Portable Fridge Freezers.

[stearman65]

The boat we are planning to buy doesn't have a fridge or freezer & no specified place for one. I'm an ex fridge engineer so I know what I'm talking about. As we would only be living on the boat a few days a week I've been looking at portable fridge freezers. Seems to be a big price hike between ones with a compressor & Absorbtion types. Anybody got actual experience of a particular model, preferably 240 and 12volts with good & bad points. Around 50ltr would be OK. My budget £350

 

[sarabande]

I've had a Waeco 45l for >20 years. Still works perfectly. They are now Dometic.


Waeco Tropicool Cool Boxes


No affiliation

 

[stearman65]

Thanks Sarabande, yes Dometic do lots of refrigeration types. Problem is they are around double the price of alternates. My budget would be around £350, or long life milk.

 

[Refueler]

Look at VEVOR ... I looked at as many brands as I could .... and Vevor seemed to come out well placed ... price and design.

On delivery - I plugged in (it has 240v to 12v adaptor PSU - so unit is 12v) - I set it to -2C and within a reasonable time it was displaying -1 .. -2C and steady. I have the 20ltr job.

One of the main selling points for me - the Vevor is one that actually a 2ltr Coke bottle stands upright !! Some others - they are less in internal height.

Only limitation - it only runs at one temp ... so you choose fridge or freezer ... some brands can divide - but then how much do you want to spend ?? 350 quid is not enough for a dual larger unit ...

 

[ash2020]

I've had quite a bit of experience of caravan fridges. I would say that the compressor type is far preferable, despite a tiny bit of extra noise. The absorption ones running on 12V will kill your battery in less than a day.

 

[stearman65]

Look at VEVOR ... I looked at as many brands as I could .... and Vevor seemed to come out well placed ... price and design.

On delivery - I plugged in (it has 240v to 12v adaptor PSU - so unit is 12v) - I set it to -2C and within a reasonable time it was displaying -1 .. -2C and steady. I have the 20ltr job.

One of the main selling points for me - the Vevor is one that actually a 2ltr Coke bottle stands upright !! Some others - they are less in internal height.

Only limitation - it only runs at one temp ... so you choose fridge or freezer ... some brands can divide - but then how much do you want to spend ?? 350 quid is not enough for a dual larger unit ...

Hi Refueler.
Checked the Vevor web site & this is what I found Vevor . The add didn't say it was actually powered, could just be an insulated box? Also it's from the USA!
Vevor

 

[Tranona]

Alpicool
ebay.co.uk/itm/224528703578?var=523311683591&mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&campid=5338990945&toolid=10001&customid=eb%3Ag%3Avms%3Aeb%3Ap%3A224528703578-523311683591%3BEAIaIQobChMI2vfR3diBgQMVTtbtCh1MGA23EAQYCCABEgLt-PD_BwE&_trkparms=ispr%3D1&amdata=enc%3A16LVQXyMaS62hvklCBxhmgg57&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI2vfR3diBgQMVTtbtCh1MGA23EAQYCCABEgLt-PD_BwE

i have a 25l version Very good

 

[geem]

We have an Indel B portable compressor fridge. 42L. We use it for fruit and veg. Works well. It's been on the boat in constant use for the last 5 years

 

[Farmer Piles]

We bought a Dellonda fridge/freezer coolbox. Well made, really efficient and it chilled or froze depending on the setting. Good value too.

 

[jadcoz]

The boat we are planning to buy doesn't have a fridge or freezer & no specified place for one. I'm an ex fridge engineer so I know what I'm talking about. As we would only be living on the boat a few days a week I've been looking at portable fridge freezers. Seems to be a big price hike between ones with a compressor & Absorbtion types. Anybody got actual experience of a particular model, preferably 240 and 12volts with good & bad points. Around 50ltr would be OK.

well we bought an

Outwell Arctic Chill 30L Coolbox 12v/230v before summer and taken it to italy and back and it was flipping flawless, doesnt use much power and goes really cold , its a compressor, built like a tank and all in all found it simply amazing​

Outwell Arctic Chill 30L Coolbox 12v/230v - Wow Camping

 

[B27]

I bought a < £200 compressor coolbox from ebay last year.
A generic Chinese product.
It is very good.
it used less than 150Wh per day when I ran it at home for a week.
If there's a reasonable amount of stuff in it, it stays cool overnight switched off.
For a typical few days away, we put a pre-cooked frozen meal in along with other stuff, and that keeps it cool for the first day.
Peak current is about 3A. Less than 4A anyway.

At the time, 'Alpicool' branded products were significantly dearer.
The one I got also has the advantage of fitting the space in the boat.

These things transform weekending aboard IMHO, in Summer thay are fairly easily supported by a solar panel and mean you can avoid the shops.
They make the built-in boat fridges of the 90s look like a sad joke.
I think it's more than paid for itself in reduced eating ashore?

Only problem is, they fill up quite quickly.
A few beers, a couple of meals, milk and cheese.

It has BlueTooth, for which I've failed to find an app that works!

 

[B27]

well we bought an

Outwell Arctic Chill 30L Coolbox 12v/230v before summer and taken it to italy and back and it was flipping flawless, doesnt use much power and goes really cold , its a compressor, built like a tank and all in all found it simply amazing​

Outwell Arctic Chill 30L Coolbox 12v/230v - Wow Camping

That's very similar to ours.
Does your Bluetooth work?
What app do you use?

It sounds very silly, but we have a car where the 12V socket in the boot only works while the engine is running and it would be nice to know the fridge is doing its stuff!

 

[Refueler]

Hi Refueler.
Checked the Vevor web site & this is what I found Vevor . The add didn't say it was actually powered, could just be an insulated box? Also it's from the USA!
Vevor

Stay away from 'coolers' ... they are useless.

Sorry your link did not work.

Here's the link for EU - I would think that it should be possible to find UK outlet ...

Using VEVOR Car Refrigerator for Cool Cruising

 

[stearman65]

Thanks Guys
Looks like the Dellonda is a goer.
Dellonda

 

[Refueler]

I think at end of day - like many things - few actual manufacturers - but lots of brand names ...

 

[Sandy]

I have friends who have sailed from latitude 60°N to 54°S, why do you need a fridge for a few days onboard?

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Halfords sell them at reasonable-ish prices.

 

[geem]

I have friends who have sailed from latitude 60°N to 54°S, why do you need a fridge for a few days onboard?

Because he wants to have some comfort, not camp in a field. All of my boats going back over 20 years have had fridge freezers. It means you can eat healthy fresh food and drink cool beer

 

[Sandy]

Because he wants to have some comfort, not camp in a field. All of my boats going back over 20 years have had fridge freezers. It means you can eat healthy fresh food and drink cool beer

Zero disconformant and a he is American suspect he likes his beer cold. Why anybody likes cold beer is a total mystery to me.

 

[geem]

Zero disconformant and a he is American suspect he likes his beer cold. Why anybody likes cold beer is a total mystery to me.

Because in Scotland it never gets warm enough to need cold beer. You normally need a hot toddy to warm up