Chescold 12volt

Pixie,

!!! You obviously don't like a cold beer at the end of a days drive. !!!

Athol

Pixie, I have a finch 35ltr, which I'm going to take away at chrissie, and I'm hoping for not too hot weather, as I don't like warm beers,but getting back to the chase, the 3 way fridges, regardless of whether you have full 12v power going to them, they don't seem to peform well on 12v?? Don't know why ??? But on gas, yes they peform well, IF you don't let them see any sun or if the temp doesn't get above 32deg or you don't put in any warm beers ( bit hard not to do if thats all you got ?? )

Best part about them, IF they will keep cold, they will last as long as the gas you keep pumping into them !!

Worst part about them, ( and the reason I'm thinking of buying a Waeco ) is their ability to keep beer cold in hot weather, and the inconvenience of swapping from gas to 12v when stop start travelling.

Its pretty simple why they do not work as well on 12v.

The fridges use an absortion principle which involves heating the gas either by a pilot light or electricity.
The 240V heating element is 1000W.
The 12v heating element is 100W
If it were the same as the 240V element it would drag about 80 amps. How big is your alternator?
regards Philip A

"Whats the point in having duel batteries just to run a fridge".

If you are running ANY fridge on just the one battery mate, you are asking for big trouble. Most of us are not that silly, simple as that.

I was basing the 1000W on the "Groen" brand fridge that I had many years ago which I bought in Saudi Arabia , and my daughter now has. This fridge I believe is the same as Electrolux and other german brands.
Friends have a Chescold and are quite happy.I am surprised that the Chescold is only 120W on 240W. This is a very small current drag on 240v.

350w for 500 litre freezer. That is why compressor fridges took over from absorbtion fridges.
The Groen only had a thermostat that worked on 240V, another sign of relative efficiencies.
I agree re the computer fan. i think I must have been one of the first to do this in about 1991.
The fridge would then still have ice in the little tray after 8 hours on 12v.
The fridge only has to be dead level on gas for obvious reasons, ie the gas flame centralised in the column.
Regards Philip A

My chescold works fine

heavy duty cable from the 2nd battery for the 12v , keeps it cold whilst travelling

works equally well on gas or 240v when you get there

keep it level and in the shade

My 25 year old Finch works fine on 12v, ok on 240 & excellent on gas. Will freeze
on gas if turned up. Wired direct to the battery with good plugs (I use an obsolete
5 pin trailer plug/socket, tied down securely & adequate ventilation at rear has never given a problem in any temperature. Runs off a single vehicle battery when
driving & gas when not. So its not a bloody Waeco or Engel but the beer is cold
& I have none of the hassle of running extra batteries, solar whatsits, inverters,
generators, nuclear reactors, wind farms etc!!!!
My only regret is that I no longer seem to work as well as I did 25 years ago..sigh..
...oldbaz.