One of the most important pieces of equipment in your caravan is your fridge. It’s what keeps your food fresh, the beer cold, and the kids’ ice cream frozen. There are two main types of fridge available: three-way fridges (also known as absorption fridges), which can operate on 12V power, gas, or 240V power; and so-called two-way fridges (also known as compressor fridges). These run on either 12V or 240V power.
Each fridge type has its pros and cons, so let’s take a quick look to help you make a more informed decision.
ABSORPTION FRIDGES
Three-way fridges use a gas flow heat exchange system in the back of the fridge, rather than a compressor. Effectively, instead of creating cold air, they remove heat. These types of fridges don’t run particularly efficiently on 12V power. Instead, the 12V function is more about maintaining the temperature inside the fridge while you’re heading to your destination. You should really only run an absorption fridge on 12V when the vehicle is running, otherwise, you’ll drain the van’s battery quite quickly. However, three-way fridges shine on gas. When free-camping, where 240V power is not available, a single 9kg gas cylinder should keep an absorption fridge running for a couple of weeks (depending on size, etc.). A slight drawback is that the cooling system of absorption fridges require the van to be quite level to work effectively. On the positive side, because they don’t use a compressor, absorption fridges are very quiet.
COMPRESSOR FRIDGES
These types of fridges are known to work more effectively in particularly hot environments than absorption fridges. Now, compressor fridges are built to work on 12V power, so they run much more efficiently on DC than absorption fridges. However, this means that your van will need a quality 12V system. Having said that, the manufacturer of your caravan should account for this and help you plan accordingly, perhaps with a second 120Ah AGM battery, or a lithium setup, and solar panels to suit. Just like your fridge at home, which also uses a compressor, two-way fridges make some noise. Having said that, modern compressor fridges for caravans are still quiet.
SUMMING UP
Each fridge type has its benefits and drawbacks, as you can see. The ability to run a fridge on gas is very useful, as it is independent of the van’s 12V system, and the fact they don’t make any noise is a bonus at night time. The fact compressor fridges are particularly effective in hotter climates to give them the edge over absorption fridges, in my opinion. The trend nowadays seems to be towards compressor fridges, and it’s fair to say that they have become even more efficient in recent years when it comes to running on 12V power.