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Hi

I bought a 3 way camping fridge on a well known auction site last year and used it for camping last week. Bit disappointed as the food didn't feel at all cold in there (to be fair it kept butter from melting but nothing felt 'cold' to the touch and I had to resort to keeping ice blocks in there to keep it cooler.

Its an absorption fridge from what I can gather - 21 litre with a flip up lid so what temps can I expect it to get down to? Its working well at home where the air temp is around 18 but I guess the tent just was too hot to allow it to get really cool.

Is this one of the fridges that only drops 10 or 15 below ambient or should these perform as well as a domestic fridge? I'm not sure whether theres something wrong with it or whether it was the fact that it was so hot in the tent and it couldnt cope...

I'm not sure it was worth all the space it took up in the car!!

Sorry I didn't realise that there were different types of 3 way fridge. I knew there was a difference between a 'cooler' and a fridge but not differing 3 way fridges....

Its an Electrolux Mobilcool RC1500

Its quite old I think - never been run on gas, only 12v & 240v.

Reading through some posts on here it may be that I didnt run it for long enough before leaving home to cool it down properly, the ambient temp in the tent was probably too high (how can you overcome this?) or even maybe it wasnt level enough - is this an issue using the EHU tho?

Its been on for a few hours at home now and the little tray in the top is icy so its definitely working ok at home.

Quote: Originally posted by fitzmum on 30/7/2011

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Reading through some posts on here it may be that I didnt run it for long enough before leaving home to cool it down properly, the ambient temp in the tent was probably too high (how can you overcome this?) or even maybe it wasnt level enough - is this an issue using the EHU tho?

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It does help to run it at home for 24 hours before leaving, plus make sure everything you pack into it is well chilled in your domestic fridge. Once loaded don't open the fridge till you've got it plugged in and running again. If you have a long car journey of several hours and it's hot it helps to freeze some of the contents beforehand, like the milk or orange juice.

It's essential to have the fridge perfectly level when running it on gas but less so on EHU.

As to coldness it's unlikely an older fridge of this sort will manage lower than 20'C below ambient even in the best conditions. If it's 25'C in the tent...very easy on a sunny day...then your fridge will not be any cooler than 5'C at absolute best, which is just on the safe limit for storing raw meats, pate, sausages, bacon etc. Be sensible about this. If you're really concerned take a small fridge thermometer to use inside the fridge. Absorption fridges are never as efficient at cooling and maintaining temperature as a domestic compressor fridge.

It helps if you open the fridge as infrequently as possible. Take out all you need for a meal at once and return unused foodstuffs to it asap, don't let them warm up more than they need to. If chilling wine or beer, cool it down a bit first first in a bucket of cold water with a wet teatowel draped over the bottles. Don't put warm foodstuffs in the fridge. If bringing chilled food home from the supermarket invest in an insulated shopping bag to keep the food as cold as possible on the journey home.

Finally, keep a good airflow going round the fridge. If running on gas this is doubly essential as all gas appliances need good ventilation, so keep the fridge in the porch. If on EHU keep it in the driest area of the tent, a little up off the ground if possible. You can't control ambient temperature in the tent by any other method than good ventilation, which only helps a little. On very hot days the fridge will struggle to even remain cool, let alone cold.

You can buy newer models that can chill to 30'C below ambient but they're more expensive of course.

Thank you Val thats very helpful.

My next 'investment' will probably be a Coleman Xtreme or an Igloo Coolbox that will keep ice for 5 days. I'll feel happier with something that will keep everything very cold especially with 2 children to feed! x

Quote: Originally posted by fitzmum on 31/7/2011

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Thank you Val thats very helpful.

My next 'investment' will probably be a Coleman Xtreme or an Igloo Coolbox that will keep ice for 5 days. I'll feel happier with something that will keep everything very cold especially with 2 children to feed! x

 

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As above we have had three way fridges for years. It works much better on Gas and we always cool it down at home put food in it then put it in the car last thing. These must be level and i have one of those caravan spirit levels to help on site.

If on EHU and in the tent it struggles but still works ok as a fridge so better stick it near the opening / coolest part of your tent. We have a pop up kyham gazebo that we always use as a utility tent so the fridge really never suffers from high tent temperatures and especially if on gas then its used only in the gazebo.  

I would not bother with the 12v connection in the car unless you are travelling long distance as it only "maintains" the fridge enroute.

Hope this helps

Andy  

I have a three way fridge that's a few years old now.  It's an Electrolux and is very efficient.  Never used it on gas, but it has frozen Coke cans left in the bottom of it when on 12v and driving long distances.  There is no temperature regulation on 12v.  On 230v it has been fine with thermostat turned down.

There must be a problem with yours if it isn't cooling down sufficiently on EHU.