3way portable fridge
- Thread starter seesbirds
- Start date
12v/110/propane
I have used these 3 way chest freezers for years. Bought used until I found too great a price on a new one.
Set on low they will chill beers in the upper basket and keep food frozen in the bottom.
Solar is great, but I had all the infrastructure for propane kicking around for free so I went that way. I wanted a gas cooktop and then it just snowballed.
I ended up building this one in. Fully vented. We boondocked for 15 days, ran everything off propane, and never bought ice. Propane bill was $20.
uniqueappliances.com
There are also 3 way portable coolers out there. We use one on a longer hose for drinks outside. People can't believe it runs on propane. Paid $80 used- never operated by original owners.
www.canadiantire.ca
No longer sold, but lots floating around out there.
Unique is the only one I know of selling the true freezer that I have. The others are chest coolers that have been made by various companies over the years. I was given an ancient unit built in the 1960s by Electrolux of Sweden. (Recall the Swedes developed the absorption cooling system used in the 3 way units.)
Set on low they will chill beers in the upper basket and keep food frozen in the bottom.
Solar is great, but I had all the infrastructure for propane kicking around for free so I went that way. I wanted a gas cooktop and then it just snowballed.
I ended up building this one in. Fully vented. We boondocked for 15 days, ran everything off propane, and never bought ice. Propane bill was $20.
Off-Grid 2 cu. ft. Propane Freezer - Unique Appliances
Need more freezer capacity for longer stays at the camp, cabin, or cottage? Want to make sure your frozen food makes it all the way without the need for ice and coolers? This rugged, lightweight freezer is perfect for keeping food safely frozen, and features side handles for easy portability.
uniqueappliances.com
There are also 3 way portable coolers out there. We use one on a longer hose for drinks outside. People can't believe it runs on propane. Paid $80 used- never operated by original owners.
General PDP Template
www.canadiantire.ca
No longer sold, but lots floating around out there.
Unique is the only one I know of selling the true freezer that I have. The others are chest coolers that have been made by various companies over the years. I was given an ancient unit built in the 1960s by Electrolux of Sweden. (Recall the Swedes developed the absorption cooling system used in the 3 way units.)
I first saw these portable propane 3 way chest freezers when I worked in the bush in the 1980s.
I bought my first used Unique freezer in 2011. It was already 10 years old. It was built in South Africa. They used butane fired refrigeration in remote areas for years. Obviously solar has changed all that. All the new propane units are from China.
I realized my build write up for the Cubicle has no photo of the built in fridge with the separate chest freezer so I took one yesterday. The chest freezer was new sitting in an abandoned body shop and cost me $300. The fridge is used, about 30 years old, and was $75. The tank slung underneath was in a 1982 Sportsmobile I flat towed home from Atlanta. You can see why I went with propane instead of solar. Plus we don't get guaranteed sun drenched boondocking sites here. That said we run interior- fridge, freezer, and 2 burner cooktop. Outside- 3 burner camp stove, Mobicool portable 3 way chest cooler, grill, and soon a propane firepit. And we make ice instead of buying it. Leggz actually brings homemade frozen bread dough along.
The fridge, freezer, and cooler run off the second alternator I put on the hemi. Then propane when we are camping.
I've never seen anyone else with the 3 way chest coolers or a 3 way freezer on the road. People can't understand how the flame and warm exhaust make for cold beer. Me neither...
I bought my first used Unique freezer in 2011. It was already 10 years old. It was built in South Africa. They used butane fired refrigeration in remote areas for years. Obviously solar has changed all that. All the new propane units are from China.
I realized my build write up for the Cubicle has no photo of the built in fridge with the separate chest freezer so I took one yesterday. The chest freezer was new sitting in an abandoned body shop and cost me $300. The fridge is used, about 30 years old, and was $75. The tank slung underneath was in a 1982 Sportsmobile I flat towed home from Atlanta. You can see why I went with propane instead of solar. Plus we don't get guaranteed sun drenched boondocking sites here. That said we run interior- fridge, freezer, and 2 burner cooktop. Outside- 3 burner camp stove, Mobicool portable 3 way chest cooler, grill, and soon a propane firepit. And we make ice instead of buying it. Leggz actually brings homemade frozen bread dough along.
The fridge, freezer, and cooler run off the second alternator I put on the hemi. Then propane when we are camping.
I've never seen anyone else with the 3 way chest coolers or a 3 way freezer on the road. People can't understand how the flame and warm exhaust make for cold beer. Me neither...
Alloy
Well-known member
A 3 way is a 2 way with a cheap DC-AC converter. A 2 way running off an inverter is the same thing.
Portable and propane cooling aren't a good combination as propane cooling needs to be level to work properly.
I have DC compressor and 2 way (propane/110V) refrigerators. The propane doesn't cool (even with an extra 1/2" of insulation around it) as good as the DC compressor. I've never had to touch the compressor fridge while I've repaired the propane fridge 4-5 times.
I've dry camped with both DC compressor and propane refrigerators. Always take extra propane because finding it is allot harder than finding solar, gas (generator) or diesel (charging through a DC-DC).
If it isn't plugged into shore power the 2 way isn't worth running on DC because it pulls 25amps (300W x 10% loss / 13VDC). The DC compressor is 5-7amps. In 5 years I've had two 300w elements burn up in the limited (day before we leave) amount of time we've used it on 120VAC.
Try a search for "converting propane refrigerator to DC compressor".
Lehman's Store in Ohio is the biggest place in the USA that I know of who sells propane fridge and or freezers. But be prepared for sticker shock. They are very expensive.
We have 2, ARB fridge/freezers. Absolutely love them. I had propane rv fridges for 20 years when we had campers. They sucked, every single brand. Broke down often. Got tired of getting ripped off replacing circuit boards in them, 5x in one model.
I set my trucks up (not the 2023 ZR2 Colorado yet, though I am in the planning stages) to be able to run the ARB fridge from truck battery while driving down the road and simultaneously recharge the aux battery that runs the fridge all night. Plus all of it has to be easily removed if truck goes in for service, otherwise they will void the warranty. Quite challenging with the new vehicles.
We have 2, ARB fridge/freezers. Absolutely love them. I had propane rv fridges for 20 years when we had campers. They sucked, every single brand. Broke down often. Got tired of getting ripped off replacing circuit boards in them, 5x in one model.
I set my trucks up (not the 2023 ZR2 Colorado yet, though I am in the planning stages) to be able to run the ARB fridge from truck battery while driving down the road and simultaneously recharge the aux battery that runs the fridge all night. Plus all of it has to be easily removed if truck goes in for service, otherwise they will void the warranty. Quite challenging with the new vehicles.