85 Litre 12v Compressor Fridge with Icebox

12v compressor fridges are fitted into 95% of modern campervans – especially small to medium sized vans. They offer easy installation and very low power usage (around 8 times as efficient as the equivalent 3 way fridge found in older vans). They cool quickly and freeze to as low as -20c.

The main disadvantage of a compressor fridge is that it is not completely silent like a 3 way absorption fridge. The compressor and the built in fan are very quiet but they do still make a sound when in operation. In very small vans if you are sleeping near the fridge and are a light sleeper it may disturb you. Some campers will turn their fridges off at night relying on fridges high quality insulation to maintain chilled content until morning.

A 50 litre fridge can be run on a battery as small as 70 amp/h however, a 100 amp/h battery is usually recommended. As the fridge size increases so should the battery capacity.

Yes, though the fridge is not externally vented like a 3-way gas fridge it will perform more efficiently if there is some internal ventilation or air movement to the rear of the fridge.

This depends on a lot of variables such as internal temperature of the van, the temperature setting of the fridge, what’s in the fridge and the quality of the battery. However, a rule of thumb is that a 50 litre fridge will run for a weekend on good quality 100 amp/h AGM battery.

Not to a level where it damages your battery. Unlike other electrics such as led lights, 12v fridges have a battery protection cut off. This means that if you leave the fridge on by mistake it will turn itself off before the battery is discharged too low.

A solar panel is a perfect partner for a compressor fridge. Again, many variables are at play but generally a small 100 watt solar panel will keep your fridge running off grid continuously all spring and summer.

A 12v compressor fridge requires a 12v input to work. So if you plan to run it off the main 240v then it needs to be done so indirectly through charging the leisure battery or using a 12v transformer to step down the current from the mains supply.

The low power electronics and cooling systems of a 12v fridge are complex making the fridge expensive when compared to domestic fridges. However, they are a great investment especially when you consider that they can run indefinitely on free solar power. - Rather than expensive gas or 240v hook-up.