Campervan fridges
Which campervan fridge is right for me?
Choosing the best campervan fridge for your adventures is really important, and it’s often tricky to know what the best option is. This page aims to showcase a diverse range of campervan specific fridges, all of which have leading efficiency, quality and features.
As with so many products these days, the mantra of ‘buy cheap, buy twice’ comes to mind…although it’s not just the fridge you might need to replace. Choosing an inefficient fridge such as the popular Alpicool range will see you using twice the power of an efficient fridge each day! This means you’ll need a bigger battery bank, larger solar array and increased battery to battery charging to meet its hungry power consumption.
For most use cases, the cost implication of this makes buying a cheap campervan fridge ends up costing more overall than buying a good quality fridge! Unfortunately, most people only come to realise this when using their campervan for the first time and find that they simply don’t have sufficient battery capacity or recharging capability.
If you want to understand more about campervan fridges before you decide which one is right for you, check out our comprehensive article covering the best campervan fridges available. There are also numerous product reviews throughout this page.
Portable top-loading ‘coolbox-style’ fridge
A portable fridge can be really useful. Whether you’re partying outside the van and want to keep your beers cold, or you want to store your fridge below a seat, top-loading ‘coolbox-style’ fridges a great versatile option.
Top-loading fridges tend to be more space efficient, allowing you to cram more food in so you can stay off-grid for longer.
A portable fridge can also double up as a table when used outside. As most portable fridges are provided with a long power cable, it’s easy to keep power to the fridge flowing.
Find out more about the CFX3 range
We have been using the Dometic CFX3 45 in our own campervan for a couple of years now and we’re super impressed with it. The powerful compressor technology makes this fridge much more functional than any coolbox we’ve used before, and the option to use 230V AC or 12V DC power makes it incredibly versatile.
With chunky handles and a robust exterior, we really rate these fridges for rugged, outdoor van life. They’ll be perfect when you’re hooked up to mains power, but can also be powered from your leisure battery when you venture off-grid.
Want to use the CFX3 range to its full potential?
The CFX3 range of coolbox style fridges have been specifically designed to be portable and rugged. With the addition of the Dometic PLB40, you can power the CFX3 range anywhere. The Dometic PLB40 is a 12V portable power station with a 512Wh (40Ah) capacity lithium battery. With 2x USB ports, a 12V DC 2 pin connector and a car cigarette lighter port, you can use the portable lithium battery to power your Dometic CFX fridge whilst also recharging mobile phones.
Freestanding fridges
Just like its domestic equivalent, the freestanding campervan fridge is the most common seen in van conversions. They are designed to fit within the width and height of standard kitchen unit and are often the among the most efficient.
Our range of freestanding fridges all contain shelves and dividers to help you organise your food and keep it safe when you swing your van around a corner too quickly.
Because the freestanding fridge is the most common available, you will likely find that they are the most cost effective option.
Campervan electrics leaving you confused?
Integrated drawers and top-loading fridges
If you are eager to utilise ever inch of space in your van conversion (and you probably should be!), an integrated fridge in the form of a drawer fridge or top-loader can be a great way to do this.
The drawer fridges benefit from being able to load them from the top which allows you to totally fill the fridge without your pineapple falling out!
Top-loading fridges are even more cunning. If you have an L-shaped kitchen and have wondered how best to utilise the space in the corner, a top-loading fixed position fridge is the one for you.
One person’s food for a long weekend
Two people’s food for a weekend
Two peoples food for a long weekend
Our recommendations
Our team have years of experience using all of these fridges, so we feel confident recommending them. We only supply good quality campervan fridges from brands we know and trust. And – we will never stock anything that we wouldn’t use ourselves.
You can also have a read of our ‘best campervan fridges’ article which has in-depth reviews and power consumption comparisons of all of the most popular campervan fridges.
So, after reading, you can decide which fridge is best for you and your use case.
Dometic NRX50c
We have used a CRX50 every day for the past three years and it’s been incredibly reliable. It has remained quiet and efficient, even in the heat of summer in the South of France! No wonder it’s the most popular fridge for van converters.
The NRX50c Dometic’s newer version of the CRX50, with a sleeker looking front, to look perfect in your campervan kitchen.
Dometic CFX3 25
If there was such thing as a ‘sexy fridge’, this would be it! The Dometic CFX3 25 is small and efficient, easy to carry, and provides enough storage capacity for weekends away.
We tried this new model out recently and believe it would be the best option for small campers to fuel micro-adventures on a full stomach!
Dometic CFX3 45
We aren’t known for our extravagances, but we do have two fridges in our van. The CFX3 45 is perhaps our favourite due to its versatility and easy loading. It also doubles up as a great side table.
It’s honestly hard to fault the CFX3 range, other than the price point. They may be expensive, but the benefits easily outweigh the initial outlay.
Vitrifrigo TL43
We are frequently asked, “What did you do with the corner space in your kitchen?”. The truth is, it’s a really hard area to utilise well.
However, utilising this space with an efficient top loading fridge such as the TL43 is a great way to make use of otherwise dead space. It may not be appropriate as your only fridge, but it could also be used as a second drinks fridge.
Read our campervan fridge articles ❄️
Need help with the rest of your electrical system?
Our electrical system guidebook pages cover everything you need to know about your campervan electrical system ⚡