Hello. I pick up my new white Beach on 28 February. Very exciting

alan bristol · Feb 17, 2015

I had to decline the very expensive VW cool box. (£300+)
Have other owners used alternative cool boxes from camping shops.
That they might recommend ?

Meoncoast · Feb 17, 2015

Hello and welcome.

Jaydub · Feb 17, 2015

Waeco CDF-11 fits between the front seats, nice snug fit. £259 from Attwools near Gloucester.

Alan · Feb 17, 2015

Welcome to the forum :thumb

Good to have another Alan here

motacyclist · Feb 17, 2015

Not long to go for you now, welcome and Happy New Cali :thumb

storma63 · Feb 17, 2015

Hi Alan, welcome :bananadance

Big Bloke · Feb 17, 2015

Hi!
We use a WAECO 35 litre frige, not cheap but works fantastic! We lash it down whilst on the move but you can buy a fixing plate for them.

Bramco · Feb 17, 2015

Hi Alan and welcome.

We use a cheap coolbox from Aldi. It fits behind the passenger seat and kind of wedges in in front of the box on a 2 seat Beach. So you can run it from the 12v supply or if you are hooked up can plug it in to 240v.

I think ours was about £25 and is the dual voltage kind, i.e. does 12v as well as 240v. You have to keep your eye on things but we find it is a great simple, cheap option to all the all singing and dancing things out there are ten times the price.

alan bristol · Feb 18, 2015

thanks guys for your replies.
Lots to choose from. See how I feel about cost.
Cheap Aldi
Dear Waeco
Ever since I committed to buying the ex demonstrator the sun has been out here in Bristol.
Making me even more eager to go....
Alan

Jaydub · Feb 18, 2015

Go to the campervan show at the NEC this weekend to look at various options for cooling,cooking and sleeping.

jamesC · Feb 18, 2015

Waeco compressor fridges are by far the best option in my opinion

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

ibis64 · Feb 18, 2015

Yes that's what I will be going for not cheap but well worth the investment

rippers · Feb 19, 2015

You are right to not go for the VW Beach one, we where VERY disappointed with it, plus it took up so much room. Any cheap 12v coolbox would be the same if not better then the VW one.

WelshGas · Feb 19, 2015

Really depends what your usage is. According to this comparison the Toolbox is not so good for extended use OFF mains.

Powered cool boxes

Although powered coolboxes often have both 12V and 240 volt power supply options, the 12V option is mainly intended for use when traveling due to the ampage draw on the 12V supply. Thermo-electric coolboxes will keep run from a vehicle 12V supply while the motor is running without draining the battery and are sufficiently insulated to keep things cool if you stop at a service station on your journey. They can however drain your car battery if left running when the motor is switched off (look out for coolers with a battery safe mode which cuts off before the battery gets too low).

Thermo-electric coolboxes are usually recommended for UK use where a 240V supply is available on site through your vehicle connection or an independent mobile mains kit sometimes referred to as a EHU. Electric cool boxes generally have a cooling capacity of around 18 to 20 °C below ambient temperature and some also have a warming function for hot food stuffs.

Cheaper than a genuine fridge, electric coolboxes are recommended for picnics or cold drinks on long journeys or UK campsite use to chill basic foodstuffs where a mains electric supply is available.

Shop for electric coolboxes -->>

Absorption fridges

Absorption fridges are similar to the compression fridge you may have at home, but they run much quieter so as not to disturb your nights sleep. They can generally be run from both 12v and 24 volt electric supplies as well as gas giving you the freedom to use them where a mains electric supply is not available or simply unreliable.

Absorption fridges will generally achieve a temperature drop of around 25 to 30°C below ambient making them suitable for use in hotter climbs as well as the UK. Many will have variable performance to prevent over chilling in colder months of the year. Although they are more expensive than electric coolboxes, with no moving parts absorption fridges tend to have a longer lifetime than powered coolboxes.

Recommended for use in both the UK and Europe where higher performance may be required or where mains electric supply can't be relied upon so gas power option is an advantage.

Goldie · Feb 23, 2015

The Waeco compressor fridge is far superior to the absorption fridge. I have both an original Electrolux RC1600 and Waeco CF40.
Electrolux (absorption) is good on 240v and gas, but poor on 12v. The Waeco is brilliant on 12v and you need to be careful you don't freeze stuff by accident by setting too low, i.e. the thermostat is accurate and works.

Andy

Big Bloke · Feb 23, 2015

Goldie said:
The Waeco compressor fridge is far superior to the absorption fridge. I have both an original Electrolux RC1600 and Waeco CF40.
Electrolux (absorption) is good on 240v and gas, but poor on 12v. The Waeco is brilliant on 12v and you need to be careful you don't freeze stuff by accident by setting too low, i.e. the thermostat is accurate and works.

Andy

Agree with everything above.
Another plus point for us is how quiet it is......in fact no noise at all! We also have the Aldi coolbox which we use in the awning for chilling beer & wine. It works ok ish, but is noisey.