I am wondering what would be the best 12volt freezer to buy for Miss Daisy. I have gone a little overboard while house sitting, making soups, so have a freezer full. About to hit the road again and heading to the more outback regions so would like to buy meat and bread etc before I leave the main centres so thought a small freezer would be the way to go. Have been alarmed at the price of them number one, but they seem to be larger ones, I don't really want a big one as I am a solo.
This is the first time after 18months on the road that I have really thought about it and started to look at them. So many to choose from and so many different prices.
Any advice would be appreciated, remembering I am on my own and in a MH. At this stage just thinking about it all.
__________________
I am fun and adventure. So much to see, so much to do, so many people to meet. Will see, do, and meet all that I can.
Take a look at the Waeco or Engel portable ones, Sharon. They are 12/240v. Both good fridge or freezer. Maybe 35lt or there abouts. Not cheap though. I had a Engel 38lt and just sold it as don't need it. The one I ad was around the $700 mark and got it at Aussie Disposal.
__________________
Live Life On Your Terms
DOUGChief One Feather (Losing feathers with age)
TUG.......2014 Holden LT Colorado Twin Cab Ute with Canopy
DEN....... 2014 "Chief" Arrow CV (with some changes)
The big names are Wayco and Engel, they come in various sizes and enormous prices, we recently bought an Engel, got a good price from BCF at the time, they had a special going, these fridges can be used as a fridge or a freezer, you just wind the setting down to the bottom of the dial to freeze, my outdoors sons told me to get an Engel as it is a better product, we are happy with it, and it is an Aussie product, comes from WA, but you won't get much change, if any, from a grand, so will need plenty of use for it to justify the cost.
I'm using mine as a beer fridge when not travelling and it can take the overload if any, on shopping days. they come in many different sizes. Ours is bigger than we wanted, but being on a special at the time it happened to be the cheapest. (it fits in the boot of the car anyway.)
They use little power, and are very efficient. 12v or 240.
I haven't looked, just thought of it, if a member, or want to check, Choice Online is an excellent resource when in the market for something, they test and report on just about anything you can think of.
Happy hunting,
Bevan
__________________
Bevan
Friendship is not a relationship with someone whom you've known for a long time, but with someone you trust, under any circumstances.
We have a Engel 38litre Fridge/Freezer runs on 12/240v. Most of the time we use it for a extra fridge. If we have done a house sit and are intending to do a fair bit of traveling after the house sit we then turn it into a freezer as the boss makes up a heap of meals and we freeze them in chinese containers. We have had it for about 5 years now never a problem. Oh yes there was I was fiddling and blew a fuse. Had to hunt around to get the right fuse for the 12v lead. Bought 2 so I had spare in case I did the same thing. It has a slid out draw in the back of the ute where it sits permanetly.
I am a still working Refrigeration Mechanic- the following are some of my thoughts on portable fridges.
Firstly you do get what you pay for with portable fridges, so you will have to pay a bit more for a good fridge.
There was a recent fridge test in the caravan and motor home mag, it was a good test of what I would look at when buying a fridge freezer, the waco CXF came out on top for low power usage and able to handle high ambient temps and still work. Would be a good read for you if you can get a copy.
Couple of things to think about - you can get fridges from 25l up to 80l in size, some are split so some is freezer some is fridge. For what your thinking a single temp fridge/ freezer would be better than the fridge freezer split.
A portable fridge works at its best when totally full of food especially when used as a freezer so look at what you think you can fully fill, but remember the bigger the fridge the more power it will use. And speaking of bigger, the larger the fridge the noisier they get. Just think about where you will need to sit the fridge and if inside the cabin it may annoy you at night. When you hear one running in the shop it may not sound to bad but in the quiet of the night it may.
An insulated fridge cover is a must as the difference it makes to the performance is worth it.
The fridge needs to be in a vented area to allow the heat removed from inside the fridge to be expelled. Also if you put it inside the cabin on a hot day when you lock up to go say shopping it can get fairly warm inside the cabin so hence the need for a fridge to work in high temps.
Wow, thankyou so much everyone. A lot to think about. Bluey1, great advice, certainly more considerations to undertake. Might be better to donate some of my soup to my cousin where i am currently staying. Will have a look at Jaycar this morning Steve.
Once again thanks guys.
__________________
I am fun and adventure. So much to see, so much to do, so many people to meet. Will see, do, and meet all that I can.
I have 2 evakool fridge/ freezer the 55ltr and 70 ltr, great product, very quiet running and efficient, you can get them reasonably cheap from there website, they have seconds a lot cheaper may have a few scruff marks on them but good condition and five year warranty
Thanks Doug, I think I might leave it for now. I have not had to use extra for 18months and really looking at long term I don't see that I will need to again. I will make a sizeable soup donation to my cousin at the weekend and fill the freezer with meat and bread. Good local butcher and Bakers Delight bread.
I know now I have plenty of information should my circumstances change and I feel I might really need extra storage space. So it has been a fruitful exercise for me. Thank you again for all those who contributed.
Nothing like a freezer full of pumpkin soup and Vegetable and chicken soup, guess I could live on that for a while, it has all the food groups.
