Fridge Sizes

Hi Craig

The first thing that you will say is when you get the fridge, is how did we manage for so long without one, we get very spoilt these days with all our mod cons out in the bush.

How much space you have available will determine what size fridge you will require. You learn to use what ever you have and will learn what to pack where and how to use your fridge to its full potential.

As I have only ever had medium size four wheel drives - Pajero's and now a Prado, we have a 40 litre Engel and it has served us well on our desert trip. The longest that we have had to pack for is 3 weeks and we had all that we required and at no stage have we wanted for a larger fridge.

Like I said it all comes down to what you take away.


Cheers



Stephen

Hi Cruiser74,
We debated for a while over a 60 ltr or 80 ltr fridge, it was more or less whether we were wasting the extra couple of hundred bucks. We settled for the 80 ltr and it has been full a few times for trips like the Simpson and Anne Bedeale highway. After a little while you will forget about the extra cash outlayed and you will be glad you bought the bigger one.

Cheers
Graham

Like everything else Craig, it varies greatly with the individual and their perceived needs.

Some people could not manage with less than an 80 litre fridge or even two 60 litre, one run as a freezer. Space to accommodate those can be an issue and with that load you need to consider battery capacity and charging provision, unless of course you camp only at powered sites.

Others, including ourselves, manage with a 45 litre although it does take careful food management and a bit larger would be nice, but for us the fridge needs to fit under the bed in the back of the Troopy so we are limited.

Not everything you carry has to go into the fridge. Take Mick Hutton and Connie Beadell for example, they go bush for six months of every year and have NO refrigeration. But they are made of sterner stuff than most of us, it's the Beadell heritage! lol (Hi Mick)

Vacuum packing can be useful too. Meat packed tis way will keep for weeks without freezing so long as it is kept below 4 degrees. And thoughtful packing into the fridge is achieved with experience. Beverages can be loaded each night just sufficient for the next day.

However, if I had my preferences, I would go with a 60 litre fridge.

Hi Craig

You may want to think about two fridges. We have a 40lt one that is used as just a fridge for all trips. For any trip longer than a week we add a 21 ltr fridge that is just used as a freezer. Naturally you have to be aware of loads on the batteries and a dual system is necessary for this setup. Currently we have a dual parallel set of batteries as standard for the 100 and may add a third battery as time goes bye.

Food (sic) for thought.

Phil

You haven't mentioned how you intend to power it?
>50L and amp-hour consumption increases dramatically.

Please don't think you will run a large fridge overnight (at least in summer) from your vehicle battery without it going flat. You can possibly/probably do that with a 40-50L unit.
Have you factored in the wiring for the fridge, - in most cases don't rely on the standard cigaratte lighter wiring, you will need to upgrade it for when the vehicle engine is turned off.
I would have thought 40-50L for 2 people would be adequate, even for 2-3 weeks, but gee if you have a good power supply, plenty of muscle a larger fridge would enable you to never run out of cold ones!

Hi Craig,
The initial cost is not your biggest problem , unless you're willing to run a genset regularly. If you're going into hot climes it will use more than a reserve battery in 48 hrs. of camping. Also how much airflow you leave around it and how you pack and replenish it. The larger ones naturally will use a little more power but more importantly if you put in 6 or 8 hot beers every day you'd better run the car and don't even think about using it as a freezer. I use a 35lt waeco in place of a back seat , travel alone and still have to be frugal [up north anyway].

Hi all,

Firstly thanks to everyone taking the time to give me advice. It really is appreciated! I should have mentioned that I am in the process of getting a dual battery system installed with a redarc smart start battery charger. Auxilliary battery is a full deep cycle 100 amp/hr battery so I think I'm covered there on the juice front? If not please tell me now!!!

Based on this advice I think I'm leaning towards the 60litre. The extra room will keep the lady happy on the longer trips especially if she gets to keep her favourite vodka chilled! Some great tips in here so thankyou very much once again.

Craig

Hi Craig,

Appologies for the delayed reply, we have been busy getting ready for our next trip ............. seventeen big sleeps .......... OH YEAH!

A number of words that I use on courses or when giving general advice ..............

"Budget"

&

"Frequency of Use"

If you have the coin to buy two 40 litre Engel fridges ............. Go For It!

If you will be using those fridges on weekend trips, every month ......... GFI x 2

If you have the battery power to run them .................... GFI x 3

If you have one hesitant answer ............. then don't. Simple.

A number of years ago we purchased, at a very good price, a 110 ltr Waeco for our long trips in big vehicle and trailer.

We also have a 15 litre Engel for short trips in our small vehicle, with it's trailer.

Some people have hired a fridge to see if it works for them, without forking out lots of money on an item that does not come close to performing the required task. Food for thought.

On long trips we carry two fridges, in case one passes on .... during the trip.

We also carry enough food for an extreme emergency if both turn their toes up, or there is a major mechanical failure.

Make your choice,
work within the boundaries of your equipment,
enjoy your time exploring Australia.

Regards,
Wayne & Sally.

I run 2 as well for longer weekend trips, one is generally just a drinks fridge and the other is a fridge/freezer. Running 2 does place a huge load on your second battery as said above so make sure you have some sort of way to monitor your battery.