Australian Army New Abrams Tanks Fridges

Lots of Forumites on here have Trailblza's including myself. Issues I've had caused by me generally LOL
The new ones sure look pretty. Had mine for 10+ years and still going strong.
Cost about $1100 back then including the 240v pack and freight. After sales service is excellent.
Strong and robust, excellent insulation but damned heavy. I have a 70l model.

$11,000,000 for a fridge?????

Oh, I get it. That's the cost of each Tank isn't it?

Phew! You had me there for awhile shaggy:-)

Very good fridge.

I don't know about the army being much of an recommendation though, they have a budget like most of us do, much more experience on this site. All the major players make good robust fridges, it's pretty simple technology.

The unit that I'm still at use Engels.

But yes it is a budget thing and Trailblazer has come up as the cheapest bidder.

Cheers Kev

Just a question - What does the army put in their fridges in their tanks??

Not denying they have a need for cold whatevers, just curious as to what they keep cold?

RD

Thats exactly it, it's about cheapest bidder. What about those subamrines the defence dept bought...absolute rubbish.

Do your own research and find out what is best for your own needs and budget.

Still cant believe how defensive some people get about fridges

Hi Shaggy,
Like some of the above, it all comes down to the best deal that they can get from a supplier, regardless of quality. Sure the Trailblaza are a good fridge, but look what was in the news headlines a few months ago.

Our Diggers in the Middle East with defective clothing and equipment?? Does that means that the gear in question was then the BEST that they could get ??

Stephen

well they have been known been to make errors of judgement just as we do

my inlaw has contract to fit aircompressor to their pommie 4 wd's ( what an error of judgement this is, even a nissan would have been better) ...any how the compressor is a cheapie...around $100 or thereabouts from repco....the flippen bracket that had to be made to their spec for install cost more. ( i believe the cost of providing certifed wiring diagrams and bill of material list with current part numbers right down to crimp lugs cost more to type and submit for approval..... It was what was specified on the order and requirements for quotation.....

but the trailblaza is a good fridge...,.hope the tanks are

Don't know about the fridges, but when I was camped just out of Whyalla on the beach earlier this year, they Army were testing these Abrams tanks on their military land across the road.

We could not see anything, but could hear plenty, and the firepower on board these things is something I would only want to experience on the drivers side of the barrel.

So I guess after having decimated the marauding hordes they might need a cold one. Sounds fine by me.

Jack

I'm Excited!!!

So spend $11 million for a tank, and then worry about a hundred bucks for the fridge. The american military allocoated 25% of its maintenance budget for the whole tanks just on service and repair of the jet turbine engine for this tank. That is a lot of cash to service the engine alone and fuel consumption can be "as little as 5 litres per km" according to defence sources. So why bother saving a hundred bucks on a fridge. Seems to me that there are a lot of people who just want to make a comment, whether or not they know what they are talking about. It doesn't matter if you are in the defence force already, it makes you nowhere near involved in the selection process. So do not just state your assumptions as fact. Who can positively state that the fridge decision was based on cost alone? What a joke. Face the fact that the beloved engel or waeco may not cut the mustard when it comes to design, vibration resistance, energy consumption, durability, corrosion resistance, mechanical strength etc...

My old Army unit has been using Trailblazers since the 80's in Queensland. They are a tough piece of kit, they need to be bouncing around the back of fourbies for weeks at a time. However I never bought one because of the weight issue, lugging one off the back of a cruiser trayback was my main consideration and I've gone for the Waeco, an equally good piece of kit. Unlike the Engel with it's old fashioned look and openings everywhere to drop stuff in and do damage.

I have owned a Traiblaza 60 litre for 16 years & it has never let me down in 14 trips from Newcastle NSW to the gulf area of the Northern Territory over some very rough dirt roads.

The fridges would have been bought as a part of the Abrams purchase project by the rocket scientists in the sheltered work shop, known as the Defence Materials Orginisation(DMO). Yes, these are the same mob who cant cloth or equip our ADF guys with the the right equipment and most projects they handle, turn pear shaped.
Good luck to the "buckets" who are going to operate the Abrams(second hand puchase by the way), I hope the fridges turn out to be the good bit of kit, however knowing DMO's past performance, I have my doubts?

shaggy,

They drive landrovers as well,i rest my case!

Hope they have given a bit of thought to wiring them up. I can just see it now, All the Abrahams sitting dead on the road because their fridge had drained all the charge from their batteries overnight.

I bought my 60 litre TrailBlaza in 1988 and it spent the first 9 years of its life in the back of a ute on Cape York. The reasons for me buying it then were the construction, the insulation being suitable to spend the days sitting in the Cape York sun without any cover, the fact that it is made in Australia and at the time, space wasn't an issue.
I have since left Cape York, bought a wagon and am lucky to go camping more than 6 times a year. Space is an issue now and it is a very bulky item to carry. But the fridge has to fit in and if it means leaving something behind, well so be it.
I replaced my thermostat about 3 years ago and last April the compressor died (open circuit winding in motor). At this time I nearly scrapped it and bought a waeco or Engle, but in the end replaced it and have had no problems since.
They are a very good fridge but don't suit everyone. It would be a strange world if everyone liked the same things. Select what you feel is right for your particular application. One last thing, the Danfoss compressors will inerfere with a HF radio chronically. If anyone has a fix, let me know.

Shaggy, The Trailblaza's are also used in the Army's APC's and they make vaccine units for the World Health Organisation. They are tough as nails and only come in marine grade alloy or the checker plate version. With the Danfoss compressor wound up they use power but oly for short periods ie high amperage draw. The Army are obviously happy with them and would not have purchased them on price alone.The Army version are slightly different as they have more reinforcing in the lid.

Regards

Mark

Most other units in the ADF prefer to use Engel.

Shaggy, you sound like a salesman for Trailblaza.