Anything special about "expedition" fridges? (1 Viewer)

[KliersLC]

Hi folks,

Just a quick question--my understanding of the appeal of the expo fridges is that they are able to run off of 110v or 12v and that by virtue of them having a real compressor instead of a peltier cooler, they end up using less energy, don't run your battery all the way down, and are able to achieve lower temps.

So, it seems that they are just a normal mini fridge with an inverter built in--if this is the case, and you already have an inverter, why not just get a standard mini fridge and plug it into the inverter?

I am not a physicist, but unless the expo fridges have some sort of different system, (i.e. 12v compressor so no parasitic loss from the inverter while running on battery) I am just curious if a budget minded camper could use a mini fridge rather than drop 700 dollars on a name brand fridge.

Any thoughts? Experiences? Predictions on how fast it will kill my battery?

Cheers!

Dan

 

[Cruiserdrew]

Big difference. First of all, an inverter wastes 25-50% of the energy it converts from 12 volt to 120 volts. Much better to run directly off the 12 volt system directly. So a camping fridge a 12 volt refrig with the capacity to convert 120 volt a/c to 12 d/c when A/C is available. Exactly the opposite of a small refrig which is built to run on A/C only.

Second, a small dorm type fridge is poorly/cheaply made, and is not designed to run at odd angles and off camber. Your average 12 volt fridge will take this in stride.

Third, a small dorm type fridge has a front opening-so all the cold air spills out each time you open it.

Yes, this will kill your battery.

This topic comes up about once a year where someone has the brilliant insight that a $75 dorm fridge plus a $25 inverter will be the equivalent of a real camping refrigerator like Engel or ARB. If it were that easy, everyone would already be doing it.

A real 12 volt refrigerator is surprisingly efficient. There are cheaper brands of 12 volt refrigerators, like Whynter, Truck Fridge, Edgestar, etc that seem to work pretty well for reasonable $. My long term experience is with Engel and I can definitely recommend that-13 years of perfect service.

Good luck.

 

[KliersLC]

Big difference. First of all, an inverter wastes 25-50% of the energy it converts from 12 volt to 120 volts. Much better to run directly off the 12 volt system directly. So a camping fridge a 12 volt refrig with the capacity to convert 120 volt a/c to 12 d/c when A/C is available. Exactly the opposite of a small refrig which is built to run on A/C only.

Second, a small dorm type fridge is poorly/cheaply made, and is not designed to run at odd angles and off camber. Your average 12 volt fridge will take this in stride.

Third, a small dorm type fridge has a front opening-so all the cold air spills out each time you open it.

Yes, this will kill your battery.

This topic comes up about once a year where someone has the brilliant insight that a $75 dorm fridge plus a $25 inverter will be the equivalent of a real camping refrigerator like Engel or ARB. If it were that easy, everyone would already be doing it.

A real 12 volt refrigerator is surprisingly efficient. There are cheaper brands of 12 volt refrigerators, like Whynter, Truck Fridge, Edgestar, etc that seem to work pretty well for reasonable $. My long term experience is with Engel and I can definitely recommend that-13 years of perfect service.

Good luck.

Thanks for the info! I suspected that there was something more to the equation, but not being too electric-smart, I couldn't figure out how that worked.

So, the "real" refrigerators have a 12v compressor?

 

[george_tlc]

Many fridges use Danfoss (e.g. ARB and similar, Engel uses a different scheme). So, go to danfoss directly for some tech info...

Direct Current Compressors (BD) - Product Range

cheers,
george.

 

[cruiserpilot]

Thanks George, good info. I just want to add, that most all of the people who do spend the money on the
purpose built travel fridges do a lot of research. Sure, got to have the money to spend it, but its not frivolous
expenditure. The good ones work, year in and out. That being said, Costco now sells danfoss fridges for a
little less than the big brand names.
You will have to learn electrical if you are going to go out on your own, cause at the side of the road somewhere
is out there

 

[Enigma]

Another cheap option perhaps; scavenge one of those old Dometic 3 way fridges out of an old RV? Course there is the whole propane/Co2 thing...

 

[george_tlc]

The 3 way type fridges draw a LOT of current. They use power (or propane/lpg) to run a HEATER element... Not a good choice for 12v operation, that's why you run 12V only with the engine running (alternator going) and switch to propane when stopped. They also suck big time if they aren't level.

cheers,
george.

 

[TXLX100]

Those 3 way fridges are terrible except on propane... Even then they suck.

I have a RV we take occasionally, and I still take my 12v truck fridge as a backup.

 

[cruiserpilot]

Here is good article. This kind of reading is all part of the research as to what you need, why and at what cost.
You'll find on a poll, that people who have good fridges will inevitably list it as the single best investment to their
comfort and enjoyment on a long trip.
Buyers Guide: Portable Fridge-Freezers

 

[80t0ylc]

In the interest of space saving and weight consideration, which when camping are very high on the priority list, the mini-fridge or RV (3 way) route for overlanding style of travel has to be IMHO, a bad choice. But if it works, for any particular setup, who is to judge - for it's performance that counts. As long as we know the pluses & minuses, we can understand how we can improve our individual setups. Thanks to those who contribute to this forum and help us to realize that there's always room for improvement.

 

[KliersLC]

Thanks for the education folks!

Cheers!

 

[dubyahard]

I swear I saw an online comparison somewhere that showed a chart with temperatures, amp draw, time to 32*, etc. I cannot find it for the life of me. Anyone know what I'm talking about or can tell me how to get there?
Not the ExPo article already posted here.

 

[NorCalDoug]

they expedition type fridges come up on craigslist from time to time...just sit patiently and scan the postings...you'll be surprised at what you can find.

 

[dubyahard]

Found it
http://www.equipt1.com/Downloads/Indel-B/Indel B Travel Box Test and Comparison Report.pdf

Not sure when the test was done though. Maybe 2010?

 

[Corey]

For what it is worth, I have had an old school ARB fridge in my FJ Cruiser since 2007, very high quality.
I was in the market for a newer one with digital readout and battery protection, and I was going to get the new style ARB, but recently began checking up on the National Luna Weekender 50 with two compartments for both fridge and freezer.

Mine arrives today, but it from Paul May at Equipt.
Later down the road I will have a review on it, but I may be switching out my cargobox first to a set of ARB drawers to mount it on.

 

[cruiserpilot]

I have that NL Weekender 50. It is the best addition to the truck since I built it.

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

I went with Waeco for 2 main reasons over others -
►It has a separate compartment that runs ~15° warmer making it perfect for salads, berries, and fruit for extended trips.
►Side opening lid that is reversible

 

[Corey]

Cruiser, Phil, one thing that turned me off about the new ARB plastic fridges is the lid opens up the long way.
I did the side hinge mod to my old AEB fridge years ago via thread in this section.

The Luna I bought you can open it both ways.

Cruiser, glad to hear you like yours, I know they are around double the price of the ARB.
I watched on YouTube too how they are made, super impressed.

 

[george_tlc]

I find the new ARB lid to be great for my use. I just unclip it (super easy) and remove it completely to get full access to everything inside, so whether it opens long or wide doesn't matter... Also super easy to clip back in. Means I can access all the contents (especially the beer) from within the vehicle.

Anyhow, the good thing is we have several excellent fridges to choose from to meet our individual needs.

cheers,
george.

 

[cme4lyt]

I ended up getting a TruckFridge TF51 from Northern Fridge in a group buy at the Tacoma World forum. Prob the best money vs satisfaction gadget I've done in a while; that and the Renogy 100w solar charging kit. Those two items keep me very happy.....and the beer ice cold FOREVER !