Truck Fridge 51 -- Bob?

[RoadtripsAndCampfires]

Hi there.  I got all excited when I watched Bob's "Truck Fridge 51" video but I could not find any info on it even adding Tucson to the search.  Then I noticed it has over 33K views so I think it is one of the older videos that was uploaded to the new site?  My questions:

Is this a brand that is old and gone?

If it is still available, how has it worked out for any of you who have owned one.

Thanks all.  If not this I'm looking at the 62 quart Whynter  but I don't need either one yet.  I'm contemplating at this point.

 

[John61CT]

I believe Whynter same company as TruckFridge, might all be part of Dometic (Waeco) by now.

But my older notes say both use Danfoss, which is now Secop.

They might be out of stock, but google for "Max Burton", definitely a rebadged Waeco unit, great pricing, a very positive thread here recently.

 

[Peterson]

This may be what you're looking for....

http://www.truckfridge.com/tb51/

 

[CautionToTheWind]

Whynter 62 Quart Dual Zone is pretty awesome

 

[akrvbob]

My fridge has worked great and I still recommend it. It does have a Secomp/Danfoss compressor.
http://www.truckfridge.com/tb51/

It's made by Indel B which is an Italian company.
http://www.indelb.com/products/automotive/travel_box

 

[Weight]

I have a Indel-B. I can't complain.

 

[karl]

Lady friend has a Truckfridge 49 upright style(4 years) and I have an Indel B (3 years) both have been running nonstop with no issues.
I prefer the chest type, and would buy the same again.

 

[IGBT]

Another Indel-B owner here.  We bought the 31 quart model for $450 from equipt.com with free shipping.   Seems to work great and cools down to at least -4 degrees F.   Uses very little power, about 25 watts when running in normal mode and 37 watts in the boost mode.

 

[RoadtripsAndCampfires]

THANK YOU ALL! You are aweseome, helped me and answered my questions. and now I know where I can get it! And feel good about the purchase!

I'm on my hopefully last year before taking off and I'm glad I joined this board (maybe again I've been on so many over the years/decades). I love it here.

 

[Ballenxj]

I prefer the chest type, and would buy the same again.

Because the cold doesn't fall out every time you open the door.

 

[Putts]

Because the cold doesn't fall out every time you open the door.

And sweeping all that cold out of the corners is a pain in the butt.

^^smilie on upsmanship.

Dear mods,
I volunteer to help with smilies around here if that makes a difference.
Love,
Putts

 

[tx2sturgis]

And sweeping all that cold out of the corners is a pain in the butt.

^^smilie on upsmanship.

I use a shop vac!

(first liar ain't got a chance around here!)

 

[mert6706]

Lady friend has  a Truckfridge  49 upright style(4 years) and I have an Indel B (3 years) both have been running nonstop with no issues.
I prefer the chest type, and would buy the same again.

I'm not out there yet, studying equipment and options. Could you compare upright and chest types and say why you
like the chest type better? Thanks!
All input appreciated.

 

[Almost There]

Aside from all the jokes about not having to sweep up the cold that falls out of a front loading fridge, it's true, the cold air stays in the chest type fridge better because cold air sinks. You simply don't have the cold loss with a chest fridge that you do with an upright.

The other reason a chest type fridge is better - an upright fridge has shelves that you can put things on but there is always lots of space above all the food products that is wasted. In a chest type fridge one learns to pack things in so that you can close the lid. It can be packed to within an inch of it's life so that there is no wasted space at all.

When I first started using my Whynter I always cursed having to move things around to get to the stuff on the bottom. Then I not only learned to pack in a way that minimized that - note I said minimize, not eliminate... , I also remembered how often I had to move stuff around in the upright fridge because what I wanted was in the back of the fridge....same thing different moves!

 

[karl]

^^^what AT said
And mine is on a slide so I can pull it out from under other storage
And you dont have to be on hands and knees to see in it
And it was $120. cheaper
And it can be emptied by simply lifting out the basket
And it's easy to move from one place/vehicle to another
And it operates on dual voltage
And it can be a freezer or a fridge

 

[regis101]

I chose the chest style since I've been using ice coolers for like forever.  But I would not hesitate to use a door style if my design dictated.  Being that it is small in stature, I should remember what is in there's vs the home fridge that's ginormous and have no clue.  I consider it a moot point based upon personal preference.

 

[WalkaboutHubby]

After decades of using conventional coolers, pulling everything out to get to the one item that I want that is inevitably on the bottom, we got the 4.2 cu ft Truckfridge. It was not that much more $ than a chest style. We figured that the convenience would outweigh the innate inefficiency between the two. Besides, that's what my wife wanted.

 

[John61CT]

Apparently testing shows the loss of cold air makes only a slight difference in efficiency, as long as the space is pretty densely utilized.

But I do have to say I actually prefer a chest when it is installed down near the floor.

From a higher level, like a rear-facing chuckbox setup standing outside fridge at waist level or higher for the shorties, a front opening door is much easier to work with.

 

[Kathleen]

Great comments!

I love the dual voltage option, but becuz I'm in a minivan it seems I can only squeeze in the 18L model, which is 12V.

If anyone has time to look at that tiny one can you tell me how many sides need venting? And is 6 inches clearance enough room to keep the compressor happy ?

Decisions, decisions....keep the big bed frame I built for my Exped Megamat, or a smaller bed and bigger food storage? I like to eat and sleep well.

I'll have to watch Bob's video again. His comments made sense re buying from a company in Tucson which would repair or replace a faulty fridge. The 18L model is 80 bucks off right now, but a one year warranty seems limited.

I wish Bed, Bath & Beyond sold products van dwellers need. They honor their lifetime return policy. They do have an Automotive section and they sell those hanging vehicle organizers for the back of the passenger's seat, like the one Suanne showed us in the CRVL Prius interview.

 

[IGBT]

The 31L Indel B we bought for $450 is pretty dang small.  It comes without the handles attached for shipping purposes and you could leave them off if you wanted.  It only vents on one end plus about 6 inches on each side of that end.

I would find a box or something that is 18L and see what you can put in there.  Might be smaller than you are thinking.   I can give you the exact dimensions of the Indel B 31L if you want to see if it would fit (you could find a cardboard box of its size and see how it might work in your van.

It runs on 12V, 24V and 110V and has the Danfoss (or new company that bought Danfoss) brushless compressor.   Because it runs on 110V too, it means they included the 110V to 24V DC-DC converter which was a $100 option on our NovaKool upright fridge, which used the same compressor and costs $1700.

$450 is a steal with free shipping.