Hi
We’re looking at getting a 3 way fridge for tent camping, it will be mainly used on EHU apart from at festivals where we can take gas up to 5kg eg the patio gas bottles.
My question is, has anyone used this combo? Does it work ok? How much gas did it use? It would need to last 3 days. Is there anything I should be aware of?
Patio gas is propane, which is used in caravans and motor homes so,should be OK with correct regulator. Calor may have a helpline for advice or contact online.
Post last edited on 11/08/2023 11:41:27
------------- DS-There's more to life than football!!!
You should never use a gas appliance in a tent! It would be running more or less continuously.
It has a flame so apart from a fire risk, it gives off carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. Not good for you,at all.
Read the instructions as it should have safety warnings.
On caravans and motorhomes fridges are sealed to,the outside and have external flues.
You would have to leave it outside if you must use it.
------------- DS-There's more to life than football!!!
As to how long it will run on a cylinder of gas, typically 4-5 days per Kg of gas (so 5Kg cylinder = 20-25 days) if only device using gas, as a minimum if gas set to 'High', if set to a lower setting the gas will last longer.
You can verify this for yourself for your particular model of fridge, check the label/instruction manual, it will state the gas consumption in g/h (Grams per Hour - typically around 8.5-10 g/h), divide 1000 (g in a Kg of gas) by that figure to get how many hours of run time a Kg of gas will give. Multiply that by your cylinder size to get the life expectancy of any given cylinder.
Good advice given on DO NOT run in an enclosed tent, the flame burns continuously at the given setting, it does not have thermostatic control whereby it cuts in and out, not that you should use ANY gas appliance in an unvented area at all. In a tent porch area without sealed ground sheet, and sealed from main body of tent should be OK. Done that for years, but always with a Carbon Monoxide Alarm in the sealed tent area just to be doubly safe - you don't get warnings of Carbon Monoxide (invisible and no odour) or it's poisoning effects, you can just die!
DO NOT leave in the open exposed to rain/dew etc., the 'workings' are not weather proof, and the lid is not sealed well enough to stop rain entering the storage compartment. Keep the sun off it as much as possible, otherwise it will struggle to maintain safe food temps.
Be warned, 3-way fridges are at their most powerful running on gas and have no thermostat on gas, they WILL freeze contents if ambient temp drops low enough (overnight being classic case) if left on highest setting, bit of trial and error and a decent fridge thermometer will guide you as to best setting to maintain safe perishable food storage (0-4C) and avoid freezing. Bottles and cans can burst if allowed to freeze! I've had frozen eggs, cartons of orange juice, bananas, apples etc.!!!!
I've used mine under a tarp (part of a whole kitchen set up) and in a toilet/utility tent when the main tent has been unsuitable for using it.
I've used my fridge in France with daytime temps up in high 30C, along with a two burner stove fed from same cylinder used for all our meals over 5 days and only used about 1/3 of a full 5 Kg propane cylinder with fridge on mid gas setting.
A carbon monoxide detector is an excellent idea. They are fitted in caravans now. We have one at home by the boiler cupboard. The gas engineer checked the date on it when he did the service.
Our van 3 way fridge struggles in temperatures around 30. I have fitted a cooling fan kit which improves matters.
------------- DS-There's more to life than football!!!
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Topic: 3 way fridge with patio gas
via mobile 11/8/2023 at 10:40am
