Best Fridge for the Money?

[highdesertranger]

well there is no doubt that an upright is easier to get stuff out of. but with my chest style I can load it almost 100% full, no wasted space. so you can get away with a smaller refer. you could never load an upright to 100% of capacity. every time you opened the door stuff would fall out. highdesertranger

 

[Mobilesport]

well there is no doubt that an upright is easier to get stuff out of.  but with my chest style I can load it almost 100% full,  no wasted space.  so you can get away with a smaller refer.  you could never load an upright  to 100% of capacity.  every time you opened the door stuff would fall out.  highdesertranger

I too have a chest style but even though we save space inside the fridge we waste more space by not being able to utilize the space above the fridge , when I bought mine I didn't know there was such a thing as a front loader 12 volt danfoss compressor fridge , I think I saw one about a week after mine arrived in the mail and man did I want the front loader , In such a small living space that couple cubic ft of lost space is a really big deal.

 

[arctic cat]

Here is the set up that I'm building on my project van.  I just finished this today. I try to save as much space as I could and still keep it practical.

 

[cortttt]

Here is the set up that I'm building on my project van.  I just finished this today. I try to save as much space as I could and still keep it practical.

Nice! Now I understand the purpose of a slider

 

[Almost There]

I too have a chest style but even though we save space inside the fridge we waste more space by not being able to utilize the space above the fridge , when I bought mine I didn't know there was such a thing as a front loader 12 volt danfoss compressor fridge , I think I saw one about a week after mine arrived in the mail and man did I want the front loader , In such a small living space that couple cubic ft of lost space is a really big deal.

That depends on the layout of your vehicle!

My fridge is under the bed platform so it wastes no space at all. The top loader is accessed by lifting a hinged section of the bed platform.

My freezer is accessed by rolling it out on a roller tray from under the kitchen counter. No space wasted there either.

Both are 65 qt Whynter units.

I originally thought I'd have the fridge on the roller tray and the freezer under the bed but I quickly realized when using cooler chests in those two places before the fridges were installed, that it was actually easier to lift the bed platform than to pull the tray out. Since I'm in to the fridge several times a day and usually only opening the freezer once or twice a day, the lift lid was the easier
thing to use.

I totally agree that there is less waste space inside the top loader. I use a plastic shoe tote to contain fresh veggies so that the whole thing can come out at once. I also try to keep the fridge organized so that the things I need most often are easier to access without having to move a whole bunch of stuff. Yes, it was slightly easier to get at stuff when I had a S&B front opening fridge, but I still had to move things to get to other items that were towards the rear of the fridge.

 

[VJG1977]

I just got back from a seven day trip to my step son near Knoxville. I used this refrigerator Haier 3.3 cu ft Refrigerator, Black and was very pleased.  Now my cargo trailer camper is set up for shore power only.  The freezer got down to -6 degrees F. and I saw 34 degrees on the bottom shelf.  When I plugged in, the refrigerator ran so quiet that I had to feel the freezer to tell if it was running.  The meter I was plunged into showed .47 amps running and I was never fast enough to see the surge amps.


manufacturer's image

I had plugged in the night before leaving Clarksville TN and also frozen 6 bottles of water that I placed in the refrigerator.  The trip takes about 4 1/2 hours and when I plugged in at Knoxville, the temp on the top shelf was 40 degrees F.  Four days later the water bottles still had ice in them.

 

[cortttt]

I got the 50L I think it was Indel B Isotherm - same as the top loading Truckfridge.

I honestly don't see how 50 L is going to be big enough for what I want - yet a lot of people seem to do well with that size. I buy a lot of stuff at Costco including nutmilks...They fill that thing up fast.

At some point I'll probably get another fridge!

 

[Mobilesport]

@ Almost there 
Do you have any pictures of your fridge?

 

[DannyB1954]

Dust build up can be a significant issue with efficiency.


I don't know how easy it is to access the fan on  a chest style fridge, but this is about 6 to 8 months of build up in my Van

Obviously a detriment to heat extraction, and this is why I added an air filter to the air intake.   The blades still get some build up though.  Much less than without and it accumulates slower and affects airflow much less than in the photo.

Heat extraction is also very important for compressor and compressor controller life.  The controller has a heatsink on its back side.  Airflow across the cooling unit is your friend.

Also, the Danfoss compressor controller can handle powering 0.5 amps of fans, fans that fire up only when the compressor turns on.

The fan in the pic above consumes only 0.05 amps. The controller could power 10 of these fans. The fan which came with my VF c51is is 0.12 amps and rated at about 70CFM.

Tinkerers/ macguyverists could pretty easily add another fan to help extract heat.  Two of the Noctua fans would likely draw less than the provided fan for less energy consumed to power them, and extract considerably more heat in a push pull orientation, decreasing compressor run times noticeably, especially in hot weather or when one drops a warm 12 pack into the fridge.

http://www.ra.danfoss.com/Technical...f_electronic_unit_ac-dc_04-2009_ei100g402.pdf

I did refrigeration repair for mobile applications , (trucks, vans, shipping containers), for 30 years. One easy thing people can do for a dust filter is to cut a piece of window screen material to cover the condenser inlet opening and spray it  with some mineral or vegetable oil. This makes it easy to clean. Peel it off, wash it, spray it and reinstall.

 

[Almost There]

@ Almost there 
Do you have any pictures of your fridge?

All my pics of the van are pre-install of the frig and are locked up on the old laptop until I get it repaired or the hard drive retrieved.

Google Whynter coolers and find the 65 quart model.

 

[Mobilesport]

All my pics of the van are pre-install of the frig and are locked up on the old laptop until I get it repaired or the hard drive retrieved.

Google Whynter coolers and find the 65 quart model.

I was more curious about your bed and how you opened the bed and fridge .
Like do you open the bed and then open the fridge or do you have it tricked out some how where it all opens in one step?

 

[Mobilesport]

A chest style probably better for a mobile application even though you lose space with it.
I would think the front loader would get more messy inside.
I go to the dollar store and buy a bunch of very small tupperware containers and store all my food in those , keeps everything extremely organized in the fridge and no wasted space inside the fridge ever.
I use old tupperware containers , all sorts of other empty containers like peanut butter jars for disposing things like used cooking grease

 

[IanC]

I bought a 50 quart Truckfridge for 3 very specific reasons:

1) It uses the Danfoss compressor, which I wanted for its reputation.
2) There are two places in the country where you can take it for service, one some where on the east coast, I don;t know where. But the other is outside Tuscon, AZ and I spend almost 6 months of the year a few hours drive to Tuscon. In event of a problem, I won't have to ship it.
3) The outside dimensions are all the same, they just get taller as they get bigger. That let it fit in a small area, it just goes up higher--i had plenty of vertical space.

The Danfoss draws about 3 amps per hour. I added extra insulation and it it keeps its cold exceptionally well. Even on 90 degree days it only comes on 3-4 hours a day so far.
Bob

I didn/t know it, but my Truckfridge is a re-labeled Indel B--I'd never heard of them before. It's clearly labeled as an Indel B on the fridge and on the manual.
Bob

What happened with the Wynter ? Is the one you replaced it with a chest type as well? How does it compare to the Wynter ?
The cabinet I built was with the 45qt Wynter in mind - the space is 28w x 26h x 18 3/4 deep. Now , looking at the Truckfridges there are a couple of models that could fit (I'm assuming the dimensions they give include the thickness of the door, which could extend beyond the opening). Since the vent is in the back in the upright models , I could vent out the side of the trailer and actually have a few extra inches in the side for storage. I've read the plusses of a chest fridge, but the convenience of a door has me thinking.

 

[Almost There]

I was more curious about your bed and how you opened the bed and fridge .
Like do you open the bed and then open the fridge or do you have it tricked out some how where it all opens in one step?

No tricks involved, I like the KISS rule!

I lift the top of the bed, for right now I insert a support rod (a piece of square dowelling, bracing it against the back edge of the toilet cabinet and against a little piece of wood I screwed in on the bottom side of the bed plywood. This supports the bed 'lid' so that it stays open fully while I'm rummaging in the fridge cooler.

I thought it would be a pita but it's not really. Maybe someday I'll go high tech and get a built in support are like they use on RV cabinets, for now what I have works fine.

 

[akrvbob]

What happened with the Wynter ? Is the one you replaced it with a chest type as well? How does it compare to the Wynter ?

I still have the Wynter but it is too big to fit inside the van.  It lives in the cargo trailer and when it goes into storage for the summer so does the Wynter. I still thing the Wynter has the best product details of all the fridges I've seen in person, better hinges, better door gasket, thicker insulation. 

But it has the Chinese compressor which has worked perfectly for me for the last 3 years (less my summer travels which means a little over 2 years). But I've know a lot of people with them that had them fail. At this point i don't think I will recommend them anymore just because of that--even though mine has been great.
Bob

 

[IanC]

I still have the Wynter but it is too big to fit inside the van.  It lives in the cargo trailer and when it goes into storage for the summer so does the Wynter. I still thing the Wynter has the best product details of all the fridges I've seen in person, better hinges, better door gasket, thicker insulation. 

But it has the Chinese compressor which has worked perfectly for me for the last 3 years (less my summer travels which means a little over 2 years). But I've know a lot of people with them that had them fail. At this point i don't think I will recommend them anymore just because of that--even though mine has been great.
Bob

Looking at the Indel B website it looks like a super high quality product used by private jet manufacturers and luxury yachts - it's an Italian company. I think I might figure out a way to pay the few extra bucks.

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

Ordered a Dometic CFX-65 today. After wanting one with a danfoss compressor, I ended up getting this anyways. Not sure if it's true or not but some of the forums said it's a Danfoss that's been re labeled. But even if it's not, the reviews have all been rock solid so hoping to enjoy it for many years to come! I've never felt the need for a freezer while on the road, but figured it wouldn't hurt to have the option. I can use it as all fridge if I decide I don't need any freezer space, but I love having ice in my drinks and bringing some ice cream along wouldn't be the worst way to travel either. Can't remember the last time I was this excited waiting for something to arrive in the mail! I also used Bob's search bar to purchase it and gotta remember to do that for all my Amazon purchases

 

[cortttt]

I still have the Wynter but it is too big to fit inside the van.  It lives in the cargo trailer and when it goes into storage for the summer so does the Wynter. I still thing the Wynter has the best product details of all the fridges I've seen in person, better hinges, better door gasket, thicker insulation. 

But it has the Chinese compressor which has worked perfectly for me for the last 3 years (less my summer travels which means a little over 2 years). But I've know a lot of people with them that had them fail. At this point i don't think I will recommend them anymore just because of that--even though mine has been great.
Bob

Darn...the Whynter was looking good!

 

[cortttt]

Ordered a  Dometic CFX-65 today.  After wanting one with a danfoss compressor, I ended up getting this anyways.  Not sure if it's true or not but some of the forums said it's a Danfoss that's been re labeled.  But even if it's not, the reviews have all been rock solid so hoping to enjoy it for many years to come!  I've never felt the need for a freezer while on the road, but figured it wouldn't hurt to have the option.  I can use it as all fridge if I decide I don't need any freezer space, but I love having ice in my drinks and bringing some ice cream along wouldn't be the worst way to travel either.  Can't remember the last time I was this excited waiting for something to arrive in the mail!  I also used Bob's search bar to purchase it and gotta remember to do that for all my Amazon purchases

Good luck with it. 

I was checking out Amazon.com Looks like a great fridge.  money  (I noticed that the 35 L is more expensive than the 61 liter (?) ) Thanks for the reminder about buying through this site. 

Enjoy your ice cream!

 

[highdesertranger]

quick question on the Dometic 65cfx in the owners manual it says to unplug the refer when charging the battery. what. I am sure this is not the case but it states it several times in the manual. I have an email in to Dometic but thought I would ask here. can anybody clarify what they are talking about? what's the max volts this refer can handle? highdesertranger