A campervan refrigerator should be one of your top investments when looking at your van build. Having a refrigerator changes your entire build and allows it to feel more like a home. It makes life so much easier when you are out in the middle of nowhere and are able to cook a full meal and you save money by not eating out.
In our first van, we had a cooler that we filled we ice, then we moved onto a dorm fridge that constantly drained our solar system, and finally, we got a 12v campervan fridge that changed the game.
With all of our experience, we wanted to make it easy for you when going to look at campervan refrigerators. I have done the research and looked into the best campervan fridge options and broke it down for you below. Keep reading to discover all we know about campervan refrigerators!
Post originally written 2/2022 and updated 5/2022
The 5 Best 12V Campervan fridges
| Model | Costway 54 Quart Compressor Travel RV | Dometic CFX 50W | ARB Portable Fridge Freezer 50 Quarts | Alpicool CF55 | Whynter FM-45G |
| Size | 54 Quart | 49 Quarts | 50 Quarts | 58 Quarts | 45 Quarts |
| Price Under $500 | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Price | Check Amazon | Check Amazon | Check Amazon | Check Amazon | Check Amazon |
| Dimensions | 27 x 13.5 x 21 | 28.5 x 17.9 x 18.5 in | 27.75 x 14.96 x 20 | 27.2 x 13.6 x 20.6 | 28 x 18 x 20.8 |
| Freezer Compartment | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Approximate Power Draw Per Hour | 3-5 Amps | 0.77 Amps | .7-2.3 Amps | 5-6 Amps | 3-5 Amps |
| Warranty | 90 Days | 2 Years | 3 Years | Unclear | 1 Year |
| Weight in Pounds | 36 | 45 | 50 | 36 | 45 |
Our Choice: Costway 54 Quart Compressor Travel RV
We love our Costway 54 Quart 12V Compressor fridge. It was a great price and so far it works really well. Even with a limited warranty, you can purchase the Amazon Extended warranty and still save money. It is one of the best campervan refrigerators.
Pros: Great Value, Possibly fits between seats easily.
Cons: 3-month warranty, draws more power than most 12V fridges for vanlife
Dometic CFX 50W
Dometic is a popular campervan fridge and brand in vanlife for good reason. They are known for their quality and reliability.
Pros: Low power draw, 2-year warranty, and reliable brand
Cons: High Cost
ARB Portable Fridge Freezer 50 Quarts
ARB is another campervan fridge brand that is known for its reliability and popular use among vanlifers. It was designed with vanlifers and RVer’s in mind and is made with super durable material to keep intact during travel. They also use a Danfoss compressor which is known for reliability.
Pros: Low power draw, meant for travel, very reliable
Cons: High price
Alpicool CF55
The Alpicool is one of the lower-cost 12V campervan refrigerators that offers a high-capacity option with similar dimensions as competitors. This is another brand that I would purchase an extended warranty alongside. I do NOT know anyone who has purchased it so I not giving it my recommendation BUT I would consider it for purchase.
Pros: High capacity, low cost, freezer section
Cons: High power draw, Amazon reviews reflect poor build quality
Whynter FM-45G
Whynter is another popular low-cost 12V fridge for vanlife. It seems to last 2-3 years before the compressor goes out according to Amazon reviews. This is another I would recommend an extended warranty and probably the last one that I would purchase.
Pros: Low cost
Cons: Smallest of the competitors, compressor issues according to Amazon reviews
Why You Need a Campervan Refrigerator
Having a camper van refrigerator is essential when you are a full-time vanlifer. Having a refrigerator allows you to keep all kinds of food cold for an unlimited amount of time which helps you save money. Chances are you also will want to go out into the woods or into nature for a few weeks and without a refrigerator, this is much more difficult to do.
A campervan refrigerator is going to be different than the refrigerator that you have in your home. Its size and the way it draws power need to be different since both are limited when you live in 60sq feet or less. This means everything you think you know about buying a fridge is going to change when you are purchasing one for vanlife.
I highly recommend investing in a refrigerator for your van build, saving money, and using it in your vanlife kitchen. Having a functioning vanlife kitchen is going to help while cooking on the road which will save you so much money in the long run. Not to mention it’s much more enjoyable to be able to head out for weeks at a time and live off of more than just dehydrated camping food!
Power Types of Campervan Refrigerators
There are a few options when it comes to popular campervan refrigerators. From a 12 Volt refrigerator, 100 Watt Dorm Style refrigerator, and a propane refrigerator. However, to be transparent, the most vanlife friendly and low maintenance option is a 12 Volt refrigerator. For the rest of this guide I will be solely talking about 12V refrigerators but just in case, below are the most popular campervan refrigerators for your reference.
12 Volt Campervan Refrigerator
As mentioned above the 12V refrigerator is the most common campervan refrigerator used by people in vanlife. It uses less power than the 100 Watt refrigerator and therefore is less maintenance. On a given day you likely will not need to monitor your solar power to make sure you don’t need to shut off your fridge. The downside is that 12V fridges typically cost more than a 100 Watt fridge and range in price from $300-$2000.
Don’t forget it’s important to map out your campervan solar system which includes your solar, batteries, and campervan power inverter.
100 Watt Campervan Fridge
Did you ever have a dorm-style fridge? You know the really short one with one door and a tiny freezer up top? Likely you kept beer in it and half the time forgot it existed. Well, that is a 100 Watt fridge. It usually has 2-4 cubic feet of space and runs around $100-$200. It is a great option if your main priority is saving money. Shawn and I originally had a 100 Watt refrigerator in our van build and we loved the space. The main drawback is that is not energy-efficient meaning it pulls a lot of power when you are already limited on stored battery energy.
We found that in the winter or days when we didn’t get enough sun, our system was constantly low and we were always stressed it was going to shut off our solar. On top of that, we had an induction stove which meant we couldn’t cook or our refrigerator would shut off. We have since gotten a 12V fridge and frankly, we don’t recommend getting the dorm-style refrigerator. There are options around $250 which is around $100 more and is well worth it. Save your money and get a 12V.
Propane Campervan Refrigerators
Propane is very popular in the RV and trucker world and has some great advantages if space allows it. They are typically larger in size cheaper to buy and use minimal power since the cooling system is based on propane. Campervan refrigerators come in a 2-way and 3-way power source, the 2-way can be powered by propane or AC shore power while the 3-way can be powered by DC / solar in addition to AC and propane.
Now you may be confused about how propane that is typically used to create heat cools your food but don’t worry I will explain. Propane refrigerators do not use a compressor therefore they use propane to heat up ammonia, hydrogen gas, and water stored in various tubes inside the refrigerator to keep your food cool. By heating up these fluids they start to move through the tubes causing evaporation and condensation which in return cools these tubes inside the case of the refrigerator cooling your food through absorption. I personally wouldn’t recommend a propane refrigerator unless you have room for extra propane tanks dedicated just for your refrigerator.
Styles of Campervan Fridges
Chest Style Campervan Fridge
The Chest Style refrigerator is one of the most common campervan refrigerator options for vanlife as it stores more, is easy to install, and is often cheaper. It is what we have and we love it! I thought the chest style would bother me but I actually prefer it over the upright.
Upright
The upright campervan fridge is going to feel more like the refrigerator you would have in a home. It opens from left to right and everything sits on a shelf. It is nice that you don’t have to bend over necessarily to open things but typically it is smaller than a chest-style refrigerator.
Drawer
The drawer refrigerator is similar to the chest style except that it is on wheels and comes out like, well, a drawer. It is typically more expensive and is not easy to install since you have to build it into your campervan.
7 Things to Look for in a Campervan Refrigerator
Now that you know what kind of 12v fridge for your van you want, now It’s time to pick one out! To help you narrow down exactly which one you want to buy here are some features that the best vanlife refrigerators tend to have.
1. Dimensions
The dimensions of each refrigerator are going to be completely different and so are your needs. This is why it’s super important to plan out your van life build before purchasing a campervan refrigerator. Once you have decided where you want it to go you can begin looking at options.
2. Power Draw
Look at how much power the refrigerator is going to draw. Not every refrigerator is made equal and this includes 12V campervan refrigerators.
3. Features
What things are important to you? Do you want a freezer compartment? Is it important that you have dividers to keep things separate? Which way do you want the door to swing open?
4. Warranty
Always check to see what kind of warranty is offered and consider the extended warranty whether that is from the manufacturer, store, or amazon. Most warranties are worth the extra money for peace of mind. When we purchased our Costway refrigerator we went ahead and opted in for the Amazon warranty. It was simply worth the extra money to know we are covered if something goes wrong.
5. Reviews
Always check reviews for well, everything. Anything I buy I make sure that the reviews are mostly positive. A pro tip is to skim past the 5-star reviews and look at the 3-star reviews which in my opinion hold more truth to them.
6. Price
Once you have looked at all of these then you need to narrow down which campervan fridges you can purchase. Look at the price and decide which of these are important and which you are willing to give up. You can get a dorm fridge as cheap as $100 and a Dometic refrigerator priced at $2000. Remember though there are a ton of options in between those prices such as CostWay for $350.
7. Freezer Compartment
Not all campervan fridges are going to have a freezer compartment. The ones that do typically cost a little bit more. You will need to decide if having a freezer is important to you when looking at your budget. We never had one and honestly didn’t miss it.
8. Capacity
The last but not least feature to consider when looking at a 12V fridge for campervans is size or capacity. You will be moving from like a 20-30 Cubic Foot Fridge to a 3-5 Cubic foot fridge so every bit of space counts.
9. Style
As we talked about earlier, there are 3 main styles of campervan refrigerators; chest, drawer, and upright. If you have already built your van then you likely already have a dedicated space for your refrigerator, if you don’t then you need to decide where you want to put your fridge and that will dictate what style you buy.
Where to put your Campervan Refrigerator in your DIY Van Build
It’s time for the final puzzle piece. You have decided what fridge to buy or maybe you are still thinking about it. Either way, you need to decide where you are planning on putting your campervan fridge inside your van build. With a world of options here are the top places most vanlifers put their fridge.
Between the two front seats
If you have a 2008 Dodge Sprinter then I have good news, a Costway 54 Quart refrigerator will fit between your two front seats. If you have a different model, I recommend measuring and then double-checking to see if your chest-style refrigerator of choice will fit. It’s a great option when you don’t have a spot that is built into your campervan.
Underneath a bench
One of my favorite ways I have seen vanlifers build in their fridge is into a bench. If you are opting for a chest-style refrigerator then you can create a bench that houses it and your benchtop simply is the lid or is attached to your refrigerator lid.
Under the kitchen cabinet
Our first upright refrigerator sat below our kitchen countertop under our induction stove. This worked perfectly for us at the time but once we decided to upgrade to a propane cooktop we had to come up with a new place for our refrigerator.
Under your bed
If you have a fixed bed in the back of your campervan then a popular place to put your 12V refrigerator is underneath it.
Questions on Campervan Refrigerators
Let’s conquer any last-minute questions you may have about purchasing the best 12V campervan fridge.
What is the best type of fridge for a campervan?
A 12V campervan fridge is the best type of fridge for a campervan. It is power efficient and won’t drain your power supply.
What size fridge do I need in my campervan?
Campervans are limited in space and therefore you will need a small refrigerator. Anywhere between 40-60 CF is typically the right size.
What 12v fridge is best?
For value, we believe the Costway 54CF refrigerator is best. Overall the Dometic CFX 50W is the best option.
Can you put a normal fridge in a campervan?
It would be difficult as you are limited in space and regular refrigerators run on 100W power which will pull too much energy for your solar system to handle.
Where do you put a fridge in a campervan?
Between the front seats, under your fixed bed, under the kitchen counter
Buying your campervan refrigerator is going to be one of the items you do the most research on and take the most time with. I hope that this comparison guide helped you make a decision! Are there any 12V Refrigerators that I missed? Let me know in the comments!
8 comments
Sydney
What was the name of your upright fridge?
Brie Goumaz
It was a magic chef, you can get one at Home Depot!
Kliving
A Magic Chef is 12volt??
Brie Goumaz
No, is there somewhere that I mentioned that it was 12V?
Phil Verne
Thanks for putting together the great info on van fridges. Out of curiosity have you ever camped at a campground with your namesake? There is a very nice, quiet campground on a river in the Lassen National Forest in CA called Goumaz. Cheers,
Brie Goumaz
Hey Phil! I had no idea there was a campground named Goumaz! How cool!
Matt
Is the magic chef a propane fridge? How did you vent it?
Brie Goumaz
No it is a regular dorm fridge. I don’t necessarily recommend using it as it can take a lot of power. But if you have that covered then it’s great as a budget option. We just made sure there was adequate air flow around it, inside the cabinet.