How to choose the best portable fridge for your next Aussie camping trip!
One of the most important factors of any camping trip is keeping the food (and beers) cold. There are many ways to do this, for example the traditional esky or cooler filled with ice – but when camping in the hot heat of summer, ice can quickly melt. Other factors to consider is access to ice on a regular basis to top up the esky. Well, camping technology has come leaps and bounds, and you can now purchase 12v camping fridges at a cost effective price!
Like most products, camping fridges come in a variety of configurations, so you will have to assess your requirements in order to choose one that is right for you. A few things to consider when choosing a fridge are:
- The size and weight of the fridge
- Do you also need a freezer component?
- How much power the fridge will require
- Cost of the fridge
Anyway, with that in mind let’s get straight into our 12v camping fridge reviews. In our opinion, the best fridges for camping are:
- Camec 55 Litre Fridge/Freezer
- Evakool TMX65 Travelmate Fridge/Freezer – 65 Litre
- Engel MT-V45F 40L Portable Fridge/Freezer
- Dometic CFX3 45 Portable Fridge/Freezer 46 Litre
- ACOPOWER R40A Portable Solar Fridge Freezer
- Kolner 40L Portable Fridge Freezer Cooler
- Dometic CF-50ACVERB Portable 12V/240V Fridge/Freezer – 50L
- Devanti 35-60L Portable Fridge Refrigerator Freezer Cooler
- Glacio 45L Portable Fridge & Freezer
- Evakool Glacier 50L Fridge/Freezer G50
What to look for when buying a camping fridge
Quality Brand
Choosing the right camping fridge freezer is a critical task and especially when you are travelling to the faraway areas where you will stay for longer weeks like in Australia. Opt your fridge from a reputable brand having reliable servicing, easy access to spare parts, and extended warranty. You may find the number of brands with less price, looks perfect but they will be out of work after a few months, and then this will be a massive inconvenience during camping. In contrast, you may find brands with a relatively high price, but quality products with warranty, do for them. Here, we have presented the five best and top-rated freezers for your camping available on Amazon.
Durable Body
Most of the time, fridges are made from the combination of plastic and metal that makes its body durable and insulated, while those fridges having an only plastic body are less durable because plastic deteriorates in the UV rays of the sun or becomes fragile. Though, some have plastic handles and lids, which are replaceable but the better and qualitative option is to buy fridges with stainless steel or aluminum cases. Also, you can keep some mounting kits with yourself if the weather conditions are too severe there and foam base to avoid an unforeseen problem while travelling or camping. With the hard work of years of renowned brands, they have crafted beautiful and classy cases to grabs your attention.
Power Efficient
Whenever you are camping for several days at the same place, it is incredibly essential to keep power consumption low and minimize the drain on batteries. However, if you have solar panels and a considerable amount of sunlight or generators for batteries’ charging, then you can keep your fridge running with high power. Famous brands have high-quality products with thicker & robust walls for increasing power consumption efficiency. You can keep up it’s working by caring about it while camping. Please place it in the cool shaded area to avoid sunlight, cover it with available thermal covers, turn off the fridge in the night because of falling temperature, always keep the fridge filled with bottles, ice cubes, or other stuff for better functioning. As well as, you can keep the temperature low for storing veggies and fruits while keeping it low for storing ice-cream or other long-lasting items.
Fridge Size & Shape
Generally, we forget to focus on the shape and size of the fridge, whether it can place in the car for carrying? Or would it be fitted at the camping place? Unless you are going to use a fridge as a portable wine cooler, you are going to want to have a decent amount of space. Make sure that you have measured the space width and length in the way that lid can be easily opened there, or the surface is smooth or tilted. All factors are immensely important to consider, including the weight of the fridge and its slide. If your transport can bear 30kg weight, keep in mind that the fridge slide also has some weight and the stuff you will place inside too, so choose wisely. While, there you will realize that the fridge slide has increased the height few centimetres, therefore check the space properly and then take it with you on camping. Besides this, most of the fridge sizes range from 10 litres to 100 litres, but its highly insane to choose with bigger sizes because it will cause extreme power consumption loss while working, as empty freezers consume more than the fullers.
Fridge Power & Connections
Wow! Maybe you believe or not, but the technology innovation has brought this revolution that many of fridge now come up with the WIFI or Bluetooth connection with your smartphones to keep the temperature of the fridge in control remotely. By default, fridges are operational on 12 to 24 volts and have an in-built transformer to function on 100 to 240 volts. If you have an available transformer, then turn it over to the mains, but if it doesn’t pre-installed, then you can get that separately. Moreover, there is a problem of power plug in the cars, as these 12volts can be connected to a cigarette lighter plug, but sometimes they run out while moving on the rough roads. Keep it working by attaching with cargo car batteries and travel safely to your camping area.
Packing your Portable Camping Fridge
If you want your food to stay cold it’s best to learn how to correctly pack your portable fridge. Don’t just throw things in randomly, check out the following video for some great tips on correct packing procedures.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
What is a camping fridge?
A camping fridge is a powered mobile cooling system that works through your car’s 12-V electrical system to keep the beverages or food items frozen for a longer time. Although they are more cost-effective than an Esky or a chiller, you don’t need to worry about replenishing the ice again. You can take it along with you in the caravan as well.
How much capacity do I need for a camping fridge?
There is no such perfect answer to this question. However, camping fridges are available in different sizes, such as 45, 46, 55, and 65 liters. The more the space the better it is, therefore we recommend you invest in a 65L portable camping fridge in order to save your favorite snacks or drinks.
What things to look for before purchasing a camping fridge?
A camping fridge is something that can make your long-route traveling more exciting. You need to invest in a fridge having a Wi-Fi option, a large display interface to control and monitor temperature settings, a powerful motor, and a durable compressor. Also, go for the one that comes with a removable basket, 3-stage battery protection system, draws low power, and is made from a high-quality exterior body.
What temperatures should I set for my camping fridge or freezer operations?
Generally, the home fridge works in between 2-4~C which is the optimum temperature to store food items. However, a camping fridge should be set at a little higher temperature so that you can store beverages for a longer duration. Also, for freezing chilled drinks or your favorite snacks, the ideal temperature is -15~C without compromising on the battery power.
If I unplug my camping fridge how long it will keep items cold?
The answer to these questions is based on several factors, such as which brand you’re going to purchase, what is the maximum capacity it can hold, how often the lid is opened or closed, what type of food you’re going to store in the fridge, and what type of material is used in the manufacturing of the fridge. Also, it depends on other environmental conditions, for instance, how hot the weather is, and how much time you’re going to unplug your unit, and the battery power as well.
What sort of additional accessories are required to have along with a camping fridge?
The first and the foremost accessory is having a good-quality fridge cover. This plays an important role to protect your refrigerator from pollen, dirt, or grime. Also, having a fridge cover can keep your food items icy even in harsh weather conditions. Moreover, it offers insulation optimizing the efficiency and power of the refrigerator.
Another accessory is a fridge slide that is a perfect fit to mount the fridge in the car. They are available in different sizes according to different models standards. Also, you can go for the tilt slide that would give you super quick access to the items.
The third must-have is the tie-down straps that would secure your fridge while off-roading. You may find it in Camec or Evakool refrigerators in order to buckle the fridge in your car. Also, you need a security cable to protect your fridge from being pinched. Moreover, must purchase a portable fridge stand so you don’t need to wait for icy drinks. Lastly, shop for powerful portable power packs to keep your food items cold.
