Bushman DC-130X Fridge/Freezer: Honest review and performance test

Power and battery integration.

It integrates really well with car battery and solar. For most people, 200 amps of lithium battery power would be enough to run this fridge easily. I have 400 amps of lithium, and the car sat still for four days at the Adelaide show running lights and the fridge. By the end of it, I still had 34% power left. So, you’d never need more battery than that, unless you’d want to setup for a week or more, then a solar setup would keep those batteries charged and the fridge running indefinitely.

Internal layout

The internal layout I really like. There’s room for standing bottles, meat and food and I didn’t realise it at the time, but a dozen eggs just squeezes into the fridge shelf at the very top and nothing budges.

Easy set up

It was really easy to set up. The Norweld uses the Bushman fridge as the standard fridge option, so it was the perfect match. I did try to fit a 60L upright fridge and a 40L freezer, but this turned out to be the better option. The freezer was big enough for a week off-grid, but if I was going for another week, I would try and bring The Bushman Roadie centre console fridge as well.

Cooling capability even in extreme heat.

For our recent trip, we only stocked the freezer with icy poles – they lasted, and I still have a few in there! It’s got a top ‘T’ climate rating, so it’s made to handle Australian temperatures. There was one day which was over 40 degrees and was intensely hot. We came through to a desert which was completely burnt out. In that extreme heat, the fridge did ok, and nothing melted.

Secure latch and closure.

One of the best features of the Bushman DC-X upright portable fridge series is that you get that distinctive click when the fridge shuts, keeping everything safe and securely stored inside, even when off road!

Size and Layout:

Being able to put your normal produce as you buy it and don’t have to repack so much stuff because there’s so much space. Usually on a remote trip would have to do some-repacking and bagging to fit more in, but you hardly have to with the 130L Bushman portable fridge.

Durability and reliability.

We had no mechanical issues with the fridge whatsoever on our trip.

Performance in extreme heat.

On the 50-degree day, the Bushman fridge handled the heat really well. We put some water in the fridge, and it still managed to cool it which we weren’t expecting. Everything inside the fridge was fine, there was no cause for concern for any chicken or milk, and we were able to eat the ice creams as well later that day.

Secure storage.

The shelves are nice and large and pack things tight, which from a 4WD canopy perspective it’s what you want. It’s a positive because with the amount of corrugation you’re driving on, the lid won’t come off. Normally you’d have lots spilling in the fridge, and the lid would come off slightly – with the Bushman fridge, we’ve have had nothing spill.

Efficiency.

The fridge was running the entire time on the really hot day and the Bushman fridge really keeps up with the conditions. On the extremely hot 50-degree day, I had to crank it to its max setting to keep things consistent and when the ambient temperature dropped by 20 degrees, I had to dial it back because we didn’t want everything to get too cold.

Ease of access.

Having an upright fridge means it’s easy to open and see everything. It’s at the perfect height so you can easily see and reach in without having to stand on tippy toes. My wife and my oldest kid can reach it too and because the fridge is sitting up a little bit higher in the Norweld canopy design, there’s a gap below it – which is a handy place to put your mobile phone or even a laptop, and you can still open the door.

Flexible door.

The Bushman fridge door opens beyond 90 degrees so it means you can open it easily. I haven’t changed the configuration for my recent trip at all but have changed it once before, when we put a whole watermelon in the fridge.

Upright configuration.

For people taking partners camping, regardless of if it’s the wife or husband, if they’re not the camping type, it just makes sense to have an upright fridge for your partner because it’s what they’re used to. They don’t have to open a chest fridge/freezer lid up and everything is more accessible.

Portability and weight.

I crunched some numbers on an upright fridge compared to a chest fridge and for the amount of space, it weighs half the amount of a chest fridge. When you think about it, for a chest fridge, the walls are quite thick, but with an upright fridge you always have it inside somewhere because it’s like an indoor fridge which is why it’s lighter.

Top shelf size.

If I had to be picky, the top shelf is probably the least useful shelf just because it’s smaller – but some people might find a use for it. Every upright fridge seems to have one – maybe it’s for wine tours and cheeses! What I have in there is salami but I keep forgetting about it.

Frost build up.

I did have a bit of frost build up after the intensely hot 50-degree day when I forgot to turn the fridge down for a day after the temperature dropped by 20 degrees. But that was purely because I had it on max cooling for a day and would be easily solved by turning it down earlier.

Packing for off-road conditions.

Like with any portable fridge, you’re driving at speed and if there’s a pothole or sand dunes, you do have to be mindful of how you pack. Enough corrugations can open a mustard jar, so you have to pack things carefully.

Breakable items:

We travelled with three cartons of 36 eggs, so we had one on top and two on the bottom to make sure nothing moved around. The great thing about travelling with the Bushman fridge was the only lid that came off was a hummus – everything else was safe. Because of the way shelves are arranged, it’s impossible for things to go upside down. None of the eggs were cracked and all of them survived, so this time we had a choice of scrambled or fried. Normally it’s just scrambled!

Use and repack:

Whenever you’re on a big trip off-grid you want to rearrange the shelves a few times so they’re always packed. Once two shelves are half empty, bring all the items together on one shelf. You’re better off having everything on one shelf rather than gaps everywhere, so things don’t bounce around.

Change in outside temperature.

If there’s a sudden change, just dial down the temperature. For me, I got some frost after the 50-degree day, purely because more than half the fridge was just air at that point, and I had just cranked it to the max and forgot to lower the temperature after a full day when it dropped back down to 30 degrees.