BEST FRIDGE FOR VAN LIFE
Wondering what fridge to get to live in a van? We’ve got you covered with the best fridge for van life.
After building out 10 van conversion, we’ve dealt with the two main types of 12 volt fridges for a van:
Upright Style
Cooler Style
We will also discuss the different types of power sources that fridges can run off of in a van:
Direct Current (DC)
Alternating Current (AC)
AC/DC
Propane
TYPES OF FRIDGES FOR A VAN
Upright Style
This style of fridge is similar to a fridge in a house - it has a door that swings open so you can easily see what’s inside.
You’ll be able to build this into your kitchen without extra work (no need for heavy duty drawer slides, a way to lock it in place, etc - we’ll talk about this in the Cooler sytle fridge section). These fridges come with a way to secure it in place into your cabinet so you don’t have to worry about it flying out of the cabinet while driving.
When it comes to this type of fridge for a van, we prefer the Isotherm brand over Dometic or other competitors. We’ve purchased Dometic fridges in the past and both broke within a couple months of use. Also, Dometic doesn’t have great customer support and will refer you to a local dealer to get your Dometic items serviced.
On the other hand, Isotherm makes a great 12 volt fridge! It is a little pricer upfront but the quality is a huge difference. We typically buy Isotherm fridges through West Marine.
Looking for the best floorplans for your van conversion?
Check out our Van Layout Guide complete with 6 different floor plans for your van build. You’ll get instant access to all specs and dimensions to help you build your own DIY van conversion.
Cooler Style
The other type of fridge for a van is a cooler style fridge. This fridge opens from the top like a standard cooler.
One thing to consider when going with a cooler style fridge is that if you are building it into your kitchen cabinet, you will need to use heavy duty drawer slides and have a way to latch it in place so it doesn’t slide out while driving.
One downside of a cooler style fridge is that you have to stack your groceries on top of each other and it’s hard to reach the things at the bottom.
Power Sources for Fridges
DC (Direct Current)
If a fridge list “DC Only” as the power source, this refers to either a 12v or 24v power supply. This means the fridge will connect directly to your house battery bank. It is the most energy efficient way to operate a fridge in a van conversion.
AC (Alternating Current)
A fridge listed as “AC Only” runs either off a 110v or 120v outlet. This means in a campervan application that the Inverter, an electronic device that changes direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC), must be on in order for the fridge to operate. This is not as efficient as a DC model. The reason you see them used often is simply because they are so inexpensive.
AC/DC
This is the most expensive type of fridge and can also be the most efficient when installed correctly. This model is designed to operate off the house battery bank through a DC connection but can also run on a separate AC connection. Typically in order to maximize the efficiency the fridge will only run on DC power when the electrical system is plugged into shower power.
So for example if you are staying at a campground with shore power you will not be using the energy stored in your house battery bank when you are plugged in.
Propane
If you choose to utilize propane in your van conversion there are propane options as well. The most common propane options are a Propane/AC model. Like the AC/DC model this gives you the ability to run on propane when boon-docking and 110 power when plugged into shore power.