What's the difference between a gas fridge and a 12v compressor fridge?

LPG Gas Absorption Fridges

An absorption fridge uses heat to move the refrigerant through the cooling system. LPG gas is the most efficient way to run an absorption fridge, as the LPG gas can instantly produce a very hot flame.

240 V power will also cool an absorption fridge well, although the heating element needs to produce the same amount of heat as a gas flame, so it is not as efficient as on LPG gas.

12 V operation in an absorption fridge is often considered a holding mode only. The temperature of the fridge will remain steady, but the fridge will not have the power to cool down quickly.  This occurs because the small 12 Volt heating element cannot produce the same amount of heat as a gas flame, so it uses a lot of electricity trying to keep up. 

A stable and 100% level surface is required to operate an absorption fridge in the most effective way. So a moving car, caravan, motorhome or boat is not an ideal situation.

2-Way and 3-Way are terms referring to absorption fridges which can operate on 2 or 3 different power supplies. This is usually a combination of LPG gas and 240 volt (2-way) or LPG gas, 12 volt and 240 volt (3-way).

12V DC Compressor Fridges

A compressor fridge uses electricity to run a low-power compressor, which in turn pumps the refrigerant through the cooling system.

DC fridges use a dedicated 12V / 24V compressor which is designed to operate in a moving vehicle. Bushman Fridges use Secop Danfoss compressors which will operate on angles up to 30º. In general terms, a compressor fridge will also perform better in extremely hot and humid conditions. This combination makes compressor fridges the first choice for mobile use or off-grid situations where 12 V power is readily available.

A stable DC power supply is generally provided by a car battery or bank of batteries. Your batteries will need to by topped up regularly. You can do this is a variety of ways; using your car engine, boat engine, solar panels, a petrol/diesel generator, a 240V smart charger or any combination of these.