Companion 45L Transit Fridge/Freezer

G'day Joe,

That's a great question, and would be one for Companions design team.  I know historically they have had some 45 models open on the long side, and the rest of the fridge range opens on the long side as well.  
It's likely just a matter of producing the same design fridge bag in a range of sizes for ease.
You're not losing anything if you keep the fridge cover unzipped for the most part when you're on trips, etc - you can just flip it over & open the fridge.

G'day Stephen,

We have the owners manual on our product page as a PDF file - below the specifications.
Check out pages 8 & 9 of the manual for the icon voltage indication specs, and the cut in and out specs.

Hope that helps!

G'day David,

You can find the product manual downloadable as a PDF on our website if thats something you need for future reference.
The F1 error code refers to low voltage, meaning there's not enough power being provided to the fridge.  Usually, this is attributed to using a longer cable than the one provided with the fridge.  Alternatively, it may be the type of battery chemistry you have and the low voltage cut out settings on the fridge.

G'day Elisabeth,

Yep, you can run this one from the car whilst driving, but once yo turn it off it effectively just becomes an eski.
Depending on what's packed in the fridge, the temperatures you are running it at, and the ambient temperature, it may not be cold or freezing the next morning.  You definitely wouldn't want to be opening it at all once the power is cut off.

G'day Mo,

No, there isn't an internal battery. The BMS protects your external battery source, and prevents the fridge from drawing too much power & causing damage to your battery.

G'day Mat,

If your fridge is plugged into the 12v cigarette outlet whilst you're driving, it will be receiving continuous power and will just run as normal at whatever temp you've set it at.
Hope that helps.

G'day Phil,

Yes, if you leave this in your car, and the 12V outlets in the boot aren't wired to turn off when the vehicle stops then yes you'll flatten your car battery. They don't come with an Anderson Plug cable, but you could use an Anderson Cable to power the fridge if your van has a power supply, and has been wired up to supply power at the draw bar.

G'day Jerry,

Generally, the Low Voltage Cutout on the fridge is good enough to protect your secondary battery or portable power pack battery, but in this particular instance, Phil is talking about protecting the battery in his car.
Starter batteries require a much high crank amperage and voltage to actually turn your car over and get it started.  By the time your fridge cuts out there's a real possibility your starter battery will be too flat to do its job.

G'day Simon,

The only cable available for this model is the one supplied with the fridge, anything longer than this can result in a voltage drop, and your fridge not working. Companion indicates some information about longer cables on page 6 of the user manual, you'd need to get an auto-electrician to make a longer cable with a heavier gauge wire.