Hi Colin ....... we have used Halfords fridge for years - works perfect but you need leccy ...... if money will allow go for combicool type 3 way fridge
We have a coolbox that runs off the car battery. I've always been really careful about rotating the ice packs each day as we don't plug in except on longer journeys (battery flat in 3 hours if vehicle not moving and recharging). Anyway, we were up at Elvaston for 3 nights (4 days) and knew that we would have no facilities for freezing ice packs. So, 5 ice packs and 2 x 2 litre bottles of frozen water went into the coldbox along with couple of frozen things (sausages and bacon) plus all the stuff that needed keeping cool. Drove up with box plugged in. Bacon defrosted by first evening and I was panicking. However, everything stayed cold. We cooled 2 bottles of beer that we bought up there. Milk was fine. Really impressed. Wouldn't last longer than a long weekend I think, but pretty good going.
Quote: Originally posted by Omega99 on 05/07/2005
Cool box or fridge, whats the differance?
There is a difference in the mechanism for cooling, but in terms of using one, a fridge will cool to a particular temperature, and is probably thermostatically controlled too.
An electric coolbox runs continuously, and for all its efforts will only ever reach a particular temperature drop from its surrounding (ambient) temperature. Many of the cheaper coolboxes will only achieve a 15 degree drop (not much use if day time temperatures approach 30 degrees C - even in cooler weather, inside tents can easily get this hot).
We were lucky a couple of years back in picking up a cheap 12V/240V coolbox which cools to 26 degrees below ambient temperature. Often find ice in it if we leave it running overnight, but have to admit needing to supplement it with ice packs in the 43 degree temps of southern France a couple of years back - but then normal fridges were struggling too!
We purchased a Combicool from a neighbour,he only brought it last year and used it twice. He has just brought a caravan with a fridge in and sold it to me for £50 a bargain or what. I will soon need a bigger car with all the kit we have.Thanks for the suggestions.
Definately a fridge rather than a coolbox. We have a combicool and it is fantastic. We avoid travelling with food in it - we pack it full of the kitchen gear and shop when we get where we're going to save on space as it does take up a lot of the boot.
the tabletop fridge is a domestic fridge,which has the usual spaces in the door for milk,eggs, etc.. also a small freezer compartment, these are much cheaper than the camping fridges:combi-cool & the likes..
I had a 3 way and it struggled in south of france at 40C
I have now gone for top of the range Waeco Tropicool a staggering 30C below ambient making it the best on the market. It also has special cutout at 1C so it doesn't freeze stuff.
Igloo Koolmate comes a close second at 25.5 below ambient
Quote: Originally posted by herby660 on 08/08/2005
Be careful.
I had a 3 way and it struggled in south of france at 40C
I have now gone for top of the range Waeco Tropicool a staggering 30C below ambient making it the best on the market. It also has special cutout at 1C so it doesn't freeze stuff.
Igloo Koolmate comes a close second at 25.5 below ambient
Which 3 way did you have herby? My combicool did exceptionally well in 38 degrees plus in France earlier in the year. I did make sure it was shaded wherever possible though although it didn't show any sign of struggling at all.
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Topic: Cool box or fridge
