The great fridge debate

[brett62]

One point to note was backflow from low drain electronics

When I installed my 2 x Victron charges to manage the 2 x LiFePO$ batteries (leccy) I made sure that each charger connected through their own breaker ..... this way when not in use (plugged in to 240 volt) - I trip the breaker & there is no backflow to the charger .

I cant remember the exact figure but it's something like 0.5amps ..... that's 12 amps / day In my case - just over 9 days my chargers could flatten my Batteries & another couple of days we could permanently damage them

Certainly food for thought.

Chris

What model Victron charges are you using. I wouldn't have thought you would get back flow as this could damage the chargers ? I actually thought the chargers would have protection built in for this.

[NAGG]

I see that National Luna fridges are being sold by Anaconda now - worth having a look if you are in the market for a new fridge .


http://www.anacondastores.com/campin...zer/BP90174202

[NAGG]

What model Victron charges are you using. I wouldn't have thought you would get back flow as this could damage the chargers ? I actually thought the chargers would have protection built in for this.

Bluesmart 12/25

I just had a look at the data sheet ...... I thought that the power draw was 0.5amps - its actually in watts so it's around 0.042 amps (1 amp / day) - This power is used for the LEDs & bluetooth monitoring .

Chris

[NAGG]

Well the National Luna fridge arrived this morning & it's certainly an impressive piece of kit - Attachment 124164 Nicely finished & the stainless steel used will certainly not show marks easily . fitting are stainless steel with glass filled polyamide (Nylon) corners ,handles & hinges - good solid plastic baskets Attachment 124165

For 40lts it's certainly looks much bigger than an Engel ... confirmed (footprint 0.240 sqm vs 0.227 sqm) - no Waeco / Dometic 40lt these days - but the CFX3 45lt is bigger at 0.276sqm (to be expected)

Good layout in the interior & as you can see from the photo - takes my 10lt jerry can which I freeze for my Esky . Attachment 124163

OK what is really impressed me was the turbo boost which took the fridge from ambient 18 deg to Zero in 20 mins - dropping it to -20 deg C took 13 mins (without the boost) ..... power consumption when running is about 3.5 amps ( boost is 5 amps)

It's reasonably quiet ..... a little louder than my old CFX40 but much quieter (without the vibration) of the Engel .

I'm now testing how long it will take to freeze a 1.5lt freezer gel filled bottle which I generally take on camping trips . (6 hours )

Anyhow ... lets see if it proves itself over time - but I plan to run it continuously for the next month on a mixture of 240 & 12 volt (probably let it spend some time in the canopy to get bumped around - once the cover arrives.

Looks to be a good buy

Over a year in now with the National Luna & I'm impressed .

This thing has run 24/7 since it arrived - I've done a few trips away with it & it hasn't missed a beat .
The fridge hasn't been defrosted since early January & has been set at - 30 Deg C ...... this is what the icing looks like today National luna.jpg

By Comparison - My Engel has been defrosted twice .

It's much quieter than my Engel or Waeco was & the compressor seems to run less frequently .

Finally - I did have a mishap where it fell (long story ) around 70cm on it's side ....... There were plastic containers inside that shattered but nothing happened to the fridge - didn't miss a beat .

So a year in & I'm very happy ....... certainly no hesitation in recommending them as an alternative to a Engel or Dometic .

Chris

[ronmac]

Iv'e had my engel since 1980 flogged the living daylights out of it, About to invest in a 2nd. Both 40lt . cheers Ron.

[Lovey80]

I see that National Luna fridges are being sold by Anaconda now - worth having a look if you are in the market for a new fridge .


www.anacondastores.com/camping-hiking/power-cooling/fridges/national-luna-50l-legacy-dual-zone-fridge-freezer/BP90174202

$1495 for a 50L fridge? Does it make fresh filtered ice and make you a drink too?

[NAGG]

$1495 for a 50L fridge? Does it make fresh filtered ice and make you a drink too?

That's not much more than an Engel 40lt which retails at around $1440

What you are getting though is a fridge with a stainless steel case & internal lining ..... which is a big plus when using it on my boat.

Minus 30 freezing with a boost setting

So it certainly does come with benefits when compared to all the others in the market & National Luna have been around a long time with a strong reputation ( designed & made for transporting medicines in Africa) .

I bought mine on the back of what I was told by probably the leading 12v fridge repairer in Sydney - A bloke that does all the warranty work for pretty well all the leading brands ....... So in my mind that's a pretty rock solid recommendation .

Chris

[Lovey80]

I think I paid the same amount for my Dometic CFX 3 95L fridge. I’d back that fridge to do everything the Luna does and I’d expect it to use less power too.

[Dignity]

Last year I bought a 50l Brass Monkey as a backup for around $300 on special. Now I figured I wouldn't get much for that amount of money but it has a separtor panel that allows fridge one side , freezer the other or fridge both sides or freezer both sides or remove the panel and have one big fridge or one big freezer.
1st thing I noticed was how quickly it pulled down to freezing, next was the amount of power used was ridiculously less than my Trailblazer and my Evakool as the first few times I had an inline meter running.

Now Chris probably uses his a hell of a lot more than I do and suits his purpose but I'm happy with my cheapie.

The other thing is my freezer at home only pulls down to -23°C maximum, or is that minimum so -30°C is some serious power there.

[NAGG]

I think I paid the same amount for my Dometic CFX 3 95L fridge. I’d back that fridge to do everything the Luna does and I’d expect it to use less power too.

I hope it does for you

I've owned a Dometic CFX 40 & it didn't miss a beat it the time I owned it ....... I've also seen how many were on the service bench

I'm not here to poo poo peoples purchases ...... I'm just sharing my experiences on the NL

Chris