I need a bigger freezer! (1 Viewer)

[Minxy]

We've been thinking of things we want to alter/add before our next long holiday in the camper and one thing we did struggle a bit with is the very small freezer - it's just one of the very small box type ones on the top right of the fridge (see below) so holds very little.

We therefore want a larger freezer - the fridge part is fine so can't see the point in replacing the whole thing so thought about a 'portable' freezer of some sort.

Does anyone have any suggestions for a suitable one? I'm not talking about a basic cooler box as they don't get down to a suitable freezing temperature so I know it ain't gonna be cheap but I want one that won't drain the batteries (we have a solar panel and wild camp most of the time) and isn't noisy, storing it isn't a problem as we've got enough space but just don't know what to get.

Help!

 

[Deleted member 29692]

It looks like Waeco make them but as you say they ain't cheap! Scroll to the bottom of the page.

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By the time you faff around getting one installed it wouldn't cost much more just to change your fridge for a proper 3 way fridge freezer.

 

[MC 55 FUN]

I've seen table / work top freezers, about the same size as a large microwave, but not sure if you can get 12v versions

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[Stroppy Bird]

Not cheap but you don't necessarily need a power supply with these, just keep swapping the gel cool packs round in your little freezer in your fridge.

http://www.coolicebox.com

We've not got one but did look at one at a show ages ago but then had a change of plans and no longer needed one.

These ones state keep frozen for 3 days but if you had a couple of ice packs to rotate in your little freezer I guess you could keep stuff frozen indefinitely.

http://www.coolicebox.com/37l-nomad-cool-icebox

 

[DanielFord]

Have to say, I've done several searches, and the cheapest option in purchase a new fridge with a larger freezer compartment. On the plus side, you can ebay the old one and get loads of money back.

 

[madgeD]

Are these too big Mel

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[big bertha]

We also now have a Globecar and we are going to have to get used to the small freezer, our previous van had a large fridge/freezer which we usually stacked before each trip. Hopefully having smaller van means we can access shops carparks easier for fresh food but I'll be interested to see if you get a solution.

 

[DBK]

Our Waeco CDF 26 will go down to -18C although we only use it as an extra fridge so I've no experience of running it as a freezer.

However, it takes about 5A when the compressor is running which is only for about ten minutes in the hour at the temperatures we run it at - around +5C.

As a freezer it would be running more or less constantly I fear.

I've just added a second 100W solar panel as the single one wasn't enough on its own in Brittany in September and by the end of the second day the batteries were getting too low and I had to start the engine. As a freezer I suspect you would need 300W or a B2B charger of course.

If you want I could test mine by turning the temp down to minimum and then seeing if it runs continuously or not although I can't replicate summer ambient temperatures which will also be a factor. The hotter the surrounding air the harder it will work.

 

[Chockswahay]

Minxy....... I know this isn't a useful reply.......... but have you considered fresh food ? Might be the cheaper option

(sorry) x

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[Deleted member 29692]

Minxy....... I know this isn't a useful reply.......... but have you considered fresh food ? Might be the cheaper option

(sorry) x

Last summer we filled our freezer with ice cream and doggy ice cream. Not all that practical to make that fresh each time in a motorhome

 

[RichardB]

Last summer we filled our freezer with ice cream and doggy ice cream.

What is doggy ice cream - never heard of that and our greyhound loves a large 99!

 

[Deleted member 29692]

What is doggy ice cream - never heard of that and our greyhound loves a large 99!

http://frozzys.com

My dogs love them.

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[Minxy]

Are these too big Mel

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Hi Maggy, I've looked at these sort but they don't get cold enough so no good as an actual freezer, probably okay as a fridge although the reviews aren't good for this particular model!

 

[Minxy]

Minxy....... I know this isn't a useful reply.......... but have you considered fresh food ? Might be the cheaper option

(sorry) x

We do buy a lot of fresh food/meat when away ... in fact when we had a really big freezer most of the food used to have a lovely holiday and come back home untouched as we'd found so much nice fresh stuff to eat instead! Of course there was the time when we were a few days away from coming home and one of the supermarkets was doing a special on fresh River Cobbler fish at €2 a kilo so we stocked up and brought a load back home ... can't do that anymore!

We manged fine with a smaller freezer in our previous PVC which was the full width of the fridge, but the problem is that the freezer in this one is SOOOOOO small we can hardly get anything in. Last year when we were 'melting' in the hot weather we desparately wanted ice-cream but the freezer just won't take much at all ... yes we can buy ice-creams but if you're in the middle of a mountain range for a day or two and it's blooming hot there's nowhere to get it.

We don't need a massive one to supplement the existing freezer, just something that will allow us to usefully take some pre-cooked meals, meat/frozen veg etc with us ... and ruddy tubs of ice-cream!

 

[Chockswahay]

We do buy a lot of fresh food/meat when away ... in fact when we had a really big freezer most of the food used to have a lovely holiday and come back home untouched as we'd found so much nice fresh stuff to eat instead! Of course there was the time when we were a few days away from coming home and one of the supermarkets was doing a special on fresh River Cobbler fish at €2 a kilo so we stocked up and brought a load back home ... can't do that anymore!

We manged fine with a smaller freezer in our previous PVC which was the full width of the fridge, but the problem is that the freezer in this one is SOOOOOO small we can hardly get anything in. Last year when we were 'melting' in the hot weather we desparately wanted ice-cream but the freezer just won't take much at all ... yes we can buy ice-creams but if you're in the middle of a mountain range for a day or two and it's blooming hot there's nowhere to get it.

We don't need a massive one to supplement the existing freezer, just something that will allow us to usefully take some pre-cooked meals, meat/frozen veg etc with us ... and ruddy tubs of ice-cream!

Point taken Minxy (and I do know how small the freezer is ) I would imagine that unless gas freezers are available the real issue will be current draw with an electric freezer of any worthwhile size?

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[Movinon]

I also have only a 100 litre fridge with freezer compartment. I also have a Waeco CF50 in the garage running off 12 volts. I use this as a freezer. It has been with me for 10 years and has never failed to perform as required. It is a proper compressor fridge/freezer and doesn't care what the outside temperature is or whether the van is level. Last summer in +40C outside temperature it ran happily at -22C and has reached -24C on maximum. I usually run it at -18C (for the ice cream) and it uses 6Amps when running, but only runs for 20 minutes in every hour. So 2AH as a freezer, the temperature being colder at the bottom than at the top so ice cream has to go at the bottom.

I see that the Quest 3-way fridge claims to run at 25C below ambient. Of course it's cheaper but hardly much use as a freezer in summer. Likewise coolboxes which rely on gel packs or ice cubes will also not be reliable when used as a freezer.

 

[Sheddy]

We use a waeco CF25, 2 years ago while wintering in Spain we had to fly home, the freezer was full as it was the start of our trip, we left it connected to the leisure batteries for three weeks and was fine when we returned. We had a 150w panel and 2 x 95ah batteries. The Motorhome controls were switched off and it was not on hookup. I bought ours second hand reconditioned with a short guarantee on it, it took several months searching the net to find the deal I wanted, we have had it for 4 years now and it is still OK.
Cheers
Ed

 

[SuperMike]

Waeco CF50 had it for 14years now. Used a lot when we had the caravan, but now with a proper freezer in the RV, it only comes out when we are away at Christmas, because of all we seem to take. Super bit of kit working on both 12v and mains. However when set on the maximum freeze, it will run more more less continuously on 12v, so watch the batteries if you are being a freeloading tosser.

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[funflair]

I also have only a 100 litre fridge with freezer compartment. I also have a Waeco CF50 in the garage running off 12 volts. I use this as a freezer. It has been with me for 10 years and has never failed to perform as required. It is a proper compressor fridge/freezer and doesn't care what the outside temperature is or whether the van is level. Last summer in +40C outside temperature it ran happily at -22C and has reached -24C on maximum. I usually run it at -18C (for the ice cream) and it uses 6Amps when running, but only runs for 20 minutes in every hour. So 2AH as a freezer, the temperature being colder at the bottom than at the top so ice cream has to go at the bottom.

I see that the Quest 3-way fridge claims to run at 25C below ambient. Of course it's cheaper but hardly much use as a freezer in summer. Likewise coolboxes which rely on gel packs or ice cubes will also not be reliable when used as a freezer.

That's going to take 48ah in a 24 hour period so does require a decent solar/battery install to keep it going off grid.

Martin

 

[Chockswahay]

That's going to take 48ah in a 24 hour period so does require a decent solar/battery install to keep it going off grid.

Martin

Also likely to trip a few circuit breakers on 'low amp' sites when you are on the hook

 

[Judge Mental]

Mel....just stop shopping girl!lol Buy and cook fresh as you travel. what do you really need a freezer for..not as if going to the Sahara

xx

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[SuperMike]

That's going to take 48ah in a 24 hour period so does require a decent solar/battery install to keep it going off grid.

Martin

Indeed, we do have decent supplies, but going back to the caravan, we used to switch it off at night and as it basically is a 50L lump of -18c then nothing happens in those few hours. When we went on the Sunday, two night one day run to Santander, nothing happened during that 34 ishh hour period either. I would not push it much further than that though.

 

[funflair]

Also likely to trip a few circuit breakers on 'low amp' sites when you are on the hook

I assume the 6 amps quoted was at 12 volts on a portable freezer, so the 48ah is just from the batteries in 24 hours, the only drain if plugged into site hook up would be the battery charger.

Martin

 

[Minxy]

Mel....just stop shopping girl!lol Buy and cook fresh as you travel. what do you really need a freezer for..not as if going to the Sahara

xx

I refer his lordship to my previous post about ICE-CREAM!!!!

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[Chockswahay]

I assume the 6 amps quoted was at 12 volts on a portable freezer, so the 48ah is just from the batteries in 24 hours, the only drain if plugged into site hook up would be the battery charger.

Martin

Oops my mistake, you're right

 

[Judge Mental]

I refer his lordship to my previous post about ICE-CREAM!!!!

Oh come on girl...weak excuse you can buy icecream anywhere! Go to Italy if you want the real thing

Stop spending now! or I will come up and put you over my knee....I will remind you as it is you have 3 cars to sell and countless other items...

 

[Movinon]

Indeed, we do have decent supplies, but going back to the caravan, we used to switch it off at night and as it basically is a 50L lump of -18c then nothing happens in those few hours. When we went on the Sunday, two night one day run to Santander, nothing happened during that 34 ishh hour period either. I would not push it much further than that though.

I have a remote temperature gauge attached to a probe at the top of the Waeco which is very sensitive and displays the temperature of the Waeco on a readout inside the van. It has been my experience that the internal temperature does rise consistently over a few hours if switched off and I added more insulation at the top to help alleviate this. I also have an on/off switch to the 12v supply (to the Waeco) in the van, so turning it off for a while if required is an easy option.

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[madgeD]

Maybe the best bet Mel is see if you can change your existing fridge with one with a bigger freezer ! dont know what your layout is but maybe go for a taller one, then advertise the one you have got to recoup a bit of your money. just a suggestion as Im sure you will soon be looking for a new project once you have finished your static!! there you go put yours in the static .

 

[Reallyretired]

We have the tall dometic fridge freezer so the freezer is quite large but still very tight for a month or so in France. Our problem is bacon, which is near impossible to get there. An 8 rasher pack dos us as little as two days so need about 30 packs. We do repack it in freezer bags which lets us get more in, and a trip into Spain can allow stocks to be replenished. Swmbo is allergic to eggs so limits breakfast possibilities as neither would go for the empty carbs that the French like.

 

[Huwmari]

Minxy....... I know this isn't a useful reply.......... but have you considered fresh food ? Might be the cheaper option

(sorry) x

Don't be sorry! I think you have given the most useful reply so far. Fresh food will keep in the fridge for several days anyway and won't involve using loads of battery power or gas. Simples.

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