AC PRO fridge ever heard of it

[tuckerbox]

repco have got this 3 way 35 l fridge for $399 next week

reckons a 9kg gas bottle will make it last for one month continuously on ...


any one have one or know of them

looked at one today and looked quite well built and durable

evan

[omaroo]

See the discussion on ExplorOz (and do a search for keywords "Repco Fridge" - ticking both "topic" and "body. There are a few hits. Mostly positive.

http://www.exploroz.com/Forum/View.a...me%3D%26PN%3D1

[cjhyde]

hello tuckerbox,
i don't mean to be all negative about 3 way fridges,but i had one like the repco unit,it's realy a brand name called " Finch ",i got it for that reason,because it seemed it would run almost forever on gass,but with mine,no matter if it was on gass,240 volt power or on 12 volts,it was never able to chill things ,drinks,or anything,if they were put into the fridge warm to begin with,and it just won't perform at all as an eski,to be honest with you,i don't even think they should be called refridgerators,rather,coolers,so i took mine back to the shop,got a store credit and paid the difference on a Waeco 50 L( cf 50 L ),had it over two years now and to this day i recon all the setting up of a second battery is worth the effort,because you can basicaly expect it to perform the same way your house fridge will,no matter what you put into it,cans or bottles,it will all chill with no problems at all,i expect Engel are just as effective as a Waeco,and i think what it all means with portable fridges,is you realy do get what you pay for,money talks i guess if you wanna keep stuff cold,especialy Beer lol.

[tuckerbox]

i appreciate the info guys ...was a good read ...

[PK]

I used to run 3 way fridges, and I like them until the temp gets over about 34 degrees, then they really struggle. Also will flatten a battery REALLY quickly running on 12v (I used to unplug it when stopped). They run very well on gas and it does last for ages, but again will struggle if it is hot.
I now run 2 Waeco's and couldn't be happier.....

[murray]

i brought a 3 way 26 years ago a coleman on 12 and 240 they are ok but on gas mine will still freeze any thing
i can remember haveing frozen eggs on a 40' day in the middle of summer
to work real good it needs to be level thats why they are better as a base unit

[stockobob]

Hi Evan,

We have owned the Repco AC-DC Pro 35 for a couple of years now. These are made by Mobicool in China like several other of the cheaper 3way fridges including Gasmate, Jackeroo & the Mobicool A35 from Supercheap.

These fridges will cool to 25 degrees below ambient, so in really hot weather they are struggling to keep food cold below the recommended 4 degrees that food should be stored at to keep healthy.

The fridge was not cooling on gas once & I took the back off to find the flame very low. I pulled the 'jet' apart & gave it a clean with a bit a soot coming out. Been fine since.

I like the built in bubble level as the fridge does need to be level to run. It can be hard to light on gas at times, but I have been cracking the bottle before I tighten the nut up on the back of the fridge allowing gas to purge through the hose.

Keeping the fridge out of the sun helps keeping it cool. We have also been using three sheets of Techni Ice inside the fridge lining the walls & one over the contents in summer with great results. When its really hot a wet towel over the fridge will also help keep it cool. During winter it will freeze the contents. Unlike the dearer 3way fridges you cannot control the flame & therefore the coldness. We have been just turning the fridge off overnight in winter.

I have some 10mm thick self adhesive foam silver topped insulation from Clark Rubber I have been meaning to experiment with too on the outside.

The biggest downfall with 3way fridges is the performance on 12volt because of the 10 to 12 amp draw. Only too often you will hear people say the fridge don't work on 12volt. This is down to the inefficient cable size resulting in voltage drop. In essence you are running the fridge as if it was on a flat battery. I have run good sized cable through to the back of the vehicle & right to the coil of the fridge connected with an Anderson plug. It may be overkill, however there is only 0.2 of a volt drop at the back of the fridge while it is running. Now the fridge will ice up just as if it was on 240. Of course it does need to be disconnected when stopped as it will flatten the battery quick smart.

If you cryovac your meat you do not have to freeze it. The bacteria are slowed with oxygen removed. Some butchers will do this for nothing if you are a regular customer. The cheap home crovacing machines will do the job, but keep in mind the dearer machines have a larger pump & will remove more air before sealing the bag.

Best of all you can set up camp for a week & not worry about the state of the battery to run the fridge.

Rob