Hi everyone! My family and I are new campers (I have been camping when I was a kid but I've started again now with my own kids). Our camping trips are weekends away (no longer than a couple of days) only to sites that have electricity. We need to buy a fridge. Camping fridges are very expensive and I think they are too "advanced" for what we need. We will not be running the fridge from our car or going on 2 week trips or going out off road etc. I was hoping to rather get a bar fridge to fit in the boot of our car for the short trips (we will only be camping max 2 hours away at any given time). My question is, will a bar fridge hold being outdoors for a day or 2 in the heat under a gazebo? Or are there any other suggestions? Thanks for your advice! 

I used to do it many years ago for about 2yrs and my bar fridge never gave me issues but the fridge does get scratches and marks on it.  I still see several people camping like that so i'm sure if it is well looked after and not in the sun you will be fine.

Welcome on the Forum.  I take it the 'fridge will be powered while camping.  If so, there should not be any problems.  It is not much different that a 'fridge installed in our van and bar type fridges are exactly the ones installed in smaller caravans like our Skipper.  It works fine, is light ,very quiet and affordable.

eleni wrote:

Hi everyone! My family and I are new campers (I have been camping when I was a kid but I've started again now with my own kids). Our camping trips are weekends away (no longer than a couple of days) only to sites that have electricity. We need to buy a fridge. Camping fridges are very expensive and I think they are too "advanced" for what we need. We will not be running the fridge from our car or going on 2 week trips or going out off road etc. I was hoping to rather get a bar fridge to fit in the boot of our car for the short trips (we will only be camping max 2 hours away at any given time). My question is, will a bar fridge hold being outdoors for a day or 2 in the heat under a gazebo? Or are there any other suggestions? Thanks for your advice! 

Just take in mind, a normal bar fridge need to stand 1-2 hrs after travelling before you switch it on.

I lost 2x 50lt bar fridges, because of the fact that I switched them on once we stopped.

Now we have a 120lt as "standby", especially when we receive visitors.

If I were you, I will rather invest in a Thermo Cooler.

My brother has one and run it on 12V when travelling.

Once he arrive at his camping spot, he plug in the 12V Charger, which is connected with 220V and reduce the 220V to 12V to accommodate with the thermo cooler.

That will be less cost as you mentioned that you's going for short period camping

Eleni, welcome to the Forum. I have seen campers with a bar fridge in their caravan tent. It worked well. They had a bakkie and stood upright on the back of the bakkie when transporting it. I do not know if it will be a problem lying flat in the boot of the car. If you get a small bar fridge fitting in the boot I do not see any problems. Good luck

Anonymous wrote:

Just take in mind, a normal bar fridge need to stand 1-2 hrs after travelling before you switch it on.

I lost 2x 50lt bar fridges, because of the fact that I switched them on once we stopped.

Now we have a 120lt as "standby", especially when we receive visitors.

If I were you, I will rather invest in a Thermo Cooler.

My brother has one and run it on 12V when travelling.

Once he arrive at his camping spot, he plug in the 12V Charger, which is connected with 220V and reduce the 220V to 12V to accommodate with the thermo cooler.

That will be less cost as you mentioned that you's going for short period camping

Correct as Dennis said above .... we ran a similar set-up to his Thermo cooler for 7 years in our Bushbaby and then as a standby in my bar at home. Still operative by the way.

(Always intrigued me as the instructions said that the door should be at the top - horizontally - and not standing upright as a "normal" fridge The fact that this was running on electricity (12Volt) and not gas, meant that I ignored the instructions after a while and used the set-up as an upright and never had problems.)

I am not aware of only switching on after 60 to 90 minutes only and I doubt the need for this. I wonder if this might be valid in case the 'fridge is carried lying flat. This should not be done according to all wisdom I have come across so I would advise against this. It will also probably not be a good idea if it is filled with foodstuff as the contents will probably be scrambled. But I don't think you will need to do this. Bar bridges are after all quite small.

@ Nico: Goed weer om van jou te hoor.

@ Shortie: Many "Moons" ago, I even built my own Thermo Cooler out of:-

4x Computer Motherboard Fans with an old Coolerbox.

I mounted 2x Fans at the lid of the Cooler Box & 2x Fans aside and placed "Warm Ice Bricks" at the bottom.

We camped in a tent @ Kokoriba for 2-weeks without any hazzles.

Fred wrote:

I am not aware of only switching on after 60 to 90 minutes only and I doubt the need for this. I wonder if this might be valid in case the 'fridge is carried lying flat. This should not be done according to all wisdom I have come across so I would advise against this. It will also probably not be a good idea if it is filled with foodstuff as the contents will probably be scrambled. But I don't think you will need to do this. Bar bridges are after all quite small.

 

Hello Fred, I understand your point that 50lt's are quite small, but as mentioned that is true.

When we used to do tent camping, I bought a KIC from Game.

After the 2nd camp the fridge switched on, but refused to make cold.

I returned it as warranty claim and was refunded in full.

I walked over to House & Home and bought a 50lt Bayer.

After my 1st camp with same, the same problem.

I sent it to Bayer in Midrand as warranty claim and I was contacted: I reply and said, only for camping.

Their reply was: Never switch the unit on, because this should stand for 1-2hrs regardless how it stand during travelling and they can fit a camping compressor at a ???? price should fit a camping compressor.

They fitted a new normal compressor FOC, but it last 3-4 months.

Same was standing upright in my Venter and packed up.

After that, I converted it into a thermo cooler, which worked perfectly for the wife and me.

Camping chest freezers that is only working on 230v aren't that expensive....the 2way like snomaster and Engel is much more

Gerrie waarom sou dit wees? Die een in ons karavaan is is maar klein, ek dink 110L. Dis maar eintlik n groot kroeg yskas en het dalk dieselfde kompressor on as die 50L. Ons skakel dit onmiddelik aan as ons die karavaan staangemask het. Weet jy wat die verskil is en waarom die staantyd? Ek is regtig nuuskierig want ek het nog nooit so-iets hehoor nie.

Anonymous wrote:

Hello Fred, I understand your point that 50lt's are quite small, but as mentioned that is true.

When we used to do tent camping, I bought a KIC from Game.

After the 2nd camp the fridge switched on, but refused to make cold.

I returned it as warranty claim and was refunded in full.

I walked over to House & Home and bought a 50lt Bayer.

After my 1st camp with same, the same problem.

I sent it to Bayer in Midrand as warranty claim and I was contacted: I reply and said, only for camping.

Their reply was: Never switch the unit on, because this should stand for 1-2hrs regardless how it stand during travelling and they can fit a camping compressor at a ???? price should fit a camping compressor.

They fitted a new normal compressor FOC, but it last 3-4 months.

Same was standing upright in my Venter and packed up.

After that, I converted it into a thermo cooler, which worked perfectly for the wife and me.

Ek kan nie sien hoekom hulle sê dat die yskas vir 'n uur tot 2 moet staan voordat jy hom kian aanskakel na 'n rit nie.

Volgens my kennis is daar geen verskil tussen die werking van 'n kroegyskas en die "domestic" yskas wat in 'n woonwa ge installeerr is nie. Die woonwa se yskas skakel jy dadelik aan sodra jy by jou bestemming arriveer.

Dit is slegs as 'n yskas nie regop ssstaande posisie vervoer word nie dat jy 'n tydperk moet wag sodat die gas in die pypies kan versprei alvorens jy hom kan aanskakel.

Julle is maar seker die slimkoppe????

eleni wrote:

Hi everyone! My family and I are new campers (I have been camping when I was a kid but I've started again now with my own kids). Our camping trips are weekends away (no longer than a couple of days) only to sites that have electricity. We need to buy a fridge. Camping fridges are very expensive and I think they are too "advanced" for what we need. We will not be running the fridge from our car or going on 2 week trips or going out off road etc. I was hoping to rather get a bar fridge to fit in the boot of our car for the short trips (we will only be camping max 2 hours away at any given time). My question is, will a bar fridge hold being outdoors for a day or 2 in the heat under a gazebo? Or are there any other suggestions? Thanks for your advice! 

Hi there.  A very big welcome to the forum.  The bar fridge will work just perfectly for your camping needs.  Family of ours have been using it for a very long time and still do when they go camping.

Now some more feedback with regards to the waiting period after you have transported the fridge.

1. You need not to wait a certain time to switch the bar fridge on if and only if you have transported the bar fridge "Upright".  In other words like it would normally be used. I can confirm this because my daughter bought herself a small caravan with a bar fridge inside and it works perfectly being switched on after parking the caravan.  It works exactly like a normal house fridge.
2. HOWEVER! ! ! ! ! ! ! If you have transported the fridge on its side or back, (not advised to do) the lubricating substance of this motor inside the  fridge compressor (remember the motor runs inside a sealed unit) can flow into the cooling tubes and pipes of the fridge.  That's why you THEN need to allow for the lubricating substance to flow back into the compressor with gravity before switching it on.

Other than the above-mentioned issues the fridge will work perfectly.  If you don't have a Bakkie type vehicle or a large SUV so the fridge can stand upright during transport then you will probably have to transport it on it's side which is not advise-able.

Die wag voor aanskakel is as hy nie regop gestaan het nie. n' kombuis yskas moet eintelik altyd regop staan.

n' Thermo Cooler soos die een van Coleman wat n' silicon halfgelyer verkoeling / verwarming element het is die mees ondoeltrefende manier om dinge te verkoel. Dit trek 5A permanent en vries nooit iets nie.

Wat jy koop hang eintelik van wat jy kan bekostig. Die mees doeltrefende manier on dinge te vries is met n' 12/220V kiss yskas soos die wat met n' compressor werk. Die bar of kombuis yskaste is ook net so doeltreffend maar minder skud (off road) bestand. Moet ook nie jou bar / kombuis yskas laat loop terwyl jy ry nie.

Ons het n' lank terug n' klein bar yskas op die agterste sitplek saam gevat. Dit het goed gewerk.

Soos Paul sê n Thermo Cooler is nie juis effektief nie en in ons klimaat nie prakties nie. Dis ook raadsaam om voedsel vooraf in 'n gewone yskas te verkoel voor jy dit in sit.  Myne se handleiding sê dit verkoel tot 20º onder lugtemperatuur en dit is ook maar net as jy dit nie gedurig oopmaak nie.  As dit sê 35º is, kan jy dus maar hoop op 12º in die kassie wat nie juis veel help nie. Die rede waarom die deksel bo is, is om so min moontlik koue te verloor as jy dit oopmaak.  Die twee waaiers, waarskynlik eintlik die buitekantse een, is raserig wat lastig sal wees as dit in dieselfde vertrek of tent as jy staan.  En  dit is die effektiefste op 220V, altans ons s'n is.  Op 12V kan jy sommer hoor die waaier loop stadiger en jy kom agter dit is nie so koel nie.  Dis darem redelik effektief om kos koud te hou tot by 'n piekniekplek, want hy kan loop terwyl jy ry,  maar oor sy swaar kragverbruik, is dit nie raadsaam om hom  te laat loop as die voertuig stilstaan nie- dit kan die battery dreineer oor 'n paar uur.  Ek het eenmaal so 'n fout gemaak en ons moes maar stoot.  Ek het nie een van die goeie Coleman koelbokse nie maar ek dink dis dalk n beter proposisie as die thermo cooler as jy nie 'n regte yskas kan gebruik niewant om volume en seker koste te bespaar is die TC nie baie goed geïsoleer nie- wel myne is nie.

Die dink kan ook omgeswaai word om te verhit, maar dis so stadig dat dit ook nie prakties is nie.

Ek het so Thermo Cooler op n' stadium gekoop. Na een trip Wildtuin toe met 36C of hoer het hy afgekoel tot 20C. En dan trek hy 5A. Dit is useless. Ek het hom terug gevat en iets anders gekoop.