AC replied:

When on gas the fridges have to remain level. On 12volt they cannot lower the fridges temp only try to maintain it. I almost bought the finch but decided on an Engel instead. Have to say its the best thing i bought.

Hope this helps
Andrew

Grant replied:

It depends on the type of camping you are going to do. If you are stopping for more than a couple of days the F400 is brilliant, uses little gas. A 9kg bottle will last up to 3 weeks. If you are stopping and starting all the time, try something else. We went for the F400 and found it fantastic for what we do.

Alex replied:

I took one on a trip down the Canning Stock Route. Pretty hot (35+) during the day, but as long as I switched over to gas when we stopped each arvo at around 4, it worked very well. That said, I've now got an engel, so I don't have to worry about switching it over or anything. I expect you're now totally confused, but I still use both fridges, depending on whether I'm staying in one spot for a while or continually moving. Cheers, Alex.

Wayne Prictor replied:

Peter checkout an Auto Fridge you wont be disapointed the are the best on the market as far as

i am concerned ,i have had
Finches Engels and autofridge they are leaps and bounds above anything out there

Greg replied:

Peter a 3way fridge is essential if you stop for a long time in the one spot. Mine works well providing it is not in the direct sun and has plenty of circulation. They are no good in a camper trailer in hot weather. I keep mine in the 4wd with curtains and the added advantage of the air con. It is important that a heavy wire is used direct to the fridge from the battery - this will sovle most of the cooling problems people have. They also must be level. I take it out of the car overnight or for long stops and run it on gas and it works even better. I have found two small fridges (so you are not lifting something too heavy) are better than one large one of a single type. I also have a small Waeco (had an Engel for 25 years) and use this as a freezer. Again I keep it in the car and never remove it. It runs of the 2nd battery for a couple of days and a generator (or solar) on long stops. The advantage of 2 fridges is that you have backup if one breaks down. The outside dimension of the 2 fridges is only marginally larger that a very large Chescold fridge/freezer. Whatever system you buy requires careful and constant management of how you use it so as to get maximun benefit from it.

Ged Carter replied:

Peter, the 3-ways perform poorly above 35C (that's a lot of Oz!) I've had an Engel,an Autofridge & now have a Trailblaza. The Engel has poor insulation (hence the optional padded cover!), the Autofridge takes several hours to pull down the gel when started, the Trailblaza has 75mm insulation & as a result uses considerably less power than the Engel. They are made in Caloundra,Qld, by order only, Northgate Refrigeration. Also the most robust alum cabinet.
In the long run it's worth getting a 120W solar panel. You will have cold beer!

Troy replied:

I have had the 50L Blue Chescold fridge for around 3 years now and have taken it into the flinders Rangers and camping all the time in hot humid conditions. I do a lot of base camp camping and trek out each day so it suits me very well. I will agree with the statements that it runs heavy on 12 volts and yes it will generally only maintain the temperature and you have to be very careful with it if you dont have dual batteries, but on gas it works the best. In fact you have to be careful that you dont freeze things that you dont want frozen. I have mine on half generally to keep the freezer frozen and the fridge part a fridge. As for the flame blowing out, often I have mine sitting out in the open while I setup running on gas and it has never been a problem. My father also has the same one and they work very well.