Bushman: A Family Passion since 1982

1982 was a long time ago. E.T the movie, Cats the musical and Cheers the TV series were all released, and so was the Commodore 64 computer! Everything Bushman started from our humble beginnings way back then. Reflecting on the journey, the world has changed, technology has changed, but having a reliable fridge is just as important now as it was then.

Building the best 12V fridges in Australia

Our mission has always been the same, to build the most efficient and reliable off-grid fridges for our customers. We pride ourselves on knowing our fridges will handle whatever you can throw at them. From the Great Australian Bight to the Gulf of Carpentaria, wherever you go, you’ll find Bushman fridges doing what they do best.

Supporting our customers adventures with the best customer service you can imagine

While you are out enjoying your adventures, we are here at Bushman HQ to support you every step of the way.

We man the phones and emails every day to provide personalised customer service and support. Wherever you are, whatever you need, and whenever you need it, we are always here for you. So get out there and enjoy the outdoors, knowing if something goes belly up, we’ll have a solution for you.

See our impact in numbers

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Over 100,000 Bushman Fridges Sold

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Rated 4.9/5 Stars by Thousands of Happy Customers

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More than 40 Years of Awesomeness

Our business philosophy – keeping it simple

At Bushman, we believe that simplicity is the key to reliability.

We think that a fridge should stay cold regardless of what you throw at it and should always perform regardless of the external environment and conditions. That’s why we build all our fridges with steel and top quality components. We don’t make our fridges with excessive plastic or include unnecessary gimmicks like wifi or bluetooth. If you’re after Australia’s most reliable, efficient and easy-to-use fridges, you’re in the right place.

The Bushman Fridges Promise

  • Reliable Fridges

    Reliable Fridges

    • 40+ years of experience in every fridge
    • Strong, metal construction
    • Simple, reliable electronics
    • Worlds best components
    • 7 year compressor warranties
  • Efficient Fridges

    Efficient Fridges

    • Unique Bushman designed cooling systems
    • Bigger cooling units
    • More extensive ventilation
    • = Lower run times
    • = Lower amp draw
  • Awesome Customer Service

    Awesome Customer Service

    • Speak to a fridge expert directly
    • No call centres
    • No run-around
    • Just good-old customer service 🙂

Meet our passionate family-run team

Gary Kottmann, Founder

Gary founded Bushman in Research, VIC way back in 1982. He still shares his knowledge and expertise with customers to this day.

Paul Kottmann, Director

Paul is Garys mini-me. He continues the Bushman traditional of family owned and operated.

Tommy Stockdale, Director

Tommy joined in 2015 with a background in small business, he handles the nuts and bolts of IT, sales and marketing.

Adam Stockdale, Director

Adam is at the coalface of customer orders, managing our trade customers every day.

Steve'o

The guy who knows pretty much everything. Every business needs a Steve'o

Lee

Nothing leaves the warehouse without Lee-roy, nothing!

Our story started in 1982

Gary Kottman founded our official company, DP Refrigeration, way back in 1982 in Research, Victoria. With a background in engineering and a passion for genuine customer service, DP Refrigeration grew quickly. Within a couple of years, Gary had developed a national distribution network for LPG gas fridges in Australia.

Over the subsequent 17 years, DP Refrigeration became one of Australis largest importers of LPG gas fridges. This was well before 12V fridges had taken off. We offered first rate customer support to customers and distributed high quality gas fridges and freezers to some of the most remote parts of this great land.

In 1989, Bushman Portable Fridges was established. Bushman developed The Original Bushman 12V Camping Fridge over 2 years from 1989 to 1991. During this time the Bushman was subjected to all manner of abuse in a wide variety of off-road applications and any weaknesses assessed and modified until the final prototype was achieved. In essence, this is the same fridge we sell today.

Since then, our product range has grown to meet our customers’ needs, from 4WD canopy fridges, to caravans, vans and boats. We have a national independent dealer network for Bushman, which covers all major towns and cities in Australia.

Our goals going forward are simple; make the best quality 12V fridges and accessories possible and continue to support our customers and independent retailers. The last 40 years have been great; the next 40 will be even better.

1987

Our first business trip. Kangaroo in toe and a trailer full of fridges.

1989

Our very first Bushman 12V Fridge brochure. How fancy were our design skills!

1992

Our DP Refrigeration work ute. Quality signage right there.

2000

Showcasing our finest product at the Henty Field Day. "Lotta good people there."

2006

Paul on the blower. Not much has changed. Paul's still on the blower.

2012

Our first Bushman branded LPG Gas Fridge brochure. With a logo upgrade.

2016

The Articold and DP Refrigeration brands are now all under the one Bushman umbrella. We mark the occasion with our third rebrand and launch a new website.

2017

12V upright fridges join the product line, as gas fridges are slowly waning in popularity.

2025

Fast forward to today. Same team, same robust products (with a few additions to the range), same shenanigans.

  • Free Shipping on Fridges
  • 3 to 7 Year Warranties
  • Easy Customer Service
  • Australian Owned & Operated
  • Free Shipping on Fridges
  • 3 to 7 Year Warranties
  • Easy Customer Service
  • Australian Owned & Operated