last year we were lucky or unlucky depending on how you see it, to camp in france last year, phew! it was hot! we are going back to the same place and as i'm not too sure about electric in france i'm going to get a 3 way fridge. so i've done my homework and settled on a waeco combicool cab-40, the one that cools to 30 below ambiant. i've been looking at previous threads regarding waeco combicool 3 way fridges which gives me confidence i'm making the right choice
here's the problem
i've seen a second hand 2 year old waeco cab-40(thats what it says on the plate at the back)it is blue and grey like the cab-40b that sells today with 20 below ambiant. any clues as to what temp this older cab-40 cools to? will it cut it in france july/august? can i just put ice blocks in to help it keep things cool? or should i stop being tight and buy new?
Ours was fine in France in 2003 when the temp. on the day we arrived in the Loire was 43! We used it mainly for keeping drinks cold and for salad and yogurts as we have a fridge in the caravan but it was fine. I think when we got it we were told it cooled 20 below ambiant temp. Our caravan fridge did struggle so we had a fan fitted when we got home. This was really worth doing and our new van is having one put in before we go to France this Summer!
we managed ok last year with cool boxes and the ice run but a cold one out of the fridge c'est manifique.
------------- me girlfriend looks like peggy mount, what am i supposed to do? i'm up the creek and never mind the paddle boy, i haven't even got a canoe
All these "cool boxes" run 20 degrees below ambient, if you are lucky. I will be quite honest and say that I do not like the things because I have seen them cause far too many cases of food poisoning.
A 3 way fridge is as good as you can get for peace of mind and at sensible money.
Caravan fridges will benefit on you fitting a small computer case fan as an extractor fan. It seems to make a lot of difference to the efficiency of the fridge and uses very little electric power to run so you don't have to worry about your battery
Happybonzo this is a three way fridge that Patrick is referring to.
Patrick, we've had both, a two year old Waeco Combicool (CAB40, Blue lid) and whilst it coped OK in France it was clearly working at its absolute limit in 35 degrees plus.
We've handed ours down to my Dad as he wanted one so we've upgraded to the 30 degrees below ambient version. We've been running it on leccy in the dining room for a while and have turned it all the way down to stop big water bottles freezing solid (and the beer..).
I was happy with the original one but am more happy with the new one if that makes sense! I wouldn't have upgraded but for Dad's caravan fridge failing.
So I guess the answer is it depends on the price for the old one and whether you've got the readies for a new one.
Given the choice and the readies the new one is better but if your only choice is the old one it will do you OK>
better to have a few nice cold beers than a crate of warm ones
------------- me girlfriend looks like peggy mount, what am i supposed to do? i'm up the creek and never mind the paddle boy, i haven't even got a canoe
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Topic: which waeco is it?
