The case for compressor caravan fridges

What’s the better fridge for your caravan – 12-volt compressor or a traditional three-Way (absorption)?

It’s a debate amongst caravanners that still rages, with advantages on both sides, but the real answer depends on you – where you intend to go and for how long?

Most off-road and the latest generation of gas-free caravans come standard with 12-volt compressor fridges because they're the latest technology and with a self-sufficient energy system of a battery-fed by solar energy that most caravans now have, they will keep things cool for long periods off the power grid and away from gas supplies.

This works well in warmer climes, as the sun delivers the power to replace their power drain on your caravan’s battery. Compressor fridges also cool quicker and operate much more efficiently on uneven, or sloping sites up to 30 degrees – the Achilles heel of their three-way brothers

Of course, this may mean first outlaying the money on solar panels or battery management systems to ensure everything works as planned, but these are standard in most modern caravans now and it will pay off to have them when it comes time to sell or update your van.

If you live or holiday in the Southern States and plan extended time in the same spot off the grid under cloudy skies, you could be in trouble. But most of us chase the sun in our spare time, so this is not really a negative.

Three-way fridges got a bad reputation until the recent advent of what is now called the ‘Tropical Climate Class’, which has allowed them to recover lost ground to their compressor rivals for off-grid use.

One of the problems with three-way fridges is that because they're an evaporative cooler, they need plenty of airflow. The ‘tropical’ fridges have significantly larger air vents at their back, while the air inlet at the front is now located much higher – above the top of the fridge.

This allows air to circulate more efficiently behind the fridge and its sides are thus fully sealed to their enclosing cabinet to ensure this. All this means they take up extra interior space.

On the move, they only maintain their temperature on 12v power, which can be a problem on long travelling days in hot weather when all you can think of is a cool drink. Things do cool when you stop and switch onto gas, but a standard 9kg gas bottle will only run your fridge around the clock for up to two weeks.

So, if you're planning longer remote area travel you’ll need to carry another bottle, or find somewhere to refill. With a compressor fridge, this is something you don’t have to worry about.

One advantage absorption fridges have is that they're quieter in operation than most compressor fridges, but most off-road caravans have the fridge and the bed at different ends, so this is rarely an issue.

However in caravans where dust ingress can be a problem, mandatory gas venting for absorption fridges is a problem, so they're becoming scarce in off-road caravans. As a result, not having a compressor fridge may limit your van’s resale appeal in years to come.

The increasing popularity of electric induction cooktops has driven a further nail in the coffin of the three-way fridge, as not being gas-powered, they also don’t require external venting.

In their early days, the cost of an equivalent-sized compressor fridge was more expensive than a three-way but today the pricing is about line-ball, so the choice of which system works better for you is all about your intended caravanning lifestyle and how important resale is to you.

These days, more caravanners are heading off the grid and if that’s the way you’re going too, then a compressor fridge is clearly your choice.