Thetford releases monster caravan fridge

Whoever coined the phrase ‘you can’t take it with you’ hadn’t heard of Thetford’s latest monster caravan fridge/freezer, which with a combined capacity of 274 litres, is believed to be Australia’s largest.

The home-size, compressor-only 12-volt T1274 with its fridge capacity of 202 litres and separate 72-litre freezer compartment, is designed for travellers, or families, who spend extended time off the power grid and away from major food supplies.

Perfect for storing that large marlin you’ve just landed, or a side of venison!

With a cabinet size of 1519mm tall x 592mm wide and 646mm deep and weighing 57.3kg, the new Thetford T1274 is a sizable unit that will be right at home in larger caravans and motorhomes.

However, it’s not just its size and capacity that are impressive.

One of the important features of all Thetford compressor fridges that makes them ideal for remote area travel, is their smart ventilation, which is included in the top control panel of the T1274.

As with the smaller Thetford compressor fridges, external vents are not required due to this internal ventilation, which means dust cannot find its way into the van through the fridge venting.

Another feature that makes this new fridge/freezer a good travelling companion, is its split thermostat, which makes it possible to adjust the temperature in both the frozen food and fresh food compartments individually, via the simple LED control panel.

In addition to this, the Night Mode reduces compressor and fan speed when you sleep to conserve battery charge and reduce noise overnight.

The T1274  looks and feel like it has been taken straight from a home kitchen, with its spacious interior including five glass shelves with retainers, one in which that can be halved to create more space for taller items.

The big Thetford fridge also has multiple door bins, LED lights in both the fridge and the freezer section and two vegetable bins at the bottom. The reversible stainless-steel door has curved edges with hidden hinges and recessed door handles for a modern look while the travel latch keeps the doors locked during traveling

Thetford’s move to introduce the monster fridge follows the growth in self-sustainability by most of Australia’s specialist luxury off-road caravan manufacturers in recent years  and follows the expanded availability of high-capacity lithium battery systems, more efficient solar charging panels and the corresponding greater use of large capacity inverters of 2000 watts or more.

The higher cost of luxury caravans, which are soon to breach the $300,000 barrier, makes the $3995 RRP of the T1274 relatively affordable in the total rig cost.

With the ability of these large caravans and ‘expedition’ motorhomes to function normally off-the-grid for weeks on end, the ability to keep sufficient food and drink refrigerated for long periods has been a limiting barrier for many remote area off-roaders.

Thetford expected a solid niche market for its newcomer from major off-road caravan manufacturers, but given the power that such a fridge draws and the space it occupies, it is likely to be seen only on larger models for the time being.