Fridge -how many for big trip

[scarpsD40]

I can see utility in two fridges. One as a freezer and one as a normal fridge.  One in the car and one in the camper which gives you options for day trips etc

I think for long term travel having a dedicated freezer would be handy.

agree x2, except I've never had to actually use one as a freezer. As much as we can, we prefreeze(or arrange with a local butcher to prefreeze), and put all frozen items on the bottom of the CT fridge. As the items on top come off the freeze, we use them. The rest act as ice blocks for the rest and this takes pressure off the fridge cycle and saves battery amps/volts etc

[mjharps]

agree x2, except I've never had to actually use one as a freezer. As much as we can, we prefreeze(or arrange with a local butcher to prefreeze), and put all frozen items on the bottom of the CT fridge. As the items on top come off the freeze, we use them. The rest act as ice blocks for the rest and this takes pressure off the fridge cycle and saves battery amps/volts etc

Agreed.

[theins]

We spent 3 months on the road last year with two units:
- one 80L Dual zone WAECO in the camper for food and drinks (run as fridge only).
- a 40L Engel in the back of the car - run as freezer
Worked well for us.

[Traveller]

We are obviously doing it wrong at the moment. For our 3 month trip from Vic to Kakadu, Darwin, Kimberley, and the Tanami,  we had a 50l National Luna (40l fridge and 10l freezer) and did it easy. Left home with some vacuum packed food and topped it up with fresh or sealed as we hit the bigger towns. Always have a dozen stubbies at the bottom of the fridge where they are cold (I like that too) and top it up as a six pack is used. I suppose it really depends on how often you are going to hit towns, with the chance to re-supply. We even carried a box of magnum ice-creams (a weakness of mine) and really didn't wish for more space overall. In fact near the end of the trip I was filling up plastic bottles of water and putting them in the fridge and freezer just to fill them a bit and save what was left from bashing itself to death.

The weight of 3 full fridges must be fairly high, and I would like to see a comparison of buying food in a capital city and then paying the fuel costs to take it on a long holiday, as opposed to the slight increase in price of the food purchased inland.

Just my thoughts.

[jetcrew]

I guess soon as you say 3 fridges it sounds bad but it does not seem uncommon to have this amount 132ltrs   an 80 and 52 is the same .

I have no doubt that we could do it with 2 fridges, the weight of those 2 seats offsetts the 32ltr fridge so no extra weight or fuel ( if you have ever lifted thoses rear seats you will agree) and as for power consumption the 40 & 32 are the same as a 60ltr fridge in any case.

Our plan is to top up on meat once only or twice so given I have the fridges and can afford the weight and the power is no issue I think i will go with it and I understand all the comments both sides and I have done 8 days trips on boat with just a 40ltr so can do that style, but for 4 mths 132ltrs is not excessive from what I can see here.

jet    

[weeds]

I guess soon as you say 3 fridges it sounds bad but it does not seem uncommon to have this amount 132ltrs   an 80 and 52 is the same .

I have no doubt that we could do it with 2 fridges, the weight of those 2 seats offsetts the 32ltr fridge so no extra weight or fuel ( if you have ever lifted thoses rear seats you will agree) and as for power consumption the 40 & 32 are the same as a 60ltr fridge in any case.

Our plan is to top up on meat once only or twice so given I have the fridges and can afford the weight and the power is no issue I think i will go with it and I understand all the comments both sides and I have done 8 days trips on boat with just a 40ltr so can do that style, but for 4 mths 132ltrs is not excessive from what I can see here.

jet    

Jet you asked for advice or feedback or something like that in post 1......seems you were set to carry three from the start. Ya might just have to take some replies on the chin, you asked we replied.

[speewa158]

Fridge for  & fridge for food   2 Engals will do . 

[jetcrew]

Jet you asked for advice or feedback or something like that in post 1......seems you were set to carry three from the start. Ya might just have to take some replies on the chin, you asked we replied.

I Think I made it pretty clear from the start I wanted that in the first post and was seeking advice on the options I posted. So not real sure where your going with this mate ..

I have also thanked people all the way along for their time in replying.

I found your post equally as helpful as all the other mate so I am at a loss to work out what you mean by the above response

Yes i asked for advice and I have accepted and respected  everyone's advice and opinion so i think you may have to unsaddle the horse mate.

jet  

[McGirr]

If your going into remote areas a fridge for fresh veges is good as some places only get supplied fortnightly. Sounds like a great trip.

Mark

[V8CRSA]

We have travelled with only one fridge in the past, a 40lt engel and with some planning it can be done.

We recently did a 4 weeke trip on the Anne beadell hey and great central re etc and had an 80lt waeco in the KK and a 60lt engel in the 200. We didn't need to restock anything other than fresh foods along the way and at no point did we get close to filling both fridges.
We have in the last week sold the 60lt front the 200 and replaced it with a 40lt as the 60 was just too big.
A little carefull planning and you can get by with any thing, don't over do it and take an extra heavy fridge if you don't need too.

Cheers Matt.

Ps very jealous of your planned trip.....

[edz]

If you have the space and power to do it, go for it I say JC, If needed you can always shut one or more down till its needed again .
What sort of truck you got JC, I like that fridge mount you made .. Might have to look at stealing that idea.

[jetcrew]

If you have the space and power to do it, go for it I say JC, If needed you can always shut one or more down till its needed again .
What sort of truck you got JC, I like that fridge mount you made .. Might have to look at stealing that idea.

Its in a 100 series mate 

J

[GeoffA]

If you have the space and power to do it, go for it I say JC, If needed you can always shut one or more down till its needed again .
What sort of truck you got JC, I like that fridge mount you made ..

Agree with all of that edz.

On our recent trip we had 3 fridges totalling 200L (1 x 90L F/F, 1 x 75L, 1 x 35L).
Plenty of convenience and flexibility.

I liked JC's fridge mount too, so I made something similar for my car.

 

[discoteddy]

Jet,

The three fridge rule works for us. On our recent trip to the Cape we had two 40 litre Engels in the back of the Triton. One used as a fridge and the other as a freezer. We had a third 17 litre Engel strapped between the kids on the back seat. This was stocked with our daily food and drinks. This system worked perfectly for us. It was a real pleasure not having to access the rear of the truck of a day. A cold  drink from the back seat whilst under way was welcomed.

At one point during our travels we remained self sufficient for 18 days, using this system we did this easily, whilst eating and drinking well. 12 volt wasn't a problem.

If you've got them, use them and enjoy the flexibility I say!


Cheers,

Disco teddy.

[smartyingreen]

If i had the battery capacity and the spare room to do similar i would consider it. Having said that, after having just spent the last 5 1/2 weeks on the road with an 80lt evakool fridge and 40 lt engel freezer, there has been times we have considered shutting the freezer down. Also travelling through the sticks, some of the butchers out here have the best local meats and often at very reasonable prices. Enjoy your trip jet.

[trevc]

Also travelling through the sticks, some of the butchers out here have the best local meats and often at very reasonable prices. Enjoy your trip jet.

Agreed. It's all part of the adventure and puts a few bob in the till of the locals.

[GGV8Cruza]

We run 2 engels, a 60 and a 40. The 40 is in the camper and is normally filled full of frozen gear for the trip and the 60 is used for refreshments and also fresh veg. If you have the room and the battery/solar to keep them going I think its the best way to go. Longer distances between shops, cheaper to fill rather than pay in remote areas, a back up if one goes on the blink.

Also on our last trip it gave us room to bring back some local produce that we found in the barossa and we bought in bulk and split up when we got home. There is no right ratio, its what suits you best and keeps you happy, well fed and hydrated 

GG

[Dueller]

We have 3 fridges. One 60ltr Evakool in the camper for food and unfrozen stuff, a 50ltr Ironman in the back of the tug set on freeze and I converted the centre console between the front seats into a Waeco 11ltr which holds all the drinks. The little Weaco can hold half a carton of cans and due to its small size gets down to -2* in under 20min. Best mod I've done to the tug so far.

Good luck with your decision mate.

Cheers,
Matt

[edz]

I converted the centre console between the front seats into a Waeco 11ltr which holds all the drinks. The little Weaco can hold half a carton of cans and due to its small size gets down to -2* in under 20min. Best mod I've done to the tug so far.
Cheers,
Matt

Have a mate thats done this too, reckons the same !  one one of the best mods he's done to date ..

[Sixpack]

Mate I run 3, 60lt Engel for grog, softies and water, 38lt Engel dedicated freezer and a 90lt i think in Jayco, we seem to pack it in and it never appears to be enough but I suppose you have to stop somewhere.  Go the 3 mate.   

[weeds]

I Think I made it pretty clear from the start I wanted that in the first post and was seeking advice on the options I posted. So not real sure where your going with this mate ..

I have also thanked people all the way along for their time in replying.

I found your post equally as helpful as all the other mate so I am at a loss to work out what you mean by the above response

Yes i asked for advice and I have accepted and respected  everyone's advice and opinion so i think you may have to unsaddle the horse mate.

jet

Oops I might have misread your post....actually I did misread it. Sorry bout that.

[Bird]

I'm baffled by the amount of fridges and food space people think they need when they are still driving through towns where you can get fresh stuff regularly..

No wonder 99.99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999% of peoples are complaining about ball weight and 'I weighed my setup today  and mayday' Shit like that

[DCP]

G`day all
We did the Canning which took 21 days on the stock route and used 2 fridges .1 x 40lt as a fridge 1 x18lt as a freezer, never ran out of food or a cold beer . All meat was cryovaced, we also used a lot of stuff that didn`t need refrigeration. We try to travel as light as possible and most things we carry have to be multi purpose, and in some 30 years of remote travel I have never needed a roof rack, but I do have a fixed solar panel on the roof now which works alot better than when it was remote .
Good luck with the trip and safe travels 

[GeoffA]

I'm baffled by the amount of fridges and food space people think they need when they are still driving through towns where you can get fresh stuff regularly..

No wonder 99.99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999% of peoples are complaining about ball weight and 'I weighed my setup today  and mayday' Shit like that

I must be the 0.000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001%......

[oldmate]

On our recent cape trip we had a 50lt weaco in car and the 80 I. The trailer. At the tip our aux bat in car died so we shut that fridge of and moved contents in to trailer. It just meant topping up drinks daily. But the reality it was enough to get home with and the most we were away from some sort of top up place was 4 days. Really all you have to to is work out the longest time between refill places and work out how much space you need. Maybe it is 3 but maybe it is 2.
Another thing to do, which we did for most of our trip, was plan meals around stuff that doesn't need refrigeration. Makes the times when you get that fresh fish or big steak so much more enjoyable.
I could give you Theo a 2 week (for 2 adults) meal plan that you could cook dinner every night with one or 2 pots max and only a few things need the fridge.  Have dinner cooked in 10-15min from opening kitchen.