The New Fridge

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As soon as we returned after the last trip, we set about finding a new fridge solution. You’d think choosing a fridge would be easy. Not quite so. Many options are not available, or had very long lead times. 3 way or purely 12volt? We opted for 12volt. Next thing was size. The newer fridges are taller and skinnier so none would fit our space exactly. We didn’t want a smaller capacity either. Who could we trust to do the install?

Armed with our choice of a 285L Bushmaster 12v fridge freezer, Greg went to chat to Dario’s at St Mary’s.

Yes, they could get what we wanted.

No, it wouldn’t fit but they could make it fit.

Yes, they could do it … but not for 3 weeks.

Yes! Yes! Yes! Book us in! That’s exactly what we wanted to hear.

We collected our van from the Barossa, delivered it as instructed, and expected to pick it up 2 days later.

When we rang late Thursday afternoon to find out how the job was going and what time should we expect to pick it up the next day, we were told they hadn’t started yet! OMG! We were meant to be leaving on Monday! Not to worry they would get onto it on Friday. Did we want a rushed Friday afternoon job? No thanks.



The guys were actually fantastic in the end. We were able to pick up the van with a sparkling new fridge at 4.30 Monday afternoon.

But this included:

Removing a window to get the old fridge out and the new one in!

Installing a 12v fuse board. The manufacturers of the van had put a 240v circuit breaker on the 12v system. As though this would work. We were told they have replaced quite a few such faults over the years. A number of our 12v wires were charred or partially melted. We were told we were lucky we had not had a fire and that this may well have contributed to our fridge problems.

We are really happy with what has been done, but now the proof will be in the testing. Here goes … we are out of here tomorrow.

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