Camper Trailer / Tent Trailer Refrigeration What types of mobile refrigeration is used in camper trailers, tent trailers or 4WD vehicles? What is the best chest type portable refrigerator – Waeco, Engel, ARB, Trailblaza or National Luna? What is eutectic refrigeration?

More Articles Caravan, Motorhome and 5th Wheeler Refrigeration Travelling with Dogs - Man's Best Friend Camp Ovens Preparing Your Campfire for Cooking Camp Oven Recipes How to rid your RV of ants Ambulance Cover Annexe Flooring / Matting Generators Caravan / RV Fire Safety Preventing theft of RV's Security Devices Security Alarms Free Camping Powering RV's and Power Usage Power Sources for RV's Charging Batteries Solar Power Portable Solar Inverters Rest Stops Site Map Camper Trailer Refrigerators One of the benefits of having a camper trailer is it’s ability to be packed down to a smaller size for towing.  In some ways this feature will also influence the size or height of the refrigerator that can installed and therefore, the litre volume capacity of the refrigerator/freezer. The Jayco camper trailers come with a single door Dometic 3 way fridge/freezer.  Three way fridges have alternative power sources (LPG gas/12V/ mains power).  There is the Dometic 90 litre absorption fridge/freezer with a refrigerator volume of 80 litres and freezer volume of 10 litres.  The dimensions are 766 mm high x 550 mm wide x 565 mm deep.  The refrigerator requires vents and a flue kit and it comes with an easy to see gas flame indicator and the ability to reverse the door to a left or right hinge. ‘Absorption’ type refrigerators use a heat source (eg: 12V/240V/LPG gas) for energy to drive the cooling system.  The refrigerator relies on the cooling effect of the liquid (ammonia) as it evaporates into a gas.

Three way absorption refrigerators with a climate class ‘T’ or tropicalised rating (See article "Caravan, Motorhome and 5th Wheeler Refrigeration") are designed to work in ambient temperatures up to 43 degrees C but often there is a dissatisfaction with their overall performance so we now see the introduction of eutectic refrigerators.  

Eutectic refrigeration is a compressor driven refrigeration system coupled with a cold storage device such as a eutectic tank which contains a liquid which is chilled and frozen during a refrigeration cycle.  Where a conventional refrigeration system requires power all day a eutectic system does not.

Eutectic systems incorporate a tank filled with a liquid that continually freezes and defrosts (cyclic) so when the liquid freezes in the tank its cooling energy is stored.  As the tank defrosts it draws heat from items stored in the cool box cooling them and when the tank is almost defrosted the compressor starts again and repeats the cycle and this is termed a ‘eutectic phase’.  So these eutectic system refrigeration have a much lower overall power consumption and a lot less stop/start operation of the refrigeration unit.  If the refrigerator is set on ‘2’ and left to cycle on/off all day it would use about 24 Ah per day but if set as a freezer on one of the sub-zero settings of ‘5’, ‘6’ or ‘7’ the average daily consumption would be about 40 Ah.

An eutectic fridge can be programmed to come on during daylight hours only so on a solar array this would be when the solar panels are generating power so later there is enough liquid freeze to keep the fridge cool overnight and less need to draw on the power stored in the batteries to run the refrigerator at night.

Kimberley Karavans use a remote mounted (Danfoss) compressor 133 litre fridge/freezer with their Karavan model and eutectic refrigerators in their Kamper models.

Kimberly Karavans state the eutectic refrigeration is suitable for high or extreme high ambient temperatures.  The eutectic fluid surrounds the outside of the four walls of the interior cabinet acting as an ‘ice bank’ and with the refrigerator, having initially been pre-chilled, only needs to operate on its maximum setting for about 5-6 hours per day.  

The off-road custom built Ultimate Campers at Moruya NSW have an option for a 3 way refrigerator/freezer or a 125 litre eutectic fridge/freezer system in their XTrk model.

Tent Trailer Refrigerators
The common mobile refrigerator for tent trailers is the portable chest fridges.  The most common is the 12V/240V chest refrigerator although there are also gas/electric chest fridge/freezers.

There is the Autofridge eutectic refrigerator which is touted to be the highest quality, low voltage, quality refrigerator/freezer available.  Autofridge have a 45 litre and 75 litre model eutectic fridge.  The 75 litre Autofridge is said to be ideal for camper trailers.  It features an efficient Danfoss BD35 compressor designed in Germany which is spring/rubber mounted for off-road travel, 12/24V/240V and solar compatibility with a low voltage draw, fibreglass external cabinet, stainless steel and anodized fittings and comes with a 3 year warranty. 

The Autofridge 45 litre fridge/freezer weighs 26 kg and its dimensions are 700 mm L x 350 mm W x 450 mm H.  Power consumption on eutectic refrigeration is 20 Ah/day on 12V at 32 degrees Celsius, cyclic refrigeration – 24 Ah/day at 12V and cyclic freezer – 40 Ah/day.  The 75 litre model weighs 33 kg and the dimensions are 840 mm L x 480 mm W x 510 mm H.  The power consumption is the same as the 45 litre model.

Camper trailer and tent trailer manufacturers now make provision for a fridge and a fridge box on the tent trailer draw bar. 

For example, Cub Trailer’s top of the range off-road camper trailer ‘Drover’ model comes with a fridge box.  There is an option for solar panels on the hard top camper.

Kimberley Kamper has a similar feature.

The range of chest fridge/freezers is large and varied.  Some popular brands are:-

ARB 4 x 4 Accessories released the 47 litre ARB fridge/freezer with a Danfoss compressor (made in Germany) coupled with a smart electronic control system to maximise cooling efficiency down to -18 degrees C.  The ARB fridge/freezer features a separate compartment for fruit and dairy, reversible basket, internal LED light with magnetic switch that automatically turns the light off when the lid is closed plus a drain plug in the base of the fridge for easy cleaning.  The fridge/freezer is able to be operated on 12/24DC and 100/240V AC and it has an integrated battery protection system that allows users to select the minimum operating voltage for the fridge to prevent excessive discharge of the vehicle battery.  ARB states the power consumption is - 0.87 amps/hour* *Power consumption tested at 3°C cabinet temperature, 26°C-31°C ambient temperature range, test duration of 66 hours and supply voltage of 12V DC. Accessories such as a tie down system, fridge slide and an insulated fridge bag are available.

Bushman produce a powder coated steel cabinet 12V fridge/freezer with a digital thermostat.  The fridge/freezer capacity varies with low lid 35 litres, high lid 42 litres and 52 litres with the optional extension collar.  It is run by an ACC GD30FDC Brushless compressor (made in Spain) which is rubber mounted to it’s own base plate.  Dual lids and baskets are standard accessories and it features a low battery protection system .  Bushman state the power consumption – ‘With refrigerator set at -4c @ 24c ambient the Bushman uses a mere 16 Amp hours per day’.

Engel chest fridge/freezers have been around for years and come in various sizes and range in capacity from 14 litre to 80 litre.  They are 12V/24V/240V compatible.  have the combi fridge/freezer which has separate fridge and freezer compartments with digital temperature readout.  There are those Engel chest fridge/freezers with a steel coating, a tough plastic coating and others with a polypropylene cabinet. The DC power consumption for the 40 litre chest fridge/freezer is stated to be – ‘Variable from 0.5 to 2.5 AMPS Maximum’. Engel also have a large range of accessories such as transit bags, fridge slides, hinge locks and basket separators. Engel have the Sawafuji Swing Motor chest model refrigerator/freezers.  Engel state – ‘The Sawafuji Swing Motor is located within the compressor casing where the piston is the only moving part. The piston is connected to an electro dynamic device which is powered by the use of magnetic fields.  With this technology there is no need for bearings, cranks or con-rods, so less moving parts means less chance of failure. With only one moving part there is a very low friction loss which means this is a highly efficient compressor’.

EvaKool is an Australian company that produce a 12V/24V dual temperature fridge/freezer powered by a Danfoss compressor and insulated with a specially developed high density refrigeration foam.  It features low battery voltage cut out and operates as a fridge/freezer in the same cabinet or as a whole fridge or whole freezer.  EvaKool state - The weather will not trouble this fridge as at 43^oC this fridge still runs at -19^oC which is a 63oC difference (independent test done on RF47).

National Luna fridge/freezers are metal inside and out with all models having built in 12V and 240V with automatic AC/DC switching and a low battery cut out.  The National Luna range start at 40 litre unit up to 125 litre unit and are powered by Danfoss BD35F compressors. For example, their 80 litre fridge/freezer comes in aluminium or stainless steel and the aluminium version weighs in at 29 kg.  The aluminium model comes with 1 basket and the stainless steel model with 4 baskets. National Luna state the power consumption to be – 12V 2.5 Amps average running current and 1.74 – 3.9 amp/hour average power draw.

Trailblaza fridge/freezers have a two-in-one range with two compartments which you can run both as a fridge or both as a freezer or one as a freezer and the other as a refrigerator or the bottom half of each compartment as a freezer and top half as a fridge.  One compartment can also be turned off altogether.  Trailblaza have a brush finish, platinum and checkerplate exterior option.  They feature a built in 240V AC power pack and a switch to operate a variable speed compressor. For use with solar, the Trailblaza units with 125 mm insulation fitted are recommended as they state it uses 24% less energy than the 75 mm insulated cabinet.  Feedback on 4WD forums report highly on the Trailblaza fridge/freezers as well as the after purchase service by Norcoast Refrigeration Company Pty Ltd at Caloundra, Qld.

Gas/electric/12V chest fridges

Caution: as these fridge/freezers use LPG gas they must not be used in confined spaces such as tents or vehicles, especially where anyone is sleeping, as they can generate high concentrations of carbon monoxide and use up the oxygen.  There have been several fatalities from carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning in Australia.

Waeco manufacture the 35 litre chest fridge which has alternate power sources of 12V/240V/ LPG gas.  The LPG gas option is great for use in remote locations.  Then there is the Waeco combi box which is a fridge/freezer combination which combines a 30 litre fridge and a 16 litre freezer.

For further information see article "Caravan, Motorhome and 5th Wheeler Refrigeration"