I'm thinking of getting EHU as i'd love a fridge/electric cool box, but not sure on what to get without spending a fortune, are the electric cool boxes ok, what are they like, would they be ok plugged in for 2 weeks, any recommendations/advice?
We have a three way combicool cab 55 and we love it! Wouldn't be without it. We ended up getting ours on ebay for £110 brand new but they normally sell for almost £200. You can get a cab 40 in blue on ebay shops for £114. Ours came with a basket insert for small items but we never use it.
What's great about them is that you can buy all your food before you leave and have your fridge plugged in your car and you're good to go. I always hate grocery shopping when on holiday unless it's just a quick grab for items that don't last long. We haven't used the gas connection yet as we've always been on electric.
You want to look at how cool they will keep your food compared to the ambient temp, some are better than others and I've been told it's really important for hot weather.
They are worth every penny and you will save in the long run if you compare to running to the store every day to every other day taking time and petrol, plus the items you want may not be on sale so could cost more. Best investment we have made....next to our tent.
Hopefully someone with more knowledge than me can give more insight on the technical side.
Quote: Originally posted by curlycaro on 16/6/2008
hi,
I'm thinking of getting EHU as i'd love a fridge/electric cool box, but not sure on what to get without spending a fortune, are the electric cool boxes ok, what are they like, would they be ok plugged in for 2 weeks, any recommendations/advice?
We just bought one, so I'm not an expert on this by any means. But based on advice from the local (Dutch) camping magazine, we went for an absorbtion-based coolbox, since that is the only kind that is soundless in operation. (There are also compressor-based ones and another kind, but I forget what.)
Absorption coolboxes can run on 12V, 220/240V or even gas (although ours doesn't do gas), and I wouldn't worry about leaving them plugged in for two weeks assuming you have a proper EHU.
But then again, we haven't even plugged the thing in yet...
We have just bought a 35litre one from Halfrauds(halfords). It runs off the 12v car supply, or you can get the lead for normal 240v. It should be £99 but is currently on offer for £65. We borrowed one last year for 4 days, as wifey was worried about babies milk. We left it in the car, and switched it off at night, so it didn't flatten the battery. It keeps things very cold. We will use it this summer as an extra fridge for bbqs as well.
Rich
------------- Have new tent....will travel
Been to Weston,Grendon Lakes, Sherwood forest,Westbrook park and Port Eynon twice this year!
her-in-draws (H-I-D) and I visited a camping shop with the intention of buying a fridge/cooler box, however I got cold feet (pun intended) when the guy did his very best to sell us a 40 litre fridge.......
H-I-D quickly pointed out that there is no way you could get 40 x 1 Litre pop bottles in the device. Looking at the actual 'box' you put food into it was no where near big enough to be 40 Litre capacity.....So where do they get that size from?
Still looking by the way, so this may be a useful thread
------------- Snowmen fall to earth in kit form........
Every day is a gift..That's why it's called the present.
Our 35 litre box, was filled with 8 cans beer, 2 bottles of wine, 4pts milk, 1pt milk, bacon, sausages, minty lamb burgers, 2 litre bottle lemonade, cheese, 6 yogurts, 2x half litre bottles of water, and some meat for sarnies.........it may not be 35 litres but it lasted the weekend!
Rich
------------- Have new tent....will travel
Been to Weston,Grendon Lakes, Sherwood forest,Westbrook park and Port Eynon twice this year!
H-I-D quickly pointed out that there is no way you could get 40 x 1 Litre pop bottles in the device. Looking at the actual 'box' you put food into it was no where near big enough to be 40 Litre capacity.....So where do they get that size from?
No, you wouldn't, because there would be lost space. However, if you emptied the contents of 40 one litre bottles into the fridge, it should fit.
3 way combi cool is best if you've got the money (or the luck to find a 2nd hand bargain). (I'm still looking - I can't afford 170 quid for a new one )
12v/240v chiller types are ok, but I found mine to be noisy & not that good & only used it twice. (halfords cool box type may be better) also they are coolers & not fridges & won't always keep your food at a safe temp'.
I bought a small 240v household fridge (caravan size) which was cheap & works very well - tho they say you shouldn't use household electrical items in the damp enviroment of a tent & one day I'll probably die .
3 way combi cool is best if you've got the money (or the luck to find a 2nd hand bargain). (I'm still looking - I can't afford 170 quid for a new one )
I too would recommend the Waeco Combicool. Note though that there are now two 40L models - the blue one (CAB-40B) which cools to 20C below ambient, and the silver/grey one (CAB-40) which goes to 30C below ambient. I'd strongly recommend the higher model as whilst it costs a bit more it's good to be able to have the extra capability should you require it, particular if camping abroad. Furthermore, the additional grunt is beneficial even in more moderate temperatures as it will cool the fridge down quicker when loaded with food/drink from shopping.
A few places sell the CAB-40 for £150 which granted is a lot of money however for what it's worth they are built to last - the nature of the technology is such that there are no moving mechanical parts hence it should last a lifetime if cared for. Also, as you can see on eBay there is a healthy 2nd hand market which shows they hold their value well should you ever have/want to depart with it.
Quote: Originally posted by Graham on 16/6/2008
So where do they get that size from?
Perhaps this was a rhetorical question, but the capacity sizes are accurate. Take the CAB-40 for example, its internal dimensions are 42.5cm x 28.5cm x 34cm hence has a volume of 41.2 litres. Knock off some for the evaporator and fins and it's a reasonable figure.
Of course, the shape of what you put in it will dictate how well you can maximise the space!
Quote: Originally posted by curlycaro on 16/6/2008
thanks all, but can we get back to the subject... what do i buy!!!
lol
I posted some advice above and you don't need 180 to get a combi cool. There is a store on ebay selling one for about 140ish or less. We love our combi cool and wouldn't recommend getting one that you have to put a freezer block in just to make it cooler. This is going to be one of those buys that you get what you pay for so use your money wisely or it will cost more in the long run.
3 way combi cool is best if you've got the money (or the luck to find a 2nd hand bargain). (I'm still looking - I can't afford 170 quid for a new one )
I too would recommend the Waeco Combicool. Note though that there are now two 40L models - the blue one (CAB-40B) which cools to 20C below ambient, and the silver/grey one (CAB-40) which goes to 30C below ambient. I'd strongly recommend the higher model as whilst it costs a bit more it's good to be able to have the extra capability should you require it, particular if camping abroad. Furthermore, the additional grunt is beneficial even in more moderate temperatures as it will cool the fridge down quicker when loaded with food/drink from shopping.A few places sell the CAB-40 for £150 which granted is a lot of money however for what it's worth they are built to last - the nature of the technology is such that there are no moving mechanical parts hence it should last a lifetime if cared for. Also, as you can see on eBay there is a healthy 2nd hand market which shows they hold their value well should you ever have/want to depart with it.
Quote: Originally posted by Graham on 16/6/2008
So where do they get that size from?
Perhaps this was a rhetorical question, but the capacity sizes are accurate. Take the CAB-40 for example, its internal dimensions are 42.5cm x 28.5cm x 34cm hence has a volume of 41.2 litres. Knock off some for the evaporator and fins and it's a reasonable figure.Of course, the shape of what you put in it will dictate how well you can maximise the space!Mathew
Hi all
I will go along with Mathew on this and go for a the thermoelectric tec cooled box if you always intend to use electric, or a three way evaporator if you go without the EHU now and again. But what matters for keeping food fresh and safe is the insulation quality, the coolers that cool to 30Deg C below ambient will keep your food free from bacteria growth up to a ambient temperature of 33 degrees C quite often reached these days in the UK and especially on the continent .
We have both the Igloo tec cooler for when we use an EHU
and a three way for when we go solar 12volt for power.
Regards
Rex
PS but if you have about £300 to spare then the latest
12 volt compressor cool boxes are the cats whiskers, and will always keep your food fresh regardless of the ambient temp.
Post last edited on 17/06/2008 10:53:45
Post last edited on 17/06/2008 14:03:31
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Topic: fridges/electric cool boxes - what to buy
(I'm still looking - I can't afford 170 quid for a new one 
)
tho they say you shouldn't use household electrical items in the damp enviroment of a tent & one day I'll probably die 
.
