Fridges

[AndyCook]

Looking at getting a 40l fridge for upcoming trips in the landcruiser.

Now Engel's out of my price range,

Waeco's another option - and under £500

I think Chris had one of these cheaper ones
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Quest-Tristar-L ... B000PVAZFY

runs off Gas-12v-240v

but see on your signature you now have a Waeco one Chris?

was the Tristar one not upto the job?

 

[Gav Peter]

I can vouch for the performance of the Quest Andy. Great on gas & 240v but (mine has) not much to offer on 24v...

I'll let Chris comeback on the Waeco but he found it for a very good price...

 

[AndyCook]

what size gas cylinder do you use?

I already have a regulator and gas hose lying around in garage.

 

[Gav Peter]

I used one of the bottles from the caravan - 9kg butane maybe?? Worked a treat but I got cold feet about using gas in the truck... Once I get the inverter running, I'm hoping it'll work well off 240v in there...

 

[ignat]

I've got a Waeco CF-35. In my tests so far its performed brilliantly.

Its connected to an isolated leisure battery. It came with an insulating cover and mounting brackets. Very quiet. Goes down to something like -17. When it runs, it runs at 45 watts. So they reckon on their website at 30 degress C, on freezer mode it will use 2 amps per hour.

Apparently the CF models have a better compressor than the cheaper CDF versions.

 

[fridayman]

I've got a Waeco CF-35. In my tests so far its performed brilliantly.

Its connected to an isolated leisure battery. It came with an insulating cover and mounting brackets. Very quiet. Goes down to something like -17. When it runs, it runs at 45 watts. So they reckon on their website at 30 degress C, on freezer mode it will use 2 amps per hour.

Apparently the CF models have a better compressor than the cheaper CDF versions.

Do you run yours off 12v or 240V?

 

[Gav Peter]

Apparently the CF models have a better compressor than the cheaper CDF versions.

I have been trying to find out the differences between the two as I have found a CDF version for quite a bit cheaper that the CF version... This will be my fallback in case the Quest doesn't do its job off the inverter...

 

[ignat]

Do you run yours off 12v or 240V?

12v in the car. Run it on AC the night before a trip to get it down to temp. I could run it off the inverter in the car I suppose.

Apparently the CF models have a better compressor than the cheaper CDF versions.

I have been trying to find out the differences between the two as I have found a CDF version for quite a bit cheaper that the CF version... This will be my fallback in case the Quest doesn't do its job off the inverter...

Danfoss compressor on the CF? Not sure

I know that:

CDF-35
Average runtime: 20% @ 20 ° 30% @ 32°
Temperature range: : 10°C to >= -15° C
17kg
DC Only

CF-35
Avg runtime 15% @ 20°C 19% @ 32°C
Temperature range: : 10°C to >= -18° C
15kg
DC or AC

 

[J66P]

I have an Engel and its superb, been froading with it in the back for about 5 years and still works superb, well worth the layout in the first place. I certainly pondered before i spent the money but glad i did

 

[TobyJug]

Hey Andy,

I am official Waeco dealer as well..
Why not just get a 35ltr TropiCool? I use it in the truck all day every day.

They are more than up to the job in my opinion + I can get u one for about £225..

there are some cheaper ones about but I am official dealer so you won't have any warranty issues.

 

[Gav Peter]

I'll talk to you later TJ...

 

[Mal Eade]

Hi All
I have a Waco 45 and it is the dogs on 12v or 240v.

Kept the beer cool in North Africa and the temp out side was 54c.

Low use on battery we kept it on for 36 hours without starting the truck still cool after all that time. I do have the extra insulation jacket for it and it makes a big difference. Make sure you mount it where you can get airflow to the compressor otherwise it will get to hot and trip out.

The only problem I had was using to small a cable the the 12v sockets and had voltage drop, it didn't like that at all.

I ran 6mm cable from the aux battery so it has its own feed. Works a treat.

When we are on campsites we use a lead and run it off 240v.

Mal :flags-wavegreatbritain:

 

[Chris]

Yes, I now have a Waeco and it's faultless. Power consumption is incredibly low. I do think that hard plastic to plastic isn't a very good seal for the lid though.

The other Quest jobbie has worked well for me and for the money you can't beat it. But on 240 running from the inverter it drained the battery in a little over a day. (The 12v option is pretty useless.) Fine if touring, but when you are parked up (like when we go stalking using a static camp site) then you can't keep it running. The inverter ties too hard to protect the battery and shut off the supply early. In gas it's been terrific but I had a problem once with the pilot light sooting up so I didn't have cooling at all then. But it cleaned up and was fine. It had some hammer and suffered a little. It depends what you want from a fridge. If you are doing a Summer of camping trips not far from shops, moving around the place then get a Quest and save your money. But if you plan anything remotely adventurous I'd probably get a proper fridge. The quest is not a Waeco equivalent. Yep, I got mine as a bargain off the bay. Think I paid £360 IIRC.

Chris

 

[Gav Peter]

But on 240 running from the inverter it drained the battery in a little over a day.

I didn't want to hear that!!!

 

[AndyCook]

"But on 240 running from the inverter it drained the battery in a little over a day"

how long does the waeco run on 240v through inverter ?

cheers for dealership option Tobyjug! will think as that as an option

 

[Chris]

But I don't have a very special inverter Gav. It's a bit clunky I guess. I shouldn't have said 'drained' the battery. It protects the battery as it thinks that it's needed for starting the engine. So if it drops to say 11v it probably shuts off. If you have an inverter that will allow a battery to drop to say 4v then you'd be fine. I didn't have my Cyrix Victron installed then and so once the battery was flat (to a point) then I had no fridge. The Waeco seems to go for days set at 4 degrees on the beer scale with no issues at all. I ran a meter across the battery and it didn't seem to make a dent in it all when running.

Andy - pointless running the Waeco on 240 from the inverter. Take 12, turn it into 240 v to turn it back to 12v to run the fridge? Not energy efficient. I don't think the fridge RUNS on 240v. I guess it steps it down to run on 12.

Chris

 

[Gav Peter]

I would suggest there's no need to use 240v in car with the Waeco Andy as it works incredibly well on 12v with very little power consumption...

Ah, beaten to the punch again!!!

With regard to the Quest, I'll get the inverter setup & see how it works before condemning the Quest to the caravan trips & looking for something else for me truck.

 

[AndyCook]

thanks for all the advice
thinks clearer for me now

so... you have the cheaper "fridges" like the Quest Tristar or Waeco 35ltr TropiCool, which are sub-£250
but these are just coolboxes, and only drop down to 1degC (upto 25-30degC below ambient)- fine for beer

The quest sounds to be not much use on 12v, so to work well needs 240v and an inverter but drains the battery on 240v via an inverter in a day.
the Waeco 35ltr TropiCool could be more efficient on 12v though?


then you have proper fridge/freezers with compressors - like the Engel or WAECO COMPRESSOR FRIDGE FREEZER CF-40

these work well on 12v, or 240v, with little current drain on 12v
they can freeze things to!
but cost around £500 for a Waeco 40l model - unless you find an ebay bargain!

 

[Chris]

You got it.
Quest on 12v is fine to hold it at cool when driving. But it won't chill from ambient on 12.
C

 

[AndyCook]

"You got it.
Quest on 12v is fine to hold it at cool when driving. But it won't chill from ambient on 12."

ah - so you could use mains in house, or if on road, 240v on inverter to get it down to cool temp, then switch to 12v

but a more expensive compressor fridge will do this from 12v anyway

wonder what the Waeco 35ltr TropiCool are like on 12v to get to cool temps - anyone?

still swithering over £225 vs £500 - you could by a big household fridge freezer for £500....

don't know how i will get buying a £500 portable fridge freezer past the "boss"
but they are a long term investment!! and she could use it to keep shopping cool !