Are you thinking about getting an Adventure Kings fridge but wondering whether it’s worth it? Perhaps you’ve heard some bad things and are wondering whether it’s best to steer clear of it?
Well, in this Adventure Kings fridge/freezer review, I go through the pros and cons, main features, what makes it different to its main competitors like Brass Monkey, Engel, Dometic etc. Finally, I’ll let you know whether I think this fridge is a good buy or not.
To get started, here's a quick comparison of some of the most popular units in this range!
| 15L Fridge | 45L Fridge | 60L Fridge | 90L Fridge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |  | |
560 (L) x 240 (W) x 375 (H) mm | 660 (L) x 410 (W) x 430 (H) mm | 660 (L) x 410 (W) x 510 (H) mm | 920 (L) x 520 (W) x 465 (H) mm | |
7.9 kg | 17.8 kg | 19.8 kg | 33 kg | |
15 L | 45 L | 60 L | 90 L | |
--- | 68 cans | 88 cans | 150 cans | |
Single | Single | Single | Dual | |
-18°C/+10°C | -18°C/+10°C | -18°C/+10°C | -18°C/+10°C | |
35W | 45W | 55W | 85W | |
1 year | 2 years | 2 years | 2 years | |
Pros & Cons
With these pros and cons in mind, let’s take a deeper look at these fridges.
Design
The Kings fridge/freezers come in 5 capacities: 15L, 45L, 60L, 70L and 90L. Unfortunately, all models except the 70L/90L are single zone units which can be operated as either fridges or freezers, not both.
Kings 15L fridge
The 15L size is designed to fit in the centre console of your car, or on the back seat. It’s a simple yet smart looking black/blue portable fridge, weighing in at just under 8kg.
Kings 60L fridge
The 45L and 60L units make up Kings’ mid-range offering. They are blue/gray and come with an internal dairy basket which makes it easy to organise your food/drinks. Their lids have slight depressions to act as cup holders and are also reversible, meaning that you can open them in either direction.
These units are a great balance of capacity and portability, weighing about 18kg and 20kg respectively.
Kings 90L fridge
Next up are the 70L and 90L models. These are chest freezer style models, coming in a blue colour.
The main point of difference here is that both of these models are dual zone units, meaning that they can be run as both a fridge and freezer simultaneously, with separate temperature settings for each compartment.
Each compartment has its own lid, so you only need to open the side that you wish to access.
They are very heavy, so they are better suited to staying put in one spot, rather than being moved around a lot while you camp. They weigh 30kg and 33kg respectively.
They all come with an internal light to make it easier for you to find what you are looking for late at night.
Temperature Settings
All of the Adventure Kings fridge/freezers can be set at temperatures ranging from -18°C to +10°C. For the 70L and 90L models, there are two separate temperature settings, one for each compartment.
Unfortunately, a number of users have claimed that their units struggle to hit the set temperatures and often hover a few degrees higher. It’s not yet clear whether this is an isolated problem with a few units or a more widespread issue.
Power Specs
As you would expect, they can be powered using either 12V/24V DC or 240V AC.
This means that you can use them at home by running them on mains power (useful for cooling them down before going on a trip) or you can run them off your vehicle via the cigarette lighter connection (or Merit connection).
Of course, you can also run them directly off a 12V battery. The table below outlines the power consumption for each of the units, along with the expected current draw.
Scroll to the right or rotate your device to see the full table ⮧
Capacity | 15L | 45L | 60L | 70L | 90L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Power Cons. (W) | 35 | 45 | 55 | 85 | 85 |
Current Draw @ 12V (A) | 3.5 | NP | NP | 7.5 | NP |
Power Cons. @ 240V (Ah/day)* | NP | 0.7 - 1.0 | 0.7 - 1.0 | NP | NP |
Power Cons. @ 12V (Ah/day)** | NP | 14 - 20 | 14 - 20 | NP | NP |
Power Cons. = Power Consumption
* Provided by Adventure Kings - based on initial and ambient temperature of 32°C, set temperature of 3°C over a 24 hour period
** Calculated by Outdoor Explorer
Unfortunately, the power information provided by Kings is incomplete (they only list this in the 45L & 60L manuals), so it is difficult to get a clear picture of how much power you can expect each unit to chew through. I will get in touch with them to see whether they have any additional power consumption info.
In any case, the power consumption numbers for the 45L and 60L fridges look pretty comparable to their competitors, so you don’t need to be worried about these units draining your batteries faster than normal.
Do be aware that these power consumption figures tend to be slightly optimistic, as they assume that you aren’t opening the fridge at all, nor adding warm contents to the fridge.
The figures will also vary heavily based on the temperatures that you set in the unit, as well as the ambient air temperature.
Power consumption will also vary depending on whether you are running the unit in Max or Eco mode.
The fridges also come with 3 low-voltage battery protection modes. You can select your preferred mode based on your desired cutoff voltage. The table below outlines the specific voltages for each mode.
Extras
If you have some budget left over after getting your Adventure Kings fridge, consider getting some of these extras to make your unit even better!
Insulating Cover
An insulating cover will wrap tightly around your unit, keeping it cool and reducing how much heat gets into the fridge. This means that the compressor doesn’t need to run for as long, reducing the power consumption and extending the life of your fridge and batteries.
Considering that the default lids that these fridges come with are not very insulating, a cover is definitely a good idea.
Kings sell specific covers for each of their fridge models that include mesh panels to allow the fridge to properly expel hot air.
Tie Down Straps
If you plan on keeping the fridge in the boot, consider getting some tie down straps to secure it in place and prevent it from sliding around or falling over while you’re driving.
Each strap is rated up to 200kg and can cam-lock into place.
Slide Draw
Reaching deep into your boot to pull out your food or drinks each time can be a pain. With a slide draw, you can easily pull your fridge/freezer out from the boot and access your grub.
They aren’t cheap, so I only recommend a slide draw if you go camping regularly and will be able to make good use of it.
Build Quality & Warranty
As with all camping gear, you really do get what you pay for. Kings gear is not premium by any stretch of the imagination, and is more suited to those who are going camping on a budget and need some entry level gear.
The upside of this is that the Kings gear is available at entry level prices. As I mention later in this review, their units are about a third of the price of the likes of Engel and Dometic.
Sure, the Kings warranty is shorter and the quality isn’t the same as those premium brands, but for many people, it’s a fair tradeoff when you consider the affordable prices.
Known Problems
As I mentioned earlier, a number of people have said that their unit has trouble reaching the temperatures that they set. For some users, the fridge starts off working fine, but ends up drifting to a few degrees above where they set it.
Others have complained of issues with the 240V/12V transformer.
Others still have had issues with the noisiness of their fridge. Kings don’t provide a decibel rating for their fridges.
Warranty
In saying this, Kings do provide a warranty for all of their fridges. All of their fridges come with a 2 year warranty except the 15L unit, which comes with a 1 year warranty.
This is lower than the 3 year warranty offered by Brass Monkey and the 5 year warranty offered by Engel. This probably shows that Kings don’t have a lot of faith in this unit going the distance.
A number of people who have returned their units to Kings for replacement/refund have said that the warranty process is very tedious and time consuming.
Kings are reportedly slow to respond to queries about the status of your warranty claim, couriers don’t turn up to collect your fridge when they are supposed to and a whole host of other issues seem to be par for the course when it comes to dealing with the Kings warranty claim department.
Considering this, I wouldn’t assume that you’ll get a quick replacement even if your fridge does turn out to be faulty.
Price
Price is where these fridge freezers really shine.
Most of their fridges cost about one third of what premium brands like Engel and Dometic cost. Whereas as the 60L Kings fridge costs about $600, the same size Engel and Dometic fridges are easily $1,500.
Even if your fridge does end up failing outside of the warranty period, you could buy a Kings fridge 3 times over and still end up spending the same as a single comparable Engel fridge.
In any case, most people just don’t have a spare $1,500 to spend on a camping fridge. Kings target a different audience, which is people who want entry level gear at entry level prices.
Use the buttons below to check out the latest prices on these units. The 4WD Supacentre is the main supplier of these fridges, which they sell in store as well as on Amazon and eBay.
Conclusion - Adventure Kings Fridge Freezer Review
If you only go camping occasionally, the Kings fridge freezer range is perfect for you. It’s a great balance of price and quality and you can expect to get plenty of use out of these units.
If you are on the road for longer trips (ie. a couple of weeks or more), then I would definitely recommend upgrading to some more premium gear, such as an Engel or Dometic fridge.
Another option is the Brass Monkey fridge range. They are priced quite similarly to the Kings fridges but are a step up in terms of quality, in my opinion. Check out my full Brass Monkey fridge freezer review if you are interested in finding out more.
This list of the best camping fridges might also help you make up your mind!
In any case, I hope you have enjoyed this Adventure Kings fridge freezer review! Did you end up buying one of them? Or did you get something else? Let me know in the comments below!
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Note that while every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information on this page, there may sometimes be errors. Check all specifications with the manufacturer before purchasing any product.
