The new fridge has been with me for a week now.
Explorers are pretty
well known but the current model is different to the older ones in important ways and are different to what is on the manufactures website (in need of updating). They do look much the same as the older models. The DC65 is the smallest in the current range, the others are DC85 and DC110. The unit I ordered is the standard model DC65 with no added options at all.
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It has been running on 240 volt with a little bit of running off a 12 volt battery. The new
Explorers differ from the old in having built in 240 volt capability. If both 12 and 240 volt are plugged in it will use the 240 volt if it is available. Takes a minute or so to switch from one to the other. Also supports 24 volt.
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I am most favourably impressed with it. I knew they were good but it is much better than I had hoped for. The build quality is excellent both internal and external. When I picked it up my nephew, a refrigeration mechanic, came with me. We saw a few under construction and he later commented on a lot of things that impressed him. Back at his place he used his IR thermometer and some other gear to check its cooling performance and he gained some insights into some of the detail design. All was good. So we went out and got a carton for more "testing".
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The DC65 is approximately 820mm long x 520mm wide x 430mm high. The other two in the range differ by height being 530mm and 660m high.
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The fridge section is 42 litres and the freezer section 23 litres. For the beer drinkers out there the fridge section holds 19 Cooper's stubbies standing upright in the deeper part of the fridge section, middle area of the fridge. The other 5 easily fitted in the top area on the left and there was plenty of room for food as
well. The upper part is a bit deeper than the photos would suggest and is very usable. It is also cool, being only a degree or two warmer than the deeper section. In another fridge I have (different brand) the upper area is a lot warmer than the lower. So the Explorer refrigerates its whole volume not just part of it as on some fridges.
Before ordering the fridge I spoke to Steve Cochrane who makes them. I was impressed by his matter of fact way of presenting his product. He did not knock other brands and I appreciated that.
The hardest thing in the end was deciding whether to get the DC65 or DC85. The fridge is to live on the tray of my landcruiser and I wanted to be able to look into it with the lid open without straining on tippy toes. There is a price to be paid for having higher than average tray height on my cruiser and that price is the smaller fridge of the two. The extra 100mm height of the DC85 was just too much. Also the lower height of the DC65 better matches the height of my Spacecase but that is not that important.
It looks at the moment that I will normally run it with both fridge and freezer thermostats set around about 5. I have a bit of testing to do to get a feel for the best settings to use.
Next a dual battery setup and a lockable quick release type of mounting system to secure it to the wooden floored tray. Tips on mounting would be appreciated.
Flynnie