Heres a quick overview of pros and cons to help you decide: Running a 12V fridge in your van requires an electrical setup that consists of (at a minimum) a 12V outlet connected to an auxiliary battery (not your starting battery), and a means to charge it. Hope that helps! dc refrigerator compressor 12v 50l counter larger fridge freezer Theyre among the most expensive 12 volt refrigerators for van life you can buy. If youre a couple, you will be best served with a fridge that is at least 45-Qt. Hello, I just tested the codes and they worked for me. Use coupon code GNOMAD for 12% off at Iceco.com. As far as accessories, Dometic makes a fridge slide and an insulated cover for CFX fridges. But the big differentiator between BougeRV refrigerators and all those others is that BougeRV seems committed to becoming a real, reputable brand in the vanlife, RV, and adventure space. They offer an excellent combination of top quality components, rugged construction, performance on par with higher end 12 volt fridges, and affordable pricing thats tough to beat. refrigerator china 24v dc12 caravan compressor camping fishing outdoor use While a 12 volt refrigerator advertising a 3-year or 5-year warranty is awesome, the big question is how easy it will be to get warranty servicing. Get one and you can probably either combine a 1kw or go down to a 400w-600w. refrigerator freezer quart cooler portable electric compressor camping Featuring best-in-class energy efficiency, cutting edge technology, rugged build quality, and overall reliability, CFX3 fridges are the top choice of many vanlifers for good reason. Just want to make sure Im understanding your set up trying to get mine set up at the moment and need all the ideas i can get). Hi John, this is very helpful thank you! Iceco refrigerators offer all the basic features that weve come to expect in 12V refrigerators, including battery protection and eco/max cooling modes. Engel fridges are not the most feature-packed. Ability to operate at up to a 30 incline. compressor 12v 45l mini larger fridge Most fridges also automatically sense battery voltage and will go into standby mode (i.e. fridge 24v freezer refrigerator 35l compressor portable dc I think thats only a concern for propane to make the flame contact the burner effectively. Hi, thank you for sharing all this info! They are the most efficient out there, they offer the most advanced features of any 12V portable fridge, and Dometic is well-known for producing top quality 44 and mobile living components. But there are some question marks to be aware of here. And why buy a rebrand when you can buy the real deal directly from the source? Theyre built to be rugged and durable, with solid construction, stainless steel hinges, and reinforced corners. Our mission here at Gnomad Home is to do our best to provide tools for nomads to make build decisions based on their own needs, priorities, and budget. The big advantage to power stations is convenience and ease of use, but you will pay a bit of a premium for that. As far as the types of fridges used residentially we recently toured the Earthship community outside Taos, NM, which is community of completely off-grid self-sustaining dwellings. Are they insulated enough or do you really need to run them 247? But as with anything, there are drawbacks. Plus these fridges are built for RVs and trucking, so I would imagine that they can operate at a similar incline as the portable units (30 degrees). Hope that helps! How can a front-open fridge with shelves and drawers be tougher to organize than a chest fridge that forces you to stack items on top of each other? I imagine that would provide peace of mind. Rugged mid-priced fridge that's a solid choice for vandwelling. To me home solar is a different beast than camper solar. Another huge drawback is that absorption fridges need to be completely level to function properly and unless you spend all your time in RV parks, perfectly level ground can be difficult to find. We have it up between our front seats, and I only notice noise from the compressor when Im up front and thinking about it. Everything you need for an off grid adventure. That said, 12V fridges dont actually run 24/7 the compressor kicks on only as needed. Yes I know inverter losses but paying 10x to make up a few amps a day is ridiculous. All of this is more difficult with an upright fridge. We highly recommend Dometic CFX3 12 volt refrigerators. Is one of them better at being an occasional seat? fridge youre getting will fit your needs. compressor In our van, we have our rear-hinged ARB fridge between the front seats so having the hinge at the rear actually makes it easier for us to access everything. ARB fridges are some of the most expensive we looked at. Heres a breakdown: Compressor fridges are the most common type of 12 volt refrigerator youll see on the road, and for good reason. BougeRV offers a standard 2-year warranty on their fridges, which you can extend to 3 years by registering your product. fridge freezer compressor 12v portable larger They offer a longer standard warranty in Australia. I wouldnt run any fridge or sensitive electronic equipment off a MSW inverter. Daryl, do you use the 1kw inverter for the fridge only? The accessories arent cheap, though! The CFX3 is not cheap, but if thats not a priority for you then its an excellent choice for your van. Are you outside the United States? Dometic CFX fridges arent cheap, thats for sure. As an Amazon associate we earn from qualifying purchases. We spoke with people who run 12V throughout their houses along with a handful of regular 120V outlets, and only turn their inverters on when needed (just like we do in the van). Engel 12 volt DC refrigerators are legendary for their reliability and longevity in fact, their motto is A Legend in Reliability and they certainly stand up to their reputation. You really do get what you pay for with these. no registration required). Hope that helps! Theres no free energy. We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase (at no additional cost to you). Or, if you prefer, you can skip to our list of recommendations. However, many fridge manufacturers do not make these levels available. You just need to be aware of exactly what youre buying, and make sure the brand is willing to support you after the purchase. Hi Jon, both are great fridges. They are rugged and well made, include top quality components like Danfoss SECOP compressors, and they are among the most efficient 12 volt refrigerators out there. Yeah a dedicated 1kw. LiFePO4 batteries (lithium iron phosphate, or LFP), on the other hand, can be discharged 100%. This test was conducted with daytime ambient temperatures in the high 70s, and nighttime temps in the high 60s. Hi, Looking for a 60q for sprinter stealth RV with solar and trying to choose between ARB and Dometic. However, the product appears solid and BougeRV seems committed to becoming a reputable brand, all of which bodes well. larger But theyre just not ideal for living in a van. You can save a bit of money with other brands, but ARB makes top quality, rugged, and efficient fridges. Hi Mark, we actually just published a review of the Jackery 1000 yesterday that you might find helpful in making your decision. They are efficient, perform well, and include all the basic features you would expect in a modern 12V refrigerator all for a fraction of the price of higher end brands. I appreciate your comment about some fridges including digital controls and remote readouts. Based on our research, Dometic CFX3 fridges are the most efficient that weve found. The front-open fridges in stationary dwellings are huge, and give you plenty of space to spread out and organize your food items. Ultimately, vanlife is not about gadgets and HGTV interiors its about enjoying the freedom to create your own life. Ive looked all over Al Gores internet and nothing. In their product descriptions for this 12V fridge, Engel states that the MR040 typically draws 1-2 Amps per hour, and a comparison test run by ARB showed this fridge drawing 1.67A per hour in 90F temps. Hi JD, ARB doesnt provide noise level specs, but we have the ARB 50 qt and we hardly ever notice when its running. costway The world of 12V fridges has grown quite confusing, with newer budget players like Iceco, Alpicool, and Costway entering the market, and major brands like Dometic and ARB getting more and more expensive. The most significant difference between our CFX and CF models is our CFX has a WAECO compressor, and the CF line uses a SECOP compressor. The login page will open in a new tab. If youd rather spend less on a fridge, we recommend taking a look at Truck Fridge. ARB fridges include all the features you expect, like low voltage cutoff, digital display, interior lighting, removable lid, and drain plug. No one told me this when I started out but a simple $60 120v fridge from walmart is just as good on power and holds up in a vehicle just fine. Specifically TF65? The big benefit here is cost you can make a real, working refrigerator for a fraction of the cost of a purpose-built 12 volt portable fridge. Whynter (also known as Edgestar) fridges are a popular choice among budget-conscious vanlifers. https://www.amazon.com/RCO410-Capacitor-Refrigerator-Compressors-PartsBroz/dp/B07MLV25P9/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=fridge+hard+start+capacitor&qid=1556246697&s=gateway&sr=8-3. These 12 volt refrigerators are more expensive than other options, and thats before you factor in the need to add auxiliary batteries and a means to charge them (like solar panels or a battery isolator). This seems like an interesting option because freezers have additional insulation built in, and the temperature relay eliminates the problem of power loss by constantly leaving an inverter on. They also stand behind their products with a 3-year warranty and highly-rated customer support. Thermoelectric coolers plug into a 12V power source, and have the ability to chill their contents without ice. We respect your privacy unsubscribe any time. freezer 75l caravan This is exactly what many of these companies are doing. Below are our top picks for best overall value, best high end/upgrade fridge, and best budget 12 volt refrigerator (we recommend additional options in each category further down in this post). Want to live vanlife? The lid on these fridges hinges from the back, making the ARB our top choice overall if you need a rear-hinged lid. How does your fridge do with off-roading and not being level? Regarding the Iceco fridge most fridges on the market use the same Danfoss compressor (with the exception of Dometic and Engel), so the power draw there is pretty much the same across brands. Search 12V refrigerator on Amazon, and youll be met with dozens of similar-looking products sold under generic-sounding names like Costway, F40C4TMP, SetPower, AstroAI, and Bodega. I hope that helps, let me know if you have other questions! Thanks again for the input! bougerv 24v compressor fridge pricecheck Refrigeration means you can store fresh food and other cold items like vegetables, dairy, meat, booch, and beer. That may be the best solution at this point. Read on for a guide on what to look for when selecting a refrigerator for your van. With chest fridges, the door is at the top, which means that cold air will pool at the bottom of the fridge where it has nowhere to escape. I dont know where you guys got the warranty information.. On Amazons website for the CFX50 that you recommend, it says the warranty is 1 year on the compressor and 2 years on parts. Just dump ice in your fridge like you would a standard cooler, and pull the drain plug as needed to remove ice melt. According to Dometics own testing, the CFX3 45L draws an insanely low 0.68A per hour on average (90F ambient temperature with the fridge set to 39F). My charge controller generally registers 500w generated for the day average. Wondering if I could get your thoughts Im building out a Chevy express for 1-2 week trips and weekend camping, and Id like to avoid the whole electrical, charge control, fuse box, battery set up, and am leaning towards an all in one jackery 1000 with 200w solar panels. Starts a fan motor hard but everything else is great. See how we learned many skills and trades in our van build. First, it will likely need to be permanently mounted, whereas chest-style 12 volt portable fridges can be easily moved. Thanks for catching this! Low voltage cut off to protect your batteries. Anyone have specs on the TruckFridge65 as far as incline? Ive heard people shutting off their Dometic cooler at night while sleeping and there only being a small temp difference in the morning. This allows you to move your 12V fridge around your van, bring it inside and plug it into 110V AC if youre stationary somewhere, or stow it outside in cool weather for greater energy efficiency. Hi there, it definitely can be a bit overwhelming! They are nearly half the cost of some higher end brands, yet they are close to on par in terms of efficiency, components, durability, and important features. I wish this article did list all the decibel levels. However, you would need a bigger battery to accommodate your other electrical loads, and we always recommend building in some wiggle room if you can. Why is this the case? As an example, lets assume our fridge draws an average of 2.0 Amps per hour. When youre boondocking in the wilderness with your batteries and solar panels as your only power source, energy efficiency is a prime consideration. Remember, you can always upgrade your van down the road as your needs and budget change. For a fridge I think Ill need a 40-45 liter. Looks like they changed with CFX series. Available in sizes from 24 to 99 liters, and in both single and dual zone. Domicile for Nomads: Establishing a Legal Residence on the Road, Your Parents Were Right! Let me know if youre still having issues. All of this means wasted space without any real gains in organization. We dont have personal experience living with a Dometic fridge for long periods, so we cant give a subjective comparison. BougeRV makes very efficient refrigerators. Theyre making a big push into the vanlife and RV space, and seem like theyre committed to becoming a reputable brand. Both made by Dometic and both use Danfoss compressor. With chest fridges, its easy to look straight down and see all the contents. So roughly $100 for a fridge that uses about 15a a day in winter and average 45a average with peal of 60a in summer. Freezers tend to have thicker insulation than fridges, which means that your DIY fridge will be more efficient than a standard mini-fridge. But how much battery capacity do you need? These types of fridges can run on 12V DC, 110V AC, or propane, giving you a variety of options to keep your food cold. Now, this doesnt mean that these products are bad. No wet cooler, can be refrozen easily, and can be used as water after thawing. ARB fridges hinge from the short side, whereas Dometic fridges hinge from the long side. CFX3 fridges may not be the best value, but they are excellent products that are worth the cost to some. Dometic fridges are certainly not cheap (nor are the offerings from ARB and Engel), but they are efficient and reliable units with a range of features and a good reputation in the nomad community. Also, you may have to get down on your hands and knees to see inside an upright fridge, unless you mount it on a cabinet a few feet off the floor. Including solar panels, mounting brackets, MPPT charge controller, fuses, and wiring.