Guest Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 First of all let me caveat this posting, I have no individual interest in any company, supplier or type of fridge I have learnt a fair bit over the past few years and used most types. It is however the most frequent thing I am asked about, and one of the things that can add to a successful/enjoyable adventure. The ‘guide’ will be broken down into sections based upon my experience, and information gleaned from the web where I don’t know the figures. What type to buy? As with most things I think you should buy the best that you can afford/justify at the time and most suits your needs. New or previously enjoyed? Again I think this is dependent on you/location/use/finance etc,etc.... We brought our Halfords fridge new 15 years ago and it still works fine, our 3 way fridge we also brought new, but our compressor fridges have all been previously enjoyed. There are stories of fridges lasting 45 years plus in Australia, you can get them repaired and recharged so again something that has not had a hard life should have plenty of years left in it, so why not take the risk? There are some bargains out there. When to buy? I have found that November/December is the best time to pick up a bargain, as with most overland equipment, chequebook adventurers seem to buy these things, don’t really use them and then find that they are just too big to store so sell them. Also funnily enough buying one towards the end of the month especially around Christmas is the best time to pick up a bargain, more people seem to be living month to month at the moment and prices seem to drop the week before pay day when there are more priorities. As for buying new the winter sales and show specials, seem to drop the price around 20%-25%, which would suggest there is a fair bit of margin available so if you did want to buy new I would be making an offer based on the above reduction. If you do buy from March-August expect to pay nearly the new price for a used fridge I have even seen them go for more than the online new price!! Types of fridge’s. There are probably loads of sub types of fridges and as I said above I am no expert however I think you can break them down as follows: Thermoelectric/Peltier effect Thermoelectric are probably the most common and certainly the cheapest type of 12v type of fridge/coolbox on the market. They are badged as many things however the big giveaway is they have a hot and cold function. They are extremely inefficient (5%-10%) as efficient as an equivalently sized compressor fridge. We used to have a Halfords version of this type of fridge many years ago, for picnic type day trips, it worked well to keep cooled food cool, but if you are trying to cool a hot beer or keep milk fresh for the week then this is not the fridge for you. Like with anything you get what you pay for there are some really cheap boxes out there but as with all fridges the more insulation the better the fridge will work. I know people that use them in the car to keep chilled drinks cold and accessible as they go from 5L – 30L and even know people who have modified them to fit in Cubby boxes to provide a cold glove box, as they use so much power they are not suitable for leaving on in the car as will drain the power quickly but fine when you are going. Absorption Fridge/3way Fridge These are probably the most common types of camping fridge/freezer having been fitted to most caravans from the early 60’s they have the benefit of being relatively quiet (no noisy compressor) they are capable of producing freezing via the cold plate which is normally positioned at the top of the fridge and can act as a freezer compartment. Absorptive refrigeration uses a source of heat to provide the energy needed to drive the cooling process. The absorption cooling cycle can be described in three phases: 1. Evaporation: A liquid refrigerant evaporates in a low partial environment, thus extracting heat from its surroundings – the refrigerator.2. Absorption: The gaseous refrigerant is absorbed – dissolved into another liquid - reducing its partial pressure in the evaporator and allowing more liquid to evaporate.3. Regeneration: The refrigerant-laden liquid is heated, causing the refrigerant to evaporate out. It is then condensed through a heat exchanger to replenish the supply of liquid refrigerant in the evaporator. They can be powered in 3 ways (as per the name) 12v/240v/LPG and are fairly efficient 80%-85% as efficient as a compressor fridge, they are most efficient when burning LPG to create the heat source however when moving the fridge can’t be used in this mode it also needs venting to the outside if used in a enclosed environment. I think this type of fridge is good when permanently installed or used in an environment where it can be used on gas for example if you are going camping for a couple of weeks and can leave the fridge in a tent whilst you go off exploring. New prices for the chest type fridge around 50L seem to be around £100 and prices for the inbuilt type can be anything up to £600. This type of fridges is heavy so don’t lend themselves to being chucked in and out of a truck and don’t take kindly to being shaken around as work less efficiently, we have found that as the cooling is done by a plate there can be uneven heat distribution with some things freezing and some things remaining warm. The fridge works well and will cool a beer quickly but again as the heat distribution is not great you need to put it on the correct side. Compressor Fridge By far the most expensive type of fridge but also the most efficient and common for use in off road vehicles, they are the most efficient and suited to use in of road vehicles. As with most things there are some cheap types around, but the rule seems to be, buy one with a Danfoss compressor and you won’t go far wrong. Size and of course type is really a personal thing!! The market is vast there seem to be a couple of types, single zone, split zone, and duel zone. The single zone is exactly as described one temperature zone, the split zone comprises of a main compartment and then a side compartment with no additional cooling which is used for the storage of salad or other items that don’t require deep cooling. The third type is a split zone unit where one side can be used as a fridge and one as a freezer. Personally I would buy two units if you wanted a fridge and freezer as the split zone units seem very big!! The fridges generally go down to -18 and will cool warm items very quickly, we have kept milk fresh in our unit for over a week in +34 external temperatures. Now for the controversial bit, I have owned/used all three makes of fridges, so will give you my opinion of what works well and what doesn’t work that well. In the UK there seems to be three main makes Waeco, Engel, and National Luna so here goes. National Luna. My favourite fridge is our National Luna 55L, I brought it previously enjoyed from ebay five years ago and paid £180.00 including delivery. The fridge is a 12v only unit although you could add a 240V module, I simply brought a 240v-12v converter and use that when needed which is not that often (Christmas as an overflow fridge). You set the desired temperature of the fridge via an LCD display and the fridge keeps this temperature all day long. The fridge is very well insulated with an aluminium cladding which stands up very well to knocks, and makes it very tough. You can get a bag/cover for the fridge but I have never seen the need. I would buy another tomorrow however they don’t come up on ebay that often and when they do go for near their retail value. Downsides of the fridge, the 12v lead is attached and not removable, National Luna say this is to improve efficiency less connections = less resistance = less power consumption, I can see their point but it can get in the way when moving it! The second issue is the lid light on mine this is connected via a stupid little plug on the back of the fridge which on mine was destroyed a while ago. I believe this has now been changed. Engel The Engel fridge has been around for the longest and this year celebrates it’s 50th years and there are stories aplenty on the web of people using fridges built in the 60’s!! The good thing is you can still get spares for the original units and the overall design has not changed a lot in this time, the main improvement seems to be the lid! They are again metal in construction and stand up well to the abuses of Land Rover travel. I owned one of these units 10 years ago but sold it when we moved abroad, however I have just brought a 30L previously enjoyed one from ebay which cost me £101.99. You can get bags for the units to improve insulation however I am going to make one (watch this space) you can get extra compartments www.twinzone.com that fit the original units or the more modern ones and there are people out there who will service and re-gas a unit for around £50. The units work from 12v/24v/240v so the choice is yours!! They work well and are efficient the one factor that takes away from the unit is the temperature control, with the NL fridge I can set it and forget it however with the Engel unit I need to set the temperature via a dial which could mean that getting it to run at 2 degrees could be an issue. Again I now see that the Engel fridge has a thermostat on the unit so you can judge things better and I understand by not having electronics they make the unit a lot more reliable. For me I have fixed the issue by buying a wireless thermometer which displays the temperature in the cab, which solves an issue of it being turned off by accident or becoming unplugged. I have brought a Twozone unit from ebay in Australia for £20 and will get it when a friend comes home for Christmas. Waeco Probably the most common in the UK but my least favourite, I shall explain why later!! Waeco come in a few varieties even selling a thermoelectric fridge the Tropicool then two modes the CDF and the CF, the fridges are of a plastic construction with the older ones having a temperature scale and no read out and the new ones having an LCD display, a good way to tell the age of the unit. I brought a CF50 again from ebay earlier this year I paid £170.00 including £15 postage we used it as a drinks fridge in the Land Rover over the summer using the NL fridge for food, the fridge worked well however... The construction of the fridge is plastic and the lid is not that thick therefore it used more power than the NL fridge as it just was not as well insulated, I noticed this on the way home when some bedding was left on top of the fridge this acted as insulation the fridge drew less power although the bedding was cold from being on top of the unit. Waeco sell bags to overcome this and I was going to make one until the Engel unit came up, the second thing I didn’t like is the controls are on the top and I found that they could be altered if things got placed on top of the fridge!! Again this could be fixed by covering them. There is a good battery control system with the Waeco with you deciding how much draw (High/Medium/Low) you are willing to use from the battery before the unit shuts off. Waeco get around the issue of electronic failure by having an emergency switch which puts the unit on constant you then manage the unit by switching it on and off, a pain I know but if the electronics fail and you need to keep medicine cool could save your life. As I said above I am not an expert just giving you my feedback, feel free to add yours to this thread which could build to be a usefull guide for people in the market for a new fridge. Jason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
specialbikejames Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 Good guide. I was very sceptical about expensive compressor fridges initally, but having owned an Engel MT45 for 6 month now I am completely sold. They save you money on long camping trips as you can buy and keep food for the usual time, in hot climates this saves having to buy food and eat it within a day or two. The price of second hand fridges in the usual sizes is ridiculous, so I bought new. I'm happier having the 3 year warranty. The only gripe is that the back of my 90 is pretty full for overland trips, so when I'm rumaging around in there it's easy to knock the dial which adjusts the thermostat. It also needs adjusting as you empty/load the fridge to stop it getting too cold/warm. There's also the hidden cost of a slide/mount to consider. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orgasmic Farmer Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 The new Waeco CDF range now use a cheaper Chinese compressor and not the Danfoss sealed unit. Anything badged as a CF should still have the Danfoss unit though. Worth considering if you think you might have found a bargain on Ebay.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoltan Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 I bought a Waeco CF50 a few years back and am generally pleased with it. A couple of observations, which will probably apply to other compressor types, you mention the Waeco voltage control, my Waeco seems to require a pretty good charge in the battery and won't tolerate lower than about 11.5 volts. Secondly, maybe again applies to other compressor types, in hot weather in the tent >36c, the unit needs to have some airflow through otherwise it switched off. That stands to reason since the heat has to go somewhere. This is tricky to arrange if you have gone off for the day and simply want to leave the fridge in the tent to do its thing. I'm thinking to make a small thermostat auxiliary fan to give it a little air at the hottest part of the day. The CF50 is deep enough to take a normal size 2 litre bottle stood up on end I bought the extra insulation bag to add to its rather thinly insulated lid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToyRoverlander Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 Let me add to this... Shamelessly copied from an Aus 4wd magazine a while ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardAllen Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 Very happy with my WAECO CF60 after two summers' hard use Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GBMUD Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 FWIW, my two penneth. I own a Waeco CF40, with the bag, and find it to be excellent. You set the desired temperature and just let it get on with the job. ...in fact it is in service this very day set to -15 as I am defrosting the main household freezer! The battery voltage sensing can be turned off if desired. I have been most impressed with being able to open it and get a really cold beer out every time! I have also owned a 60l Engel and used a 40l Engel while travelling in Morocco and other parts. I find that the Engel is also not that well insulated on the lid. The all metal case is great, robust and looks nice but can go rusty if not looked after. The lid catches are great but a PITA if using with a soft cover too. My main issue with the Engel is the lack of thermostatic control, you have to guess what number to select on the control knob for any given ambient temperature and fridge loading - and when the ambient temperature falls overnight you run the risk of everything freezing. The control knob seems to select the duty cycle of the fridge motor; get it wrong and you risk frozen beer or worse. I have no experience of National Luna, ARB etc. I guess it is very much a case of weighing up the advantages and disadvantages as you see them. If Engel made a fridge with a proper thermostatic control then I would probably buy one, but in the meantime I am sold on my Waeco - which also has an interior light! HTH Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
specialbikejames Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 The dial control on an Engel is by far and away it's worst feature (or more accurately, lack of a feature) but I wouldn't discount buying one because of it. Up in the Pyrenees this summer tempratures were fluctuating wildly from day to night time but the with the dial set at a 'normal' daytime setting the temprature never varied that much. Maybe a degree cooler at night compared to daytime. The only thing I can think of is that some of the larger Waeco's have a freezer compartment dont they? That's got to be good for ice for G&T! You can go around and around with good quality compressor fridges though- they are all pretty good (and expensive). Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landroversforever Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 This post should be stuck in the Tech archive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sirocco Posted November 25, 2011 Share Posted November 25, 2011 I would only ever consider a compressor type fridge/freezer. Think of it as an investment. Would recommend 2nd hand on the well respected makes/models. Long time user of Engel. Used my MT45 in Morocco, on for 4 weeks solid. Used a MT45 in West Africa which we had on for 5 weeks solid in ambient temps of upto 52 degrees C! (Southern Mali) The Engel was quite enclosed in the Land Cruiser so was working very hard to keep the beers cool. this LC had been driven up the west coast from ZA with the Engel on all the way over 12 months prior to our collection from storage. Would also add that Jason missed a minor detail that Sawafuji swing motors are used in Engels so people are not only looking for Danfoss models. Lastly, a very comprehensive review article taken from the Overland Journal, probably one of the only un-biased publications in our hobby. http://www.expeditionportal.com/resources/equipment-review-and-testing/556-overland-journal-portable-12v-fridge-review.html G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevemus Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 Hi all, Great reviews and comments by all. I must be missing something here. It sees compressor fridges are the most popular amongst overlanders. Back in the day we used to travel in a camper and used a 12V fridge however could only use it when driving or when plugged in at a proper campsite. So what do you do when 4WD overlanding across deserts? Also aren't compressor fridges quite noisy? Serious question as I'm looking for a fridge for overland travel next year. Thanks Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GBMUD Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 No, very quiet. I can barely hear mine run, even in the dead of night. I can hear it but unless you sleep unusually lightly you will have no problem. Light rain on the roof will make a LOT more row! Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
specialbikejames Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 It's a low humming type noise, so not really very obtrusive. As Chris says if there is any ambient noise you wont hear it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suranim Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 Being a total novice in this topic, I'm finding everyone's comments very useful. I agree with Stevemus, what about powering the fridge? I would like to have a fridge in the back of the Land Rover that is always on during holidays. Am I missing something? What is better? I am thinking of installing a dual charging system on my Land Rover, but the leisure battery and the wiring involved puts me off. I can't help thinking that it would be easier just to have an LPG powered fridge. I would appreciate peoples thoughts and experiences on this. Cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GBMUD Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 Well, an LPG powered fridge uses a different type of refrigerant and a different process to the compressor fridges above - 'absorption' as opposed to compression/evaporation. An LPG fridge needs to be vented out of the vehicle as the LPG system will asphyxiate you. Another down side of absorption fridges is that the temperature differential is not as good - compressor type freezer will keep your ice-cream frozen to -18 at an ambient temperature of 40+ whereas an absorption type freezer will only provide vanilla mikshake. An absorption fridge uses loads of electricity to keep running on 12v so can only be practically used for any length of time with the engine running and if you plan to run on gas then you need a gas cylinder with it - which will generally last for ages but will be cumbersome and potentially difficult to exchange abroad. Absorption fridges also produce a lot more heat when running as they use heat to drive the refrigeration process. HTH Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmgemini Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 Well, well ,well. We bought the Engel to get away from that digital clock that mosr fridges have now. We had a Minus 40 with an elctronic control. The control caused a lot of problems. The Engel is very good. I see most of you only use the fridge for short periods of time. We also have a Two-Zone on the top of the Engel. Margaret loves that for keeping vegables fresh for long periods of time. The downside of the engel is that catch. Not easy to access with the cover on. Also the cover for the Two-Zone doesn't fit the lid correctly. I hope that once our present project is finished we can make a new cover. The Two-Tone also hides the built in thermometer. We bought one from Maplin and can see that from the front of the fridge when driving. Suranim What involved wiring ? A simple 70Amp relay will do the job.Or a more expensive, under 30 quid Lucas SRB630 split charge relay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 A 12v split charge system is not difficult, my 'fridge battery' sits in a box and is connected to the 12v split charger via a couple of cables which I then connect to the battery box via the wing nut studs when I kit the Land Rover, this also has the advantage that the battery can sit on charge/conditioner in my workshop so remains in good shape during the winter. I have a twin battery set up in the Land Rover but use the additional battery to run the Land Rover fridge only. I wouldn't buy a gas fridge, as Chris says they use a lot of power create a lot of heat when travelling as you can't run them on gas when on the move only when stopped and level!! and then they need to be vented to the outside, hence my comment about using them in a tent situation, although most camp sites now have 240v hook ups readily available. I would actually argue that money spent on a 2nd hand compressor fridge, is money well spent as although they are expensive they hold their value and often change hands for near their original purchase price. I also have a wireless fridge thermometer brought it from eBay Australia, it works really well and am just about to add one to the trailer also, as my Engel does not have a gauge on it I brought the Twozone unit as it has a readout on the fridge and the remote unit. Although I have also brought a couple of these which work really well and am adding them to the Defender. Recently I made a fridge bag for my Engel and have been really impressed with the results, I need to post up the results but the thermal gain is mahosive, in fact I am going to make one for my National Luna fridge in the trailer when the shop gets some more of the material in stock. Jason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmgemini Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 Fridge bag Jason.... What did you actually use for the insulation please. We won't make one until much later this year. The fridge bag is getting very soiled being used in our kitchen when not in the Defender. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 Mike, All the materials used are in the 'making a new fridge bag' thread the insulation used was this stuff and I stitched three layers together before stitching the outer material. The material is really tough waterproof stuff and adds to the thermal rating of the bag. I am trying to get some more of the outer material, but the UK stockist does not have any more in before March, the canvas was a real find and it will also be made into a fridge bag, Jerry can holder bag, and roof tent cover... and will make the tent bits on my new trailer. Jason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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