2 way or 3 way fridge

Brad on the majority of batteries that are in good condition - under two years old, you can normally safely go three hours on 12vDC and most definitely two hours. You could always put on a low voltage cut-out for safety sake if you get held up or forget.

You only buy an Engel if you can afford nearly new price to repair it.
You buy a Danfoss powered compressor now for quality

Ozi,

You say you ran it on gas while travelling, how do you cope with the smell of the exhaust? Unless you travel with all the windows down, which isnt always possible. And what about when you leave the vehicle and need to secure it, its a gas chamber. I would love to travel with mine on gas, however the fridge is directly behind my seat and i cant stand the smell. The performance on 12v is satisfactory, mainly because of the high ventilation and limited openings while travelling.. Andrew..

Andrew it was an RM760 two door Electrolux mounted in a caravan with a proper Electrolux roof vent, and fully sealed to the inside of the van. This is the unit I used to run on gas while travelling.

Would not run a three way on gas inside a motor vehicle while travelling. I used to run my Chescold on 12v while travelling or stationary. I had the wood grain Chescold which was their freezer model with the thicker insulation and used it mainly as a fridge. I used it in Northern Australia and the freezer was a higher capacity unit than the fridge and had no problems even in summer.

Don't ever run your fridge on gas while travelling!! Ozi I know you think this is ok to do, but it is really, really dangerous.

Rodeoowner it is legel in most states, if not all. With a proper gas and fridge installation it is not an issue.
I cannot possibly see why it would be dangerous. The flame has automatic flame failure gas shut-off.
The gas fitter in Howlong where I got my certificate was fixing a fridge in a caravan while I was there and discussed about running a fridge on gas while travelling and he runs his while travelling. Gas is no more dangerous that a faulty petrol tank and/or fuel system. At least I always have a gas warning device and automatic shutoff which I would like to see more in Australia. They are popular in Europe, UK and US. You can hardly buy the things here and cost a small fortune.

Why do you think it is dangerous?

Ozi, we've had this discussion already. Lets agree to disagree.

PS. don't tell too many people about your gasfitter putting a complaince plate on your camper. If a gasfitter certify's work that he knows was performed by an unlicensed person, that's enough for him to lose his licence.

Sssssshhhhh!

Rodeoowner anybody can do the gas installation work, but of course it has to comply with the standard. No different in the electrical game, anybody can do the work, but you have to get it checked and approved by a licensed electrician.
There is no provision under any law to stop anybody from doing any work and then getting it approved. This would be restrictive trade practices, and as much as some people would like to see it, it will never happen. Was exactly the same in the new house I built. I did all the gas work, plumbing work and electrical work. All is approved and passed with flying colours - did not have to make one change. Everybody was impressed with the neatness and quality of work.

Ozi, you are quite obviously correct in every thing that you say. What would I know? (Nothing apparently!)

Rodeoowner, not what I say, what the laws of the land say.
I hold a number of trade certificates in three states, and do certification work for those that do work themselves. Nobody should ever be forced to engage another person to do work for themselves. However, they should get it checked appropriately. They tried to bring this in in Victoria in some trades and it got trounced. People are not allowed to do work for others without being licensed - yes, that is the law.

Ozi ,the day you deem to know the law for gas fitters and electrical fitters in Qld we will see how your "trade certificates" stand up, be game and name your gas fitter in Howlong,you will be able to keep him/her company on the dole line.

publican where your gutter clown bum chum glen

ozi forget the trash gutter clown filth just rubbish people no manners no school no use

Here is a good ANIMATED picture of how absorbtion refrigeration works.
The picture is a tad slow, but watch it.
http://www.dometic.com/node882.asp

Wal I take it you were referring to beer for the 'take away contianers'. Beer because of the alchol it contains freezes at a lower tempreture compared to straight water. You would have probably found if you popped the cap on the ones that were still liquid, they may have frozen on the release of the pressure in the can.

Brad I used to find with my Chescold while travelling, it was better not to run it while travelling, as it actually got warmer as it lost cold through the alumium cold plates because of the system flooding and not cooling.
I would get the fridge as cold as possible before leaving home, then putting a thick towel over/around the aluminium cold plate in the fridge kept it cooler.

Brad,
I believe you should first talk to the people in camping areas, those people who are using the equipment to get HONEST answers and you will see the products working (or NOT working) also available are various fridge tests from 'unbiased' organisations and not 'advertising'.

That said, I have been traveling round Australia since June 1997, yes i'm retired, I have a Liemack, now Reefer, 50 ltr fridge/freezer on a dual deep cycle battery system, recharged from an 80 watt solar pannel, as I have camped at some good fishing spots for MANY WEEKS, not just a few days.
When used on batteries the cooling qualities of 2 way fridges are far superior to the 3 way fridge's and unlike 3 way fridge's, Liemack/Reefer use a "normal" refrigeration unit that you do have at home, I can get ice blocks for my drinks in only a few hours in the freezer @ -14 degrees while the fridge is running at one (1) degree.

You say you are only going to stay a few days in the one place, then you won't need a solar pannel to recharge the battery system.
Hope you don't make the mistake that so many travelers have and buy something that lets you down in the heat of the Aussie day because of BAD advice.