They also offer an extended warranty for up to an additional three years. They only offer a 1-year warranty on all other parts, which is lower than most other 12 volt refrigerator brands. So get out there and start exploring! They feature strong powder-coated zinc steel construction, and their very low power usage will help you keep your food cold on an off-grid solar setup. However, we dont want to overstate the importance of warranties. When we built out our first van back in 2016, you could count the number of vanlife fridge brands on two hands, and most of them had been around for years, if not decades. However, we have not heard of any reliability issues with these fridges. Since food has a higher thermal density than air, most of the cold in any fridge is actually stored in the food (or beer) inside the fridge, so fridges that are packed full are much easier to keep cool than fridges with a lot of empty space. Ft. Capacity Glass Top Novelty Ice Cream Freezer, 1.41 cu. And while Whynter fridges are energy efficient, power draw tests and user reports tend to be all over the map, further suggesting that there may be some quality control issues with this brand. The world of 12V fridges has grown quite confusing, with newer budget players like Iceco, Alpicool, and Costway entering the market, and major brands like Dometic and ARB getting more and more expensive. We think the 40 Liter Engel MR040 is the best option for vanlife. These types of fridges can run on 12V DC, 110V AC, or propane, giving you a variety of options to keep your food cold. Thermoelectric coolers plug into a 12V power source, and have the ability to chill their contents without ice. But Engels lack a few modern features like digital controls and low voltage shut off, and are getting left behind in terms of tech. This is an important indicator of reliability and support, as well as future expansion of the product line. This is something you just cant do with a front-opening upright fridge. But the same general idea applies for converting it to a DIY vanlife fridge. As an Amazon associate we earn from qualifying purchases. I have two questions about 12v fridges in general that I have never gotten a good answer to: 1. They offer an excellent combination of top quality components, rugged construction, performance on par with higher end 12 volt fridges, and affordable pricing thats tough to beat. I dont know where you guys got the warranty information.. On Amazons website for the CFX50 that you recommend, it says the warranty is 1 year on the compressor and 2 years on parts. BougeRV 12 volt portable refrigerators offer incredible bang for your buck. It comes in sizes ranging from 30-qt up to 53-qt. This may be the only choice for those that are bothered by the noise. We highly recommend Dometic CFX3 12 volt refrigerators. These 12 volt portable fridges have highly efficient, variable speed compressors that draw very little power, they can be used as a refrigerator, freezer, or both, they come in a variety of configurations including chest-style, upright, and dual-zone fridge/freezers and they typically have the ability to run while at an incline of up to 30 degrees (other types of fridges need to be kept perfectly level when running). Hope that helps! Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in. Higher end 12 volt refrigerators have been getting more and more expensive over the past few years and while top brands like Dometic, ARB, Engel, etc., make excellent units, the value may not be there for a lot of people. Whynter portable fridges are efficient, but they may be a bit inconsistent. We have had times where we needed to shut off our fridge to conserve battery, and the internal fridge temperature goes up maybe about 10-12 degrees F overnight (and this is with no ice, just food). Daryl, do you use the 1kw inverter for the fridge only? They use a manual control knob instead of digital controls (some actually prefer this), and they do not have an automatic low voltage shut off (although the Sawafuji compressor supposedly adjusts its power draw when battery voltage is low). With chest fridges, the door is at the top, which means that cold air will pool at the bottom of the fridge where it has nowhere to escape. First, it will likely need to be permanently mounted, whereas chest-style 12 volt portable fridges can be easily moved. Ugh I feel so overwhelmed I dont even know where to start to choose a fridge. Note: It can be insanely difficult to find accurate power draw information for 12V fridges. The lid on these fridges hinges from the back, making the ARB our top choice overall if you need a rear-hinged lid. An excellent value for life on the road. Use coupon code GNOMAD for 5% off + free shipping at Dometic.com. Likewise, having a fridge thats too small means shopping for groceries more frequently. I bought a 3000W MSW unit for about $40$50 also but my pure sine wave 3kW one was several hundred $. Frost Free Portable Freezer Cooler in Grey with Travel Refrigerator for Vehicles, Car, Truck, Camping BBQ, 0.7 cu. They offer a longer standard warranty in Australia. Heres their contact page: https://www.truckfridge.com/contact-us/. Thanks for catching this! Remember, you can always upgrade your van down the road as your needs and budget change. Enter coupon code GNOMAD for 12% off at Iceco.com. BougeRV offers a standard 2-year warranty on their fridges, which you can extend to 3 years by registering your product. John is the co-founder of Gnomad Home. They also draw much more power than 12V compressor fridges, making them difficult to run on an off grid electrical system. If your budget allows, adding solar to your van will allow you to stay off grid while keeping your batteries charged up (we recommend mounting them to your roof, or you can build a portable mount). We list dimensions and weights for all the 12 volt fridges we looked at below. With chest fridges, its easy to look straight down and see all the contents. I am sensitive to appliance noise and want the quietest one so I can sleep next to it. You can also buy the Jackery bundled with their Solar Saga 100W foldable panels. If youre solo, you may be just fine with a smaller fridge in the 30-Qt range. As far as which one would work better as a seat, I would take a look at the exterior dimensions of each unit and see if one of them might fit better into your build (one might be taller than the other, etc). We have it up between our front seats, and I only notice noise from the compressor when Im up front and thinking about it. ARB offers an excellent 3-year warranty on their portable refrigerators, so you can be comfortable knowing that they stand by their products. Available in 48 and 58 quart sizes, single zone only. If you dont have a lot to spend on a vanlife refrigerator (or if you just dont want to shell out the equivalent of a months rent for one appliance), then BougeRV deserves a hard look. Hi, thank you for sharing all this info! You can then have your fridges shipped directly to Amazon and have them handle shipping and fulfillment for a cut of the profits. Plus, they come in a multitude of sizes from 30L up to 74L, both single zone and dual zone, and different form factors, so you can easily find a fridge to suit your needs. However, this test report indicates that the Whynter edges 3A per hour to maintain a set temperature in similar conditions. However, our opinions are entirely our own. Once the fridge reaches the low temperature you set, the relay turns off the inverter. We firmly believe that money should not be barrier to someone cutting the chains and hitting the road. Hi Bob, thanks for the kind words! This is exactly what many of these companies are doing. Read on to find out! Local store prices may vary from those displayed. Let me know if youre still having issues. The Engel MR040 is an efficient fridge, though not as efficient as the offerings from Dometic and ARB. EUHOMY 12 Volt Refrigerators, 42 Quart Dual Temperature Car Fridge with 12/24V DC & 110-240V AC, Optionally Buy Batteries, Portable Refrigerator Freezer for Car, RV, Camping, Travel, Outdoor or Home. Hi Alex, thanks for commenting! We spoke with people who run 12V throughout their houses along with a handful of regular 120V outlets, and only turn their inverters on when needed (just like we do in the van). 3-way absorption fridges are more commonly found in RVs, and in our opinion dont make much sense for vanlife. Available in sizes from 24 to 99 liters, and in both single and dual zone. He researches and writes the in depth guides on our site, and his goal is to make vanlife, alternative living, and dream chasing accessible to all through the democratizing power of free information. According to Engels own performance data, the MR040 draws about 1.5A per hour in 95F ambient temperature with the control knob set to 1 (the lowest refrigeration setting). We use the 50-Qt model daily in our van, and we can personally attest to its quality and reliability. ; ), Shouldnt have problems using any 12V fridge as a seat . Here are some tutorials weve found detailing a DIY fridge conversion: If youre just beginning your vanlife journey and dont want to throw down for an expensive 12 volt fridge and electrical system right away, then a good cooler can get you started for a minimal cost. If you read Dometic reviews on Amazon you hear people saying it is louder than I thought it would be, so John seems correct since most use the same compressor that 35-40dB is about right, and theres no good solution beyond going with an ice using one. I been using that setup since 2011. And BougeRV, while they essentially rebrand 12 volt refrigerators (and other products), their products are high quality. Many upright fridges run the exact same compressors as their chest-style cousins, so you would think that choosing between the two is simply a matter of how you prefer to access and organize your refrigerated food. You can find it here: https://gnomadhome.com/jackery-explorer-1000-review-vanlife/. Like most fridges on this list, Whynters units include all the basic features, such as low voltage shut off, interior lighting, digital controls, and a drain plug. The CFX3 is not cheap, but if thats not a priority for you then its an excellent choice for your van. These 12 volt refrigerators are more expensive than other options, and thats before you factor in the need to add auxiliary batteries and a means to charge them (like solar panels or a battery isolator). During independent testing of the VL45 single zone 12 volt refrigerators power consumption, it drew an average of 0.72A per hour, which is excellent. Since all these numbers have caveats and may not be directly comparable, weve treated energy efficiency more as a discussion point in our analysis. Thanks again for commenting, and we wish you all the best. I wouldnt run any fridge or sensitive electronic equipment off a MSW inverter. Wondering if I could get your thoughts Im building out a Chevy express for 1-2 week trips and weekend camping, and Id like to avoid the whole electrical, charge control, fuse box, battery set up, and am leaning towards an all in one jackery 1000 with 200w solar panels. ARB is one of the few manufacturers that makes power consumption test data readily available. One big reason some vanlifers choose upright fridges over chest fridges is their layout. To calculate how much battery capacity you need to reliably run your 12V fridge, first find your fridges average power draw. Please call us at: 1-800-HOME-DEPOT (1-800-466-3337), Please enter in your email address in the following format: you@domain.com. These fridges are extremely energy efficient, packed with advanced digital features, and come from Dometics well-known pedigree of producing rugged and innovative and mobile living appliances. ft. - Manual Defrost Portable Freezer Tailgate Refrigerator in White. We also found another test report indicating that the Engel draws just over 1.6A in 91F temps, helping to confirm that this fridge reliably draws give or take 1.5A per hour in summer conditions. This post may contain affiliate links. The ARB Zero includes modern upgrades and easily competes with Dometic's offerings. Pair with the BT-2 Bluetooth module for monitoring from your phone. Introducing The United We Van Cookbook, collaboration of the nomad community. But there are many tales of units that break down after a few months, and of owners having difficulty getting support from the manufacturer. Even though having a 12V fridge in your van makes vanlife a whole lot easier, dont let not having a fridge stop you from hitting the road! Which means in got batteries to full with only 500w500 / 12v = 42 amps. Im planning to run my lights, fan, and water pump off of one outlet, and my fridge off of another. These fridges may not be quite as efficient as 12V fridges, and youll have to sink some time into building this setup. However, the van in that photo is a full size Chevy Express, not a minivan. The front-open fridges in stationary dwellings are huge, and give you plenty of space to spread out and organize your food items. Scroll down or use the links below to jump to a section. Which fridge is in the photo between the front seat of the minivan. ARB fridges hinge from the short side, whereas Dometic fridges hinge from the long side. Hi Walt, thanks for commenting! Most fridges also automatically sense battery voltage and will go into standby mode (i.e. Thank you! The cost of ice adds up, not to mention all the time and effort it takes to hunt down ice when you need it, periodically dump out any ice melt, and deal with potentially water-logged food. Most of these companies are not making their own products or doing any sort of R&D they are just slapping their brand name on a mass-produced 12 volt portable refrigerator made in the same Chinese factory as all the others. Demonstration: Go to Alibaba.com and search 12 volt refrigerator. Youll see a list of 12V fridges (the exact ones youll find rebranded on Amazon) that you can purchase in bulk and slap a brand name on. The OEM for many generic 12V fridge brands. Our goal is to be the most helpful resource out there for nomads, so if you have any suggestions for improvement feel free to let us know! The Fan-Tastic Vent is highly recommended among RVers. As far as the types of fridges used residentially we recently toured the Earthship community outside Taos, NM, which is community of completely off-grid self-sustaining dwellings. This prevents it from cooling too much, and also prevents power drain from leaving the inverter on all the time. Everything you need to add solar to your van. But how much battery capacity do you need? Both would suite my needs. Most outbound links are affiliate links, and we may earn a commission at no cost to you (thank you!). Of course, someone who spends more time in cities would have different needs. And these fridges lack some features that come standard on other fridges. If your budget doesnt allow for a higher-end fridge (and you dont want to use a cooler while you save your pennies), then you might want to take a hard look at less expensive brands. If you want to know for sure, I had good luck contacting TruckFridge with questions. Our single-use, throwaway culture is completely insane, but you dont have to buy into it. In this example, you would want a minimum battery capacity of 100 Ah plus additional capacity for your other electrical loads. As far as accessories, Iceco offers a slide mount and an insulated cover, both of which work for many of their fridge models. Do these units have the horsepower in freezer setting to actually refreeze water bottles? Theres no free energy. ARB outsources their manufacturing to Dometic, but their fridge is designed in house and they are not owned by Dometic. Ive heard people shutting off their Dometic cooler at night while sleeping and there only being a small temp difference in the morning. So roughly $100 for a fridge that uses about 15a a day in winter and average 45a average with peal of 60a in summer. We dont have a whole lot of direct experience using a fridge like this, but our ARB fridge is very well insulated. Just a quick note to say that this is the best article and review for On The Road refrigeration that I have seen. Top subscription boxes right to your door, 1996-2022, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. How does your fridge do with off-roading and not being level? Anyone have specs on the TruckFridge65 as far as incline? Learn more. They come in a variety of sizes to fit any need, from smaller single-zone to large dual-zone, and offer different form factors in their JP-series. In our van, we have our rear-hinged ARB fridge between the front seats so having the hinge at the rear actually makes it easier for us to access everything. Wherever possible, we obtained test data on average amp draw directly from the manufacturers. Some owners have reported difficulty getting their 12 volt refrigerator repaired or replaced if issues pop up. However, were currently stationary and have our fridge plugged into a wall outlet, and we can definitely hear it when were in that room. Both are quality units, but sometimes which one you go with comes down to how you want to configure your build. Rugged mid-priced fridge that's a solid choice for vandwelling. Weight could also be a factor in your decision if you need to move the fridge around regularly or if youre trying to stay under a certain weight limit. Read More Your Parents Were Right! I think inverters are another area where the groupthink comes in terms of expensive pure sine units. fridge youre getting will fit your needs. But if any fridge manufacturer wants to loan us a unit to conduct our own field tests, well happily oblige. That said, 12V fridges dont actually run 24/7 the compressor kicks on only as needed. However, the product appears solid and BougeRV seems committed to becoming a reputable brand, all of which bodes well. If youve already got a designated spot where you plan to put your 12 volt refrigerator, youll want to make sure all the options youre considering will fit. We personally own the ARB 50-Qt 12 volt refrigerator, and we can attest to its very low power draw. In our quest to find the best 12 volt refrigerators for vanlife, camping, and RVing, we analyzed fridge models from the most popular adventure fridge manufacturers. But, Engels are renowned for their overall quality and reliability, so even though the price is hefty its safe to say that this is a good long-term investment. sad to see the BougeRV codes arent working right now, was about to buy one! However, our opinions are entirely our own. As far as accessories, Dometic makes a fridge slide and an insulated cover for CFX fridges. Dometic CFX fridges arent cheap, thats for sure. ft. 62 Qt. I think thats only a concern for propane to make the flame contact the burner effectively. Chest freezers tend to be quite large, and many of the smaller ones are we couldnt find many smaller than 3.5 cubic feet, which is twice the size of a 50 L portable fridge so if you need something smaller for your van, youll have to go with an upright freezer instead. Available in sizes from 38 to 101 quarts, and both single and dual zone. But as with anything, there are drawbacks. Designed specifically for marine use, the MR040 features durable plastic construction that can weather the stresses of life on the road. What do you get when you take a Danfoss SECOP compressor with a 5-year warranty, bulletproof construction, performance and efficiency worthy of a Dometic or ARB, and wrap it in a package thats nearly half the price of the high end fridge brands? That may be the best solution at this point. This can be a bit of a black box, though, since most companies dont release their average power draw numbers (and the companies that do, they dont use the same testing critera, so its tough to compare apples to apples). No one told me this when I started out but a simple $60 120v fridge from walmart is just as good on power and holds up in a vehicle just fine. Whynter (also known as Edgestar) fridges are a popular choice among budget-conscious vanlifers. You can save a bit of money with other brands, but ARB makes top quality, rugged, and efficient fridges. Hi Jeana, we found that warranty information from several sources, but I just followed up with Dometic directly and the 3+2 warranty is only offered in Australia. Build a Van and Be Whatever You WantContinue. During an extended power draw test we conducted, we measured the ARBs average power draw at around 0.95A per hour over nearly two weeks. Thanks! According to Dometics own testing, the CFX3 45L draws an insanely low 0.68A per hour on average (90F ambient temperature with the fridge set to 39F). Based on our research, Iceco fridges in general are extremely energy efficient pretty close to on par with big names like Dometic and ARB. On the Road with Our Fan-Tastic Vent: Would We Buy it Again? This bodes well for customer support and future development of their product line. Read our full review of the BougeRV 53-quart portable refrigerator. Thank you! They make solid fridges using Danfoss compressors, and cost significantly less than units from the big three brands. I am between the Dometic and the ARB, which one do you think runs quieter? What are real some world experiences with only powering a fridge for a while and then letting it coast and act as a cooler? BougeRV refrigerators include all the basic features you would expect in a 12 volt refrigerator, including Eco mode, dual compartment interior with removable basket, interior LED light, and battery protection. Send me epic build guides and kickass vanlife tips. They also stand behind their products with a 3-year warranty and highly-rated customer support. Hi there, it definitely can be a bit overwhelming! Price and other details may vary based on product size and color. UseGnomad12for 12% off sitewide (including on all their other fridges, as well as solar panels and accessories).
Sitemap 24