we need an additional fridge(advice needed)

[wholehog]

We currently have a 60 litre ARB fridge which works great.
Long story short...for extended stays with the kids  its to small....and im sick of having to get ice all the time for the esky...SO!!!!
What are peoples views on the alternatives.....
1.A better quality ice box that will keep the ice for  longer periods...( a few hundred bux for a quality one..still have to source ice)
2.An Engel combi fridge/freezer ..thus allowing me to actually freeze meet etc etc and have the added fridge space( roughly $1800)
I have 3 105 amp hour batteries.1 in the tug and 2 in the trailer and i top up with a mandrakes 200 watt kit..so should be enough in the way of 12 volt and solar(just)
3.A 3 way fridge /freezer.. primarily to use as a freezer(on gas) to free up space in the ARB (about $1000 or there abouts)
4.Drink warm beer
5.Give the kids warm lemonade and orange juice
Any thoughts people

[JCOJ]

We have an 80Lt Waeco in the camper, a 25lt Waeco which we use as a freezer in the camper, and a 35lt Waeco in the back of the car.

Is there an option 6: Having an extra fridge in either you car or camper?

[bunyip]

I would go with option 5 personally.

Bunyip

[GeoffA]

Hi hog,

What about a matching 35L ARB, or maybe another 60L ARB to go with the fridge you already have?

We have a 75L Autofridge in the camper for all the food, and a 35L ARB in the car that's used for drinks.
More than enough fridge space for the 2 of us...... ........

Another thing to consider.....maybe get your meat cryovaced......no need to freeze.
Much lighter on 12v.......running a freezer uses heaps more than a fridge.

Cheers,
Geoff

[wholehog]

Is there an option 6: Having an extra fridge in either you car or camper?

How many batteries do u use to keep that lot running JKohn
The main reason i bought the 60 litre ARB was simply for the fact i fitted under the hard cover of my hilux.......the hilux runs duel batteries so i can take my fridge without the camper and go fishing or exploring off the beating track etc......
So yes.... i can have another fridge in the camper.....it came with a fridge slide
I also realise that running a freezer chews the 12 volt power..thats whay i was swaying toward the 3 way and run it on gas as a freezer.......
But yes....another smaller ARB or Engel and cryovac the meat and chook is something to consider as well....
I guess u dont really need a freezer...........

[Muckinhell]

pretty sure a 3way on gas wouldnt be a $1000. think they are couple of hundred for a 30 litre or so from supercheap or even less in aldi on occassion.

check http://myswag.org/forum/index.php?topic=17503.msg391431#msg391431

otherwise a 25ltr to use as a freezer seeing you have a lot of battery power in the camper is the way id go.

[nbd73]

Wholehog,  number 4 on your list is simply NOT an option. No true Aussie bloke goes camping without access to cold beer. Any of the others is acceptable...

[JCOJ]

How many batteries do u use to keep that lot running JKohn

There are 315amps in the CT 

[fuji]

I have a Engel combi and purchased an Aldi which seems to work okay. I haven't really taken it out on long trips yet. It is 3 way and I will use that for drinks only.
Wayne

[wholehog]

pretty sure a 3way on gas wouldnt be a $1000. think they are couple of hundred for a 30 litre or so from supercheap or even less in aldi on occassion.

check http://myswag.org/forum/index.php?topic=17503.msg391431#msg391431

otherwise a 25ltr to use as a freezer seeing you have a lot of battery power in the camper is the way id go.

Granted... The el cheapo super crap and aldi ones aren't $1000 but a gasmate or dometic one will sting u for about $1000
http://www.fridgeandpower.com.au/3-way-fridges/dometic_3_way_fridge_rc1180.html

[gowalkabout]

We run 2 Engels a 45l & 30l and only run 2 battery's in the patrol. We use the smaller one as a freezer and just spent 6 weeks on the road (2adults & 2 kids)and although we did take a 200 watt solar kit with us it was never used. So you should have no worries with 3 batteries. I would say go and get a smaller engle to use as a freezer.

[GeeTee]

I did a 'torture test' on iceboxes/coolers/eskies a few years ago and the one that kept the ice the longest was the Coleman Ultimate Xtreme; at $200 it was half the price of some of the hero-coloured iceboxes and also takes Coke bottles standing up.

But if you have the power - and with solar and big vehicle alternator, I think you do - I saw an Engel Eclipse on sale yesterday for $799

 

[Alan Loy]

I have a Coleman Ultimate Xtreme and on my recent trip to the Centre I was amazed how long the ice lasted.  I had it in the back of the Patrol and packed other stuff around it.  After this experience I would suggest it as a long term storage solution for items that are waterproof.  It should last >5 days if not opened often.  Use the fridge for the stuff you need all the time.  This will reduce the amount of ice you need.

[griz066]

I would go with one of these they are a great engel product. Light enough to transfer from vehicle to vehicle as needed. I have had one in my work ute for ever and can't fault it. We crank it up to freeze meat when needed or just use it as a beer fridge to stop opening the fridge in the c van each time we need drinks. We had a 60 ltr combi when we had the CT and couldnt fault it either. The freezer was ok for the 2 of us but not sure for a family.

[Matto]

My $0.02:

I'd go a second fridge, as the others have said. It gives you heaps of options and flexability. We have a 47L ARB, and I'm seriously tempted to pick up one of these:
http://www.getawaeco.com.au/default.asp?id=416&catId=6
...to run as a freezer. I find we don't need a whole lot more fridge space, but having a small freezer would be really handy for long self-sufficient trips. So long as you're not into it all the time, running a small fridge as a freezer won't take a huge amount of extra power. Certainly it would use significantly less than a 3-way fridge on 12v.

We used to use our ARB fridge for food, and the father-in-law would take his 3-way fridge for drinks. We wouldn't run it on 12v at all - cooled down at home on 240v, left closed up while in the car, set up on gas at camp. Even thought it was only small, because it would cool the drinks quickly most of the cans stayed hot in the carton and as you grabbed one from the fridge you'd re-stock. Worked well, but eventually he got sick of mucking around with the gas/having the pilot blow out and warm beers/having the gas smell at night, etc.

The other option is to do as a mate of mine does. He has a single 3-way fridge, and two iceboxes. The fridge is set to -10 and used just as a freezer - all it does is freeze 2L milkcartons full of water. He takes these out, and puts them in the iceboxes. All the food/fish in one icebox, all the drinks in another. As soon as the milkcarton iceblocks melt, they get swapped back into the freezer and the cold ones go into the eskies. Voila - everything stays cold, the eskies keep getting "new" ice, cheap to buy and it's very economical on gas. Plus if you're ever in trouble, you have heaps of spare fresh water in the milkcartons. Doesn't work for me because it's such a big setup to put together. Perfect for him - he heads up the cape/gulf for 4-5 weeks at a time to fish and makes camp in one spot. I like to be able to move more often, and having the fridge in the car means my drinks/lunch is always with me.

tl;dr - if you're lazy like me a second small fridge is the height of luxury, so long as you can afford the cost of entry.

Good luck!
Matto

[Toy pradopetty]

Yeah second fridge for sure but make sure it will fit the slide and under the rear cross member of the camper. The ARB 47 is quite tall as are the Waeco 50 and 60. We run a Waeco 50 in the Prado and the ARB 60( very shallow height compared to the 47 ) and they work well. 2 weeks in the high country and the Waeco worked well as a freezer with drives most days and the ARB as a fridge on 2 x 100 ah AGM batteries and I think May have used the Honda once and the solar panel 120w every other day. No complaints with this setup
Cheers
Frank

[wholehog]

MMMM... Took some measurements of the front section where the slide is and the height seems to be a limiting factor....500mm high
THis means that i either go a 35 litre ARB with an external height of 428 mm...so it will fit easy...
OR
A 60 litre engel/60 litre ARB which will both fit but i rekon two 60 litre fridges is a wee bit of overkill
120 litres of fridge space is a lot of cold beer though

[GeoffA]

MMMM... Took some measurements of the front section where the slide is and the height seems to be a limiting factor....500mm high
THis means that i either go a 35 litre ARB with an external height of 428 mm...so it will fit easy...
OR
A 60 litre engel/60 litre ARB which will both fit but i rekon two 60 litre fridges is a wee bit of overkill
120 litres of fridge space is a lot of cold beer though

Go the 60L, go the 60L.......!!!!!

The 60L ARB uses very little extra power over the 35L, and doesn't cost that much more.

Kinda kicking myself now that I went for the 35L, but it was all I thought I needed at the time......

[Swannie]

Go the 60L, go the 60L.......!!!!!

The 60L ARB uses about very little extra power over the 35L, and doesn't cost that much more.

Kinda kicking myself now that I went for the 35L, but it was all I thought I needed at the time.

X2 go the bigger one.. you need to always have plenty of beers

[Matto]

A 60 litre engel/60 litre ARB which will both fit but i rekon two 60 litre fridges is a wee bit of overkill

NO SUCH THING!

I guess it comes down to your situation. How many kids? How long are you going for? How far out do you go?

I can see benefits in having 2 x same fridges if you go for a long trip away from civilisation - if you had a big one and a small one and the big one died 2 days out, you might be in trouble. If you've got lots of kids or hungry teenagers or friends tagging along, then it might make sense too.

You know you want to... 

Cheers!
Matto

[GeoffA]

............I can see benefits in having 2 x same fridges if you go for a long trip away from civilisation - if you had a big one and a small one and the big one died 2 days out, you might be in trouble...........

This is a good point. Lots of flexibility with 2 the same......you'd like to think neither would fail.....but it allows you to shut 1 off as quantities dwindle.

[GeeTee]

I designed my campers to carry two fridges back-to-back   

[GeoffA]

I designed my campers to carry two fridges back-to-back   

Nice......

[Matto]

.....but it allows you to shut 1 off as quantities dwindle.

That's a good point - I hadn't thought of that. Seems like fridges are like axles - if one is good... 

Cheers!
Matto

[GeoffA]

...........Seems like fridges are like axles - if one is good... 

.....you betchya.....