Choice magazine review of camping fridges

Choice Membership is now $95.80 per year.
They generally test to the Australian/New Zealand standards with their own little twist. In a past life I did the approvals for a major white goods company. In one instance for their washing machine test they would select the first program on the dial, not necessarily the recommended program for the load, which may give an adverse report. There were similar issues with the dishwasher testing. All manufacturers were tearing there hair out.

Cheers
Jon

I like cons section compressor fridges may be noticeably noisy in quiet camp sites well my 14 yr old Evakool is louder than most fridges but it wouldn't keep a campsite awake unless I had it running off a generator.

Also if running off solar it will turn of overnight is that serious or are they having a go. I didn't know people ran their fridge directly off a solar panel with no battery to store power not sure how that one would even work.

You don't need a complicated dual battery system for a 3 way fridge some can be complex but most are simple and basic that comment would deter most who didn't know better.

3 way fridges are more versatile in terms of power source.
- Can't run for long periods of a 12v battery eg: over night or all day.
- Can run on gas
- 12v when vehicle is running
- 240v power
- Generator

12 v compressor fridge
- Solar panel via battery
- 12v battery by itself over night and daylight hours
- 12v when vehicle is running
- 240v power
-Generator via 12v battery.
-No need to carry surplus amounts of gas for extended or remote camping.

I may have missed something with either type of fridge.

I can buy a 4wd or Camping mag cheaper than a choice subscription that has done a fridge comparison or talk to others on web sites for their real world view. Maybe choice should leave 12v fridge testing to camping and 4wd mags, stick to testing house hold items but then again as the comment about mentions they don't do that correctly so the consumer doesn't get all the correct info. I'm sorry if I'm a tad negative but I'm not sure why choice is so good.

Can anyone tell me what the results were or which 3 brands were considered the best?

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Yes Terra, Choice's scores were as follows.
As well as the Overall Score I have included the "Energy Efficiency Score" as I consider that is maybe the most significant.

---------------------------- Overall----Energy Efficiency
----------------------------- Score --------- Score
Bushman SC-35-52 ---- 83% ---------- 76%
Engel MT45FP ---------- 83% ----------- 65%
Waeco CFX50W -------- 77% ----------- 80%
Dobinsons FF80-3950 - 76% ---------- 74%
EvaCool TMX45 ----------71% ---------- 75%
Ironman YCD65 --------- 70% ----------- 76%
Trailblaza 50L ----------- 65% ------------ 71%
Primus PRI65LDZM ---- 62% ----------- 71%

Batt's maaate, you actually pay money to read the shit that the 4wd mags spruik.
I'll give you my observations for what it's worth. An example of a " unbiased " magazine contributor is dead. It died long ago. There is one joker up here in Qld who has managed to outlast most however his moral compass and ethics have diminished as time has passed. I first read his stories in Two Wheels or a similar genre 20, 30 or 40 years ago. Back then his column was full on vitriol towards ANYTHING that had more than 2 wheels . Time went by and he crops up in a 4wd magazine and then a caravan jobbie. I understand all about changing tastes as you grow older but this guy would make a politician blush how he bullshits his way through life . I would like to think the younger crop are different but the bottom line is unlike the 60's and 70's even 80's where hardcopy was the ONLY way to gather info and you paid for it along with thousands of others meant the editor/publisher/journalist didn't rely on ADVERTISING as the major % of income .

I only buy them for the pictures!

Honestly I've never read one of the articles !

Cheers

Anthony

It would be nice if you mentioned who this mystery person is so we know he is real so myself and others could avoid purchasing any magazines he writes for.

I would hate to be wrongly influenced by an individual or a company that only prints part of the story and falls short in giving out all the facts about whatever they may be talking about.

He enjoys the odd ‘milo’ and had as much credibility in bike mags as he does now, IMO.
All his drivel is cash for comment IMO.

Choice has its shortcomings, but at least they aren’t paid to endorse.....

Batts I gave an opinion, from where I see it to me it is pretty obvious that just like newspapers sales have fallen away dramatically for magazines. Hence the major income is advertising and I find it funny how particularly in 4wd mags that the authors of articles have accessories fitted to their own vehicles an shit, surprise, surprise it nearly better than sex. You have to wonder... .

There may have been an increase in advertising but most magazines have always had lots of adverting in them even I have a 1998 Overlander mag 154 pages and only 41 pages do not contain an add. So I don't know if the average amount of adds have increased but the size of a lot of mags have so you'll get more adds with more pages.

Similar to my 25 yr. old 60l. Trailblaza with the good old 'Danish' compressor.
Just keeps on chilling away. :)
mike

Or Slovakia more likely after 2002.

I believe Danfoss, still headquartered in Nordberg, Denmark, sold their compressor manufacturing to a German organisation in 2010.
mike

And the Germans carried on manufacturing the great compressor until a few years ago they decided to cut cost and have them manufactured in....................China

Every time I consider cutting my 25+ years' Choice membership, something comes up that makes me think "Nope, that article made this year's money worth every cent"...
:) Robyn

Bad, I have to agree on the real life usage of an item, especially feedback on longevity, durability and repairs.

My 40l trailblaza is now 23 years old and runs perfectly. No here's is a real life longevity and durability test, I have seen this fridge running and you still can't hear it run.

The Tamworth Test