3-way chest Fridge

[Tank]

I am thinking of buying a 3-way chest fridge, i.e. Gas, 12V, 240V, or preferrably if available a straight Gas only (more than likely a gas/12v setup) chest type fridge.
Some of the specs I've read so far shows cooling only down to 25 degrees below ambient temperature, which is useless for keeping food fresh. Has anyone had experience with the one that Repco sells. Not after a fridge/freezer (unless advised otherwise), just need something to leave in the new campertrailer, while I have the Engle in the Disco, appreciate your views, Regards Frank.

[Bushie]

Had an old Electrolux 3 way for years, 25deg below ambient sounds about right. It was a rather hot September at Innamincka (40+) that convinced us to get a 12v compressor fridge.
No cold beer and food going off just wasn't good enough.
To the best of my knowledge it's the heat exchange process that limits to cooling of this type of fridge.


Martyn

[loanrangie]

12v is useless and 240V a bit better , gas gives best performance only downside is another fuel to worry about but then most people use gas for something so just allow an extra or larger bottle .

[sam_d]

As mentioned above the 12v mode is a bit pathetic, 240v is okay and gas is pretty good.

I have an Aldi 3-Way fridge I bought about 6 years ago. The only time it gets used these days (as I now have a Waeco compressor fridge) is for when we're camping in one location for a few nights, running it on gas as a gas bottle will last for ages - well after a 12v battery has gone flat.

As for how well it cools on really really hot days I can't tell you - we've never been that lucky with the weather - but generally it is pretty good. I can't imagine the Repco fridge being too different.

[AnD3rew]

I'd just go a good compressor 12v/240v and invest in a battery and a solar panel for your trailer.

There's a reason gas fridges aren't popular anymore.

[Judo]

I tried a 3-way briefly before purchasing a compressor type. I don't know how anyone can live with a 3-way! Agree that 25 below ambient sounds right - and is just hopeless in summer. No 3-way will be much better. It's a physical limitation of the 3'way design. If you don't use it often, you may also need to give it a good shake every so often to remix the gas/liquid in it. (Sometimes not convenient if it's installed somewhere).

There is additional cost to just the fridge if you do it right, but my recommendation is to get a compressor driven fridge, dual batteries and a solar panel. You don't need a particularly big or expensive solar panel and the battery is topped up to 100% daily. It's brilliant. The fridge is never outside of 2-4*C regardless of ambient temp and you don't need to swap between gas and power. They also run on 240v with a power pack.

[Tank]

Thanks for your replies, I have naturally considered a straight compressor fridge and I have an Engle fridge in my Disco. The cost just to setup a battery/solar setup +plus the cost of another compressor fridge is prohibitive, I have a 3 way fridge (Electrolux upright in my old camper trailer and it has a freezer section which works well on 240V/Gas, would I have to switch to this type of fridge, Regards Frank.

[d2dave]

If you go with an upright Electrolux/Dometic be aware that they have three different ratings of fridges. They are Sub Normal, Sub Tropical and Tropical.

The only one that will work well is Tropical, and I can tell you from experience. If installed properly Tropical do work well.

I have had all three. One was a Tropical purchased new and it worked brilliantly in hot weather. I currently have in my caravan a six month old two door Subtropical, it it works ok, but not brilliant, and this has the best install that can be done.

I have also had sub normal and these are useless in hot weather.

[BMKal]

I've also got an upright Electrolux 3 way in the camper trailer Frank.

Works OK on 240V, not much chop on 12V and we've never had the gas connected up on it. Original gas plumbing to this and the cooker were a bit dodgy, so I removed it when we first got the trailer given to us and have never replaced it.

I find that the 12V will keep things cool if you pull the temperature down nice and low with 240V overnight every night - but if you go a night without 240V power, the 12V side of it will not keep up, even in mild weather.

I've got two Engels now, so tend to rely much more on them. I have a couple of "portable" batteries that we use - one is a "Thumper" which I think is now a Waeco product - the other is an Engel power pack - brilliant bit of gear. Both charge OK from power sockets in the vehicle when travelling.

Shaun usually borrows one of these battery packs from me when he goes on camping trips in the D2 (it doesn't have dual battery set-up). He has the same 40 litre Engel fridge that I have.

[Redback]

Chestcold chest 3 way is what I would get Frank, only downside to 3 ways though as you would be aware of is they have to be level, the more level they are the better they work, so what ever you put it on, needs to be able to be leveled up fairly easily.

We have a 3way in our camper(electrolux) it's 39yrs old, came out of a 1974 Cub Drifta it has only just died, been a brilliant fridge, we also have a Finch chest Fridge, it works really well on Gas/240v, it's getting a bit long in the tooth also, this was going to be our replacement in the camper, but mounting it is the tough bit at the moment.

Baz.