC.

Dont know why.

Ive never used a 3 way but im assuming you cant run one on gas while driving is that right?

[BowTieGQ]

3 way fridges run great on gas, OK on 240AC but major crap on 12 DC.

Dont know why.

Ive never used a 3 way but im assuming you cant run one on gas while driving is that right?

That's right Ruff. I do know someone who was, they had a lay over on their side and had a small fire. Didn't do that again. No, not me.

On gas and 240 they are awesome. 12 volt and they drink. Don't rely on 12 volt. But if you are not going to have either a dual battery or some way of powering a fridge, 3 way is best. 240 to get it cold and packed at home, 12volt while driving and seting up camp, then bottle it when setup. Gas refills are cheaper than a dual battery or solar.

http://www.waeco.com.au/products3.asp?c ... ubCatId=59

My family have had them for years and still do. Never one problem with any. I had a 35 ltr one that was about 20 years old, had fake brown woodgrain, that's how old. It's got a new owner now but is still going fine.

[GUte]

I own an Engel and a Waeco but I still use the 3 way when camped in the bush for some length of time using it as a freezer.

Brilliant and cheap second hand.

A friend bought a 50L from repco last year and the 12V side packed it in camping during summer.

Had to run it of a Honda generator.

It ran a Danfoss BD35 but the electonics are suss.

Al.

[fester2au]

So what makes the portable ones run so well on gas because the Dometic ones they put in vans are only average once the weather starts to heat up. Maybe it's down to insulation and installation or airflow.

[thehanko]

we used to camp with a 3 way on our camper trailer, it sat on the front bar of the trailer, cooled it down on 240 prior to the trip, ran on 12 v while driving then gas when we set up camp. it was awsome cause it sat like a normal fridge with shelves etc, so no digging for whats buried at the bottom.

ours had no trouble dealing with 35-40deg heat, but did sit in the shade once we set up camp. it cost like 80 bucks and was older than me!

[GUte]

My 3 way will freeze with the setting at half.
I was going to sell it but couldn't get bugger all for it.
Glad I didn't.

Al.

[toaddog]

You blokes with a 3 way, how long does a 9kg gas bottle last ?

[thehanko]

no sure exactly, but we used to go away for 2-3 days every month and then a couple of weeks once or twice a year, I know we didnt need to fill it very often, in fact probably only every 6 months. we had 2 bottles so when we were packing to go away if the bottle in use seemed low we just took the other full one so we never ran out.

but it would vary fridge to fridge I would imagine.

Here is a bit of a link with people discussing their 3 ways.

http://www.4wdmonthly.com.au/forum/sitemap/t-35869.html

1 guy says 2 weeks from a large bottle (assuming 9L) 1 guys says 2 weeks from 2kg bottle - i think this is a bit unrealistic but they are pretty efficient on gas.

[pongo]

i have a cheap $100 super crap fridge in the work truck. It actually needs water added for it to run cold. Will run from about -3 up to 70. It uses heaps of juice to run but works really really well. Has a blue and yellow cover for it too. Been using it for ages and reccommend it for this purpose.

Tried using it for camping once and puills too many amps. IS great little fridge for a car that is always running, IE day trip , etc.

I have a 40l engel too. Its pure gold. I have a nice big solar panel to keep the battery charged. dont have to start my car for over a week if i go away. Perfect.

[BowTieGQ]

You blokes with a 3 way, how long does a 9kg gas bottle last ?

I think the figures I found for my old one were just under 500g of gas on average per day. I think web sites may have consumption figures.

[mike_nofx]

Ended up settling on a Waeco CDF-35.
Its a bit smaller than what i was originally looking at, but it will easily hold the food we need for 3 nights, Drinks will just go in an esky with ice. and on day trips has plenty of space for food and drink.

Got it for $620, with insulated bag and AC adapter.

Had a look at the CF-40 and CF-50. The CF-40 was only 6 litres bigger, but $380 more expensive, it still wouldn't fit food AND drinks.
The CF-50 was nearly twice the price and 18L bigger, and i just couldn't justify the extra cost. Would almost be better off with 2 CDF-35's, Leave one in the car with food, and park the other next to my camp chair full of drinks.

Got it running off AC at the moment, with temp bar set half way, temp gauge (cheap thermometer) i have is showing -6.

Mike

[its aford not a nissan]

i have one of those cheap travel mate fridges and it goes quite well , i got it over a year ago , runs 24/7 as a beer and drinks fridge at home , runs off a 100a/h gel battery when camping , the battery lasts atleast 3 days running the fridge and a fluro at nite and the battery still read over 12.5 volts , when it starts up it draws about 6 amps for a few seconds then drops back to 3 to 4 amp drain , i have also fitted a small computor fan inside it so the beers up top are as cold as the beers down the bottom , normally set the fridge to -2 deg ( beers just on the verge of freezing )

so far im happy with it , but time will tell

[jessie928]

i have one of those cheap travel mate fridges and it goes quite well , i got it over a year ago , runs 24/7 as a beer and drinks fridge at home , runs off a 100a/h gel battery when camping , the battery lasts atleast 3 days running the fridge and a fluro at nite and the battery still read over 12.5 volts , when it starts up it draws about 6 amps for a few seconds then drops back to 3 to 4 amp drain , i have also fitted a small computor fan inside it so the beers up top are as cold as the beers down the bottom , normally set the fridge to -2 deg ( beers just on the verge of freezing )

so far im happy with it , but time will tell

how much was d fridge? and where do you get them from?

Jes

[its aford not a nissan]

i have one of those cheap travel mate fridges and it goes quite well , i got it over a year ago , runs 24/7 as a beer and drinks fridge at home , runs off a 100a/h gel battery when camping , the battery lasts atleast 3 days running the fridge and a fluro at nite and the battery still read over 12.5 volts , when it starts up it draws about 6 amps for a few seconds then drops back to 3 to 4 amp drain , i have also fitted a small computor fan inside it so the beers up top are as cold as the beers down the bottom , normally set the fridge to -2 deg ( beers just on the verge of freezing )

so far im happy with it , but time will tell

how much was d fridge? and where do you get them from?

Jes

i got it from springers in tingalpa and i payed 600 from memory

[coxy321]

For anybody interested in the workings of a 3-way fridge, click HERE.

Basically, in order for the ammonia to cool, it has to be heated. This is done by either a) flame [best]; b) 240v heating an electric element [via 240v-12v, works well, but does use power]; or c) 12v electric heating element [uses a LOT of power, not super efficient].

[mkpatrol]

Slightly off topic, anyone know where to get the compressor kits form to convert an esky?

I have a 100lt esky that I wouldnt mind converting to a fridge.

[Dingo]

Slightly off topic, anyone know where to get the compressor kits form to convert an esky?

I have a 100lt esky that I wouldnt mind converting to a fridge.

Try Waeco, Marine section

http://www.waeco.com.au/products3.asp?c ... CatId2=114

or there seconds site,

http://www.getawaeco.com.au/products_start.asp

[mkpatrol]

Slightly off topic, anyone know where to get the compressor kits form to convert an esky?

I have a 100lt esky that I wouldnt mind converting to a fridge.

Try Waeco, Marine section

http://www.waeco.com.au/products3.asp?c ... CatId2=114

or there seconds site,

http://www.getawaeco.com.au/products_start.asp

Ta