3way fridges review

What's available in the way of 3way camping fridges

what's a 3way fridge

   There are a number of chest-type absorption refrigerators on the market with 3way power input suitable for camping. 3way power means the fridge is able to run from either 240 volts, 12 volts or LP gas. The fridges vary in size, price & quality. An 'absorption refrigerator' is also commonly called a 3way fridge.

how they work

An article on how they work can be found here by Ian Wilkin.

their use

   3way fridges are commonly used for camping were they can operate on LP gas for long periods of time without the need for any 12volt or 240 volt power input. They can draw up to around 10 amps running on 12 volt, so can flatten a battery in quick time. It is best to run them on 12 volt only while travelling.

   The majority of 3way fridges are a fridge only, ie to keep perishable food for a short period on time, however the Chescold RC1180/ Combi Box has a removable divider which makes a compartment next to the element suitable for freezing. Removing the divider will turn it into a large 39 litre fridge.

    Some fridges have a thermostat to control temperature on 240 volt only, while others have a thermostat on 240 volt as well as gas. A thermostat on the gas operating side is handy as the fridges contents can freeze in winter overnight exploding any cans in it. There is no thermostat on the 12 volt side of these fridges & therefore they operate flat out in this mode.

on 12 volt

    The capacity of the fridge to keep things cold on 12 volt relies greatly on the size of the electrical cable feeding it from the battery, which is often metres away in the engine bay of the vehicle & also how that cable is wired. A handy guide to cable size can be found at http://www.campertrailers.org/collyns_page.htm Wiring should be returned to the negative side of the battery & not earthed via the chassis or body of the vehicle. Overall cable run is measured from the positive side of the battery to the fridge & back to the negative side of the battery. This could be eight metres in total. Even at this distance there should only be a drop of 0.3% in voltage at the back of the fridge while it is running for best results.

setting up

    The 3way fridge does need to be run level & nearly level is not good enough. They must be levelled with a spirit level for optimum performance. Some fridges have a handy bubble level built into them.

safety

    Please remember there is a naked flame in the back of the fridge when refuelling from jerry cans when camping in remote locations.

what's on the market

   This article is intended to be used as a handy reference to what is on the market. Please find an alphabetical list below along with features, specifications, power usage & approximate price. 

Features
Steel cabinet
Piezo ignition on LP gas

Thermostatically regulated on 240 volt and LP gas

cooling range is C degrees below ambient temperature

made in 

Warranty  months

Available from camping outlets

Features
Moulded cabinet
Piezo ignition on LP gas
tropicalised cooling unit

Thermostatically regulated on 240 volt and LP gas

cooling range is C degrees below ambient temperature

made in 

Warranty  months

Available from camping outlets

 

Gross capacity	Length	Width	Height	Weight
39L	610mm	510mm	500mm	23kg

Features
there is a removable internal divider that splits the Combi Box into one compartment for refrigeration and another for freezing. When the divider is removed the whole unit becomes a refrigerator.
Moulded cabinet
Piezo ignition on LP gas

Thermostatically regulated on 240 volt and LP gas

cooling range is C degrees below ambient temperature

made in 

Warranty  months

Available from camping outlets

 

Gross capacity	Length	Width	Height	Weight
50L	665mm	505mm	525mm	25kg

Features
Moulded cabinet
Piezo ignition on LP gas
Thermostatically regulated

Thermostatically regulated on 240 volt and LP gas

cooling range is C degrees below ambient temperature

made in

Warranty  months

Available from camping outlets

 

Gross capacity	Length	Width	Height	Weight
35L	530mm	460mm	450mm	15kg

Features
Moulded cabinet
Piezo ignition on LP gas
Removable chopping board
Magnetic seal
Tie down points
Comes with 240 volt cord, 12 volt cord, gas hose & regulator

Thermostat controlled when operating on 240 volt only

cooling range is 25C degrees below ambient temperature

made in China

Warranty  months

Available from camping outlets

 

Gross capacity	Length	Width	Height	Weight
35L	mm	mm	mm	kg

 Features
 

Thermostat controlled when operating on 240 volt only

cooling range is 25C degrees below ambient temperature

made in China 

Warranty  months

Available from Kmart

 

Gross capacity	Length	Width	Height	Weight
35L	mm	mm	mm	kg

Features
Moulded cabinet
Piezo ignition on LP gas
Hose and regulator not included

made in China by Mobicool for Waeco

Warranty 6 months

Thermostat controlled when operating on 240 volt only

cooling range is 25C degrees below ambient temperature

Available from Supercheap Auto

 

Gross capacity	Length	Width	Height	Weight
35L	520mm	515mm	454mm	19.5kg

Features

Thermostatically regulated on 240 volt and LP gas

cooling range is C degrees below ambient temperature

made in 

Warranty  months

Available from camping outlets

 

Gross capacity	Length	Width	Height	Weight
L	mm	mm	mm	kg

Features
Moulded cabinet
Piezo ignition on LP gas
Flame indicator
bubble level
tie down points
comes with gas regulator, gas hose & spanner

Thermostat controlled when operating on 240 volt only

cooling range is 25C degrees below ambient temperature

made in China for Waeco

 Warranty 12 months

Available from Repco outlets

Features
Steel casing
Piezo ignition
Failsafe - gas shut off if flame is extinguished
Spirit level to assist in levelling

Thermostat controlled when operating on 240 volt only

cooling range is 25C degrees below ambient temperature

made in China by Mobicool for Waeco 

Warranty  months

Available from camping outlets

 

Gross capacity	Length	Width	Height	Weight
51L	465mm	500mm	610mm	20kg

Features
All steel casing
Built in handles
Piezo ignition
Failsafe - gas shut off if flame is extinguished
Spirit level to assist in levelling the unit when setting up
Flame indicator
Lockable lid

Thermostatically regulated on 240 volt and LP gas????

cooling range is C degrees below ambient temperature

made in 

Warranty  months

Available from

Available from marketed by primus

Features
All steel casing
Built in handles
Piezo ignition
Failsafe - gas shut off if flame is extinguished
Spirit level to assist in levelling the unit when setting up
Flame indicator
Lockable lid

Thermostatically regulated on 240 volt and LP gas????

cooling range is C degrees below ambient temperature

made in 

Warranty  months

Available from

 

Gross capacity	Length	Width	Height	Weight
70L	650mm	500mm	680mm	37 kg

helpful links

by Rob

June 2007