Ironman 65L dual compartment Fridge / Freezer

Just looking at these, look really good value, just wondered if anyone using one?

Cheers

Marty

Hey mate
I run an ARB 80l which works really well. Most fridge/freezers available these days all run the same compressors so the only thing to really worry about is the built quality of the fridge itself. I have a few things from ironman and I can't fault them.

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Originally Posted by nissannewby

Hey mate
I run an ARB 80l which works really well. Most fridge/freezers available these days all run the same compressors so the only thing to really worry about is the built quality of the fridge itself. I have a few things from ironman and I can't fault them.

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I like the dual zone feature of this one. And for the money can't be overlooked I think.

mate it looks and measures exactly the same as the primus. I can get the primus for $1250 with a insulation bag. On sale at the moment, so I will be looking at this for sure!

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Originally Posted by 89gqpatrol4x4

mate it looks and measures exactly the same as the primus. I can get the primus for $1250 with a insulation bag. On sale at the moment, so I will be looking at this for sure!

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They said $999 inc insulated bag?

I rang them straight after I saw this thread and it's an awesome price, will more than likely be getting one

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Originally Posted by 89gqpatrol4x4

I rang them straight after I saw this thread and it's an awesome price, will more than likely be getting one

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That's why we have this forum

Got a mate that has one, he thinks its great, I run a waeco myself not much difference between the two really both keep the beers nice and cold!

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Originally Posted by Coastalpatrol

Got a mate that has one, he thinks its great, I run a waeco myself not much difference between the two really both keep the beers nice and cold!

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Ok I'm in. I'll let you know what I think in due course! Thanks.

Check these out - if you're a Rays Outdoors member they're only $799, looks like pretty good value to me.

http://www.raysoutdoors.com.au/onlin...=1021966#Cross

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Originally Posted by Yabb

Check these out - if you're a Rays Outdoors member they're only $799, looks like pretty good value to me.

http://www.raysoutdoors.com.au/onlin...=1021966#Cross

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Cheers Yab

Same fridge, different stickers?

Hi Rafa,

I don't think they're the same the Companion is 100L dual zone.

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Originally Posted by Yabb

Hi Rafa,

I don't think they're the same the Companion is 100L dual zone.

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Even better. How do you be a member?

It's not an exclusive club.
Just go to the counter, give them some details, email address, etc and they'll give you a card.

Can do it online too http://www.raysoutdoors.com.au/raysrewards/

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Yabb

It's not an exclusive club.
Just go to the counter, give them some details, email address, etc and they'll give you a card.

Can do it online too http://www.raysoutdoors.com.au/raysrewards/

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I'm in Darwin. Wonder if they post. Although I like the warranty on the ironman one. Hmm

Yeah, I haven't looked into the specifics and can't vouch for what brand is better.
But it looks like a lot of fridge for the cash, could even be too big depends on what you need.

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Originally Posted by Yabb

Yeah, I haven't looked into the specifics and can't vouch for what brand is better.
But it looks like a lot of fridge for the cash, could even be too big depends on what you need.

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Well. Fridge for cool stuff. Freezer to take a week of home cooked meals. I'm always out bush and the food IF available is always s**t and along the lines if windings. Running 145w solar into back pod (ex Telstra) and the idea of running one unit, instead of 40 l engel fridge. And 40 l engel on freeze makes more sense.

It's all work related. Every week I'm out in top end remote communities.

Will come in handy camping too when I get time.

Couple frozen pies. Couple of home cooked meals etc. then into the DSE type camp stove at smoko and hot lunch when you want it. Well that's the plan. ;)

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Originally Posted by rafa

Well. Fridge for cool stuff. Freezer to take a week of home cooked meals. I'm always out bush and the food IF available is always s**t and along the lines if windings. Running 145w solar into back pod (ex Telstra) and the idea of running one unit, instead of 40 l engel fridge. And 40 l engel on freeze makes more sense.

It's all work related. Every week I'm out in top end remote communities.

Will come in handy camping too when I get time.

Couple frozen pies. Couple of home cooked meals etc. then into the DSE type camp stove at smoko and hot lunch when you want it. Well that's the plan. ;)

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Given this post mate if you are claiming it on your tax then id be running with the 2 separate fridges. one set to freeze and the other for fridge. Much more efficient use of space and power and if one shyts itself on day 2 then you have the backup until you can get somewhere. i did the Madigan line with a couple last year that do a heap of outback travel and run 2 fridges just like that. we had Icecream on night 7 in the desert! it was great.

Combined with ta Travel Buddy oven and you are on a winner for sure. i would not even look at a DSE type oven for your use. Travel Buddy all the way mate. nothing comes close.

Also when doing day trip you can then just take a single 40lt out with you instead of an empty 80lt.

Well there's plenty out there to choose from, I'm sure some of the fellas on the forum would have some opinions on what brands are the best.
I was just impressed by the size and price.

Sounds like whatever you get it definitely needs to be hardcore & reliable.

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Originally Posted by MudRunnerTD

Given this post mate if you are claiming it on your tax then id be running with the 2 separate fridges. one set to freeze and the other for fridge. Much more efficient use of space and power and if one shyts itself on day 2 then you have the backup until you can get somewhere. i did the Madigan line with a couple last year that do a heap of outback travel and run 2 fridges just like that. we had Icecream on night 7 in the desert! it was great.

Combined with ta Travel Buddy oven and you are on a winner for sure. i would not even look at a DSE type oven for your use. Travel Buddy all the way mate. nothing comes close.

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Received.

Hear ya mate. It's all business so doesn't matter. Just gotta work. Week in week out so to speak.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Yabb

Well there's plenty out there to choose from, I'm sure some of the fellas on the forum would have some opinions on what brands are the best.
I was just impressed by the size and price.

Sounds like whatever you get it definitely needs to be hardcore & reliable.

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Still not discounted the ironman. Kinda liking one unit drawing on battery instead if two.

I'll second the separate fridge & freezer idea. Far more flexible.

Issue may become having sufficient power to run them (as it would be if you went with a significantly larger single unit).

Possibly you can scrape by (power wise) with a 65 litre single unit, depending upon the temp you have it set at.

It is most unlikely that your single 145w panel would keep up with a fridge & a freezer, or a big fridge/freezer (80litre+) for a week+ at a time. (A few days yes, but if going longer the batteries would be losing some capacity each day & by the end of a week although the fridges might still be running you would be in battery 'premature death' territory. Buying a new battery every year may be an acceptable trade off against extra weight &/or cost of alternatives however. If it were me I'd prefer the system to be 'balanced' & not need to worry about flat batteries. A second panel would help enormously if you had enough roof 'real estate'.

Of course you may be able to plug into 240v when stopped in the communities too, in which case a 'smart' (multi stage) mains charger would be a worthwhile investment & might suffice without need for a second panel. If you could only plug in every second or third night just increasing battery capacity may be the go.

I can't recall if you are also charging your aux battery from the alternator? If so, then providing you drive for long enough each day you should be ok as is. If no dc to dc charger (i.e. just via a voltage sensitive relay) the solar will help to top up the battery beyond what the alternator can put in provided you reach your destination with sufficient hours of sunlight left in the day. A bit of a balancing act between driving for long enough to get the battery as full as the alternator will take it (around 70% full) & leaving long enough in the day for the solar to top it up enough for overnight use. A second panel would be beneficial, & could be a portable type.

Alterntively a small generator & 240v smart charger. Then you have to carry fuel for the gennie, & I expect that might mean needing a diesel one in some communities?

Cuppa

We are more than likely going to get say a 35/40L to use as a dedicated freezer as the power draw will be fairly small compared to the fridge as we won't be back and forth going into it all the time as opposed to the fridge

I have always had a three way Fridge which I have found to work very well however some people seem to have trouble with them.
I ran on 240V at home when Packing and then on 12V whilst travelling
On Gas at Campsite
Must be kept level to run efficiently


An Extract from an Article on BCF Site

3 Way Fridge / Freezers are often described as the ‘ultimate freedom’ when it comes to portable refrigeration as they can be powered by LPG (the same gas commonly used with camp stoves and BBQs). This allows you to arrive at our campsite, take the fridge / freezer out of the vehicle, hook it up to a 9kg gas bottle and you have about 3 weeks of run time. No concern about charging or flattening batteries, no need for a powered campsite and still capable of freezing.

This makes 3-Way fridge / freezers the perfect option for long duration stays in the one location, such as the annual two week camping holiday, just ‘set and forget’.

There are a couple of characteristics of 3-Way fridge / freezers that make them less ideal for travelling and stopping with the fridge running in the vehicle and more suited to long duration stays in the one location. Firstly 3-Way fridge / freezers need to be level to operate effectively, whereas a 2-Way fridge will operate at full efficiency on up to a 30° angle. Secondly a 2-Way fridge is extremely low draw, drawing somewhere between 2.5 and 4.5 amps per hour when running and like your fridge at home, once it reaches the desired temperature the compressor cuts out until it needs to work again. So with a 2-Way fridge / freezer the compressor is not running all the time drawing power, whereas a 3-Way fridge / freezer uses a absorption cooling system that runs continually and when on 12V it will draw a constant 10 amps an hour.

So what does this mean?

A 3-Way fridge will continually draw 10 amps an hour from your battery and needs to be level, so it is not ideal for those travelling and doing short stops, especially if they want to operate the fridge inside the vehicle without running the vehicle to keep the battery charged. However once stopped for any length of time it is a dream as you remove the fridge from the vehicle, level it, change over to gas and ‘set and forget’ for 3 weeks without thinking about a charging source.

2-Way fridges on the other hand are perfect for travelling and stopping for short periods because they can be left in a vehicle, even on an angle and will operate at full efficiency with minimal draw. Even better if you have a dual battery kit fitted, then the second (auxiliary) battery can be isolated, the fridge run from this second battery and even if it goes flat you are still able to start the vehicle from the main battery. When using 2-Way fridge / freezers for longer duration stays though, is that it runs on 12V and this means you need to run your vehicle to charge your batteries or connect a charging source such as solar panel or generator.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by oncedisturbed

We are more than likely going to get say a 35/40L to use as a dedicated freezer as the power draw will be fairly small compared to the fridge as we won't be back and forth going into it all the time as opposed to the fridge

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I have a 60 litre ARB I use as a fridge & a 35 litre ARB I use as a freezer. Both have the same compressor unit. My experience, in hot weather, has been that the freezer set at minus 12 uses more power than the fridge set at 1 degree.

Cuppa

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bob

I have always had a three way Fridge which I have found to work very well however some people seem to have trouble with them.
I ran on 240V at home when Packing and then on 12V whilst travelling
On Gas at Campsite
Must be kept level to run efficiently


An Extract from an Article on BCF Site

3 Way Fridge / Freezers are often described as the ‘ultimate freedom’ when it comes to portable refrigeration as they can be powered by LPG (the same gas commonly used with camp stoves and BBQs). This allows you to arrive at our campsite, take the fridge / freezer out of the vehicle, hook it up to a 9kg gas bottle and you have about 3 weeks of run time. No concern about charging or flattening batteries, no need for a powered campsite and still capable of freezing.

This makes 3-Way fridge / freezers the perfect option for long duration stays in the one location, such as the annual two week camping holiday, just ‘set and forget’.

There are a couple of characteristics of 3-Way fridge / freezers that make them less ideal for travelling and stopping with the fridge running in the vehicle and more suited to long duration stays in the one location. Firstly 3-Way fridge / freezers need to be level to operate effectively, whereas a 2-Way fridge will operate at full efficiency on up to a 30° angle. Secondly a 2-Way fridge is extremely low draw, drawing somewhere between 2.5 and 4.5 amps per hour when running and like your fridge at home, once it reaches the desired temperature the compressor cuts out until it needs to work again. So with a 2-Way fridge / freezer the compressor is not running all the time drawing power, whereas a 3-Way fridge / freezer uses a absorption cooling system that runs continually and when on 12V it will draw a constant 10 amps an hour.

So what does this mean?

A 3-Way fridge will continually draw 10 amps an hour from your battery and needs to be level, so it is not ideal for those travelling and doing short stops, especially if they want to operate the fridge inside the vehicle without running the vehicle to keep the battery charged. However once stopped for any length of time it is a dream as you remove the fridge from the vehicle, level it, change over to gas and ‘set and forget’ for 3 weeks without thinking about a charging source.

2-Way fridges on the other hand are perfect for travelling and stopping for short periods because they can be left in a vehicle, even on an angle and will operate at full efficiency with minimal draw. Even better if you have a dual battery kit fitted, then the second (auxiliary) battery can be isolated, the fridge run from this second battery and even if it goes flat you are still able to start the vehicle from the main battery. When using 2-Way fridge / freezers for longer duration stays though, is that it runs on 12V and this means you need to run your vehicle to charge your batteries or connect a charging source such as solar panel or generator.

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Without wishing to start a 'Which type is best war' (common on some RV forums) .........

I assume the article when referring to 2 way fridges means 12v/240v compressor fridges. This is different to what I've always understood to be meant by 'Two way' - i.e. 240v/gas - an absorbtion type (I have one of those on our verandah, removed from our bus 'cos we were sick of it defrosting & leaking if we didn't get the vehicle dead level overnight & it struggling when travelling long distances over rough or hilly roads).
The problem with 3 way fridges if used up north is getting hold of one which will keep food at safe temperatures. To do this it must be 'T' rated (Tropical) & whilst such beasts do exist, they are not at all easy to find despite what some advertising would lead you to believe. This is because most are made for the European market & imported. Generally most are only rated to around 32 degrees ambient. (We did have ours stay cold for 10 days of 38 degrees+ up on the Murray once, with the aid of additional cooling fans, but MrsTea spat the dummy when we parked up overnight at a friends place in Melbourne on the way home, on a slight hill, & returned to the vehicle in the morning to find the freezer defrosted, & leaking all over the floor - I recall her words "I want a fridge that just works").

Certainly gas is a lot simpler, & cheaper to set up, & works well when used within the limitations, but there is no way known I'd wish to swap back. Hourses for courses ...... of course.

Cuppa

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Cuppa

Without wishing to start a 'Which type is best war' (common on some RV forums) .........

I assume the article when referring to 2 way fridges means 12v/240v compressor fridges. This is different to what I've always understood to be meant by 'Two way' - i.e. 240v/gas - an absorbtion type (I have one of those on our verandah, removed from our bus 'cos we were sick of it defrosting & leaking if we didn't get the vehicle dead level overnight & it struggling when travelling long distances over rough or hilly roads).
The problem with 3 way fridges if used up north is getting hold of one which will keep food at safe temperatures. To do this it must be 'T' rated (Tropical) & whilst such beasts do exist, they are not at all easy to find despite what some advertising would lead you to believe. This is because most are made for the European market & imported. Generally most are only rated to around 32 degrees ambient. (We did have ours stay cold for 10 days of 38 degrees+ up on the Murray once, with the aid of additional cooling fans, but MrsTea spat the dummy when we parked up overnight at a friends place in Melbourne on the way home, on a slight hill, & returned to the vehicle in the morning to find the freezer defrosted, & leaking all over the floor - I recall her words "I want a fridge that just works").

Certainly gas is a lot simpler, & cheaper to set up, & works well when used within the limitations, but there is no way known I'd wish to swap back. Hourses for courses ...... of course.

Cuppa

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Agree with your comments Cuppa and also your comment "Horses for Courses"
Good to explore all options though

Ok. Update. Today bought the 65L fridge freezer. Pretty impressed as I loaded it tonight.

In the freezer I got. 6 frozen meals ready for dick smith stove. 12 toasted sandwiches. 9 pies. Got to be happy with that and that's just the freezer.

Fridge has 2x 6 pack alc free stubbies. 10 diet coke. Butter apples etc. still room for more.

Will report in after a bit more use as to how the battery (120a/hr) and 145 solar go feeding it.

Marty

Attachment 35121

Hmmm. Battery never got over 11.6v today and panel produced 42ahr.


:(

Mind you I did use the stove for an hour ?

Really don't think you will have a problem with the battery, I've got an ark pak with 105amh battery myself running the same size fridge and in the tropics I could run it for a week without an issue.


Waz

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Originally Posted by Warwick89

Really don't think you will have a problem with the battery, I've got an ark pak with 105amh battery myself running the same size fridge and in the tropics I could run it for a week without an issue.


Waz

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Do you have one side on freezer?

Cheers

Marty

Yeah mate
Freezer usually set to around -14 to -16 fridge stays around 2 or 3

Waz

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Warwick89

Yeah mate
Freezer usually set to around -14 to -16 fridge stays around 2 or 3

Waz

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Cheers was gunna ask.

Mine on -18 and 2. Maybe I could lift it to -14??

Marty

I'm no health expert but I haven't got sick from freezing it at -14 Hahaha

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Warwick89

I'm no health expert but I haven't got sick from freezing it at -14 Hahaha

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Have you ever had the E3 error code come up on yours? I changed to mains power and got that code. Changed back to 12v and goes. Also. Temp is sticking at around -8 was -17 earlier? :(

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Originally Posted by rafa

Have you ever had the E3 error code come up on yours? I changed to mains power and got that code. Changed back to 12v and goes. Also. Temp is sticking at around -8 was -17 earlier? :(

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The answer is on the link below, motor blockage or cooling system error

http://www.ironman4x4.com/pdfs/acces...icecube_im.pdf

Never happened to me

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Originally Posted by Warwick89

Never happened to me

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Maybe cause I added warm stuff to fridge side. (Temp I mean)

Thanks for the link.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rafa

Hmmm. Battery never got over 11.6v today and panel produced 42ahr.


:(

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11.6v is well flat. See attached State of Charge (SoC) chart. (Below about 12.3v to 12.4v & you are into significant battery life shortening territory). These are 'rested voltages'. i.e. taken with all loads removed & having let the battery sat for half an hour or so. The readings you have are not very meaningful if taken with the fridge running or any other loads connected....... but your figures are still sufficient to indicate that you are using more than your single panel can replenish.