Camping Fridges: They’re Not All The Same!

Buying a camping fridge can seem like a daunting task, they are not all the same, so many brands, confusing technical information.

How do you choose one?

It depends on how you plan to use your portable fridge. Camping, 4wdriving, fishing, or is it going to live in the shack for 2 months?

Thermo-Electric for short trips

A thermoelectric fridge is more of a cooling box as it doesn't usually get cold as a fridge.

These work using the Peltier effect, which is the ability to create heating or cooling when electricity passes through two different conductors.

The “Peltier Effect” means that if you pass electricity through a special metal plate in a certain direction, you will make the plate hot, or if you pass it through in the opposite direction you will make it cold. A fan then blows air across the cold plate and into the box to cool it down.

Pro's – small and inexpensive

• Generally low cost
• With the absence of a compressor, these cooling boxes are often quite small, with plenty of space inside

Con's – high power consumption, limited cooling ability

• Can only cool to 20 – 30 degrees (Fahrenheit) below ambient temperature
• Consuming power at around 4 – 5 amps per hour, you can't leave these running off your car for more than a few hours

Best Use – day trips

Great for picnics and short road trips. Popular with courier and truck drivers to keep lunch and drinks cold.

3 Way Fridge for long stays

Can be run on LPG gas, 12 volt and 240 volt power supplies. When used correctly, they are a very efficient and reliable.

A 3-way fridge uses an absorption method which is a fully sealed system that relies on heat to get it started. Water and ammonia are heated in a ‘generator' and rises to a ‘separator' where the water and the ammonia gas are separated. The gas rises to a ‘condenser' where it cools and forms liquid ammonia which mixes with hydrogen and evaporates, removing heat from the cabinet. The mixture then heads to an ‘absorber” where the ammonia mixes with water again and the cycle continues.

Pro's – very, very efficient, on gas

• Around 1kg of gas can give you up to a week of operation and drop temperatures to the point of freezing items in the cabinet
• Gas, 12V or 240V makes them very versatile

Con's – Need ventilation and large current draw

• On 12V, a 3-way fridge will use up to 6amps an hour which is a huge current draw
• These fridges often come with a bubble level to make sure you keep them flat, or they won't work!
• Cannot safely run on gas inside a car or caravan, good ventilation is required. This means you will need to take it out of your vehicle every time you want to stop and run it on gas, which will be every night due to its current draw.
• Produce a lot of heat which needs to rise out of the back and top of the fridge. You will need to pack carefully giving it lots of room, which means it really shouldn't be used in an enclosed boot or box.

Best Use – long stays

Extended stays at a shack or if you intend on setting up camp for long periods. Also suitable for 4wdrivers and as a caravan fridge.