Unique Off Grid portable freezer

carilchasens

I am considering getting a portable 12 - 24V/ 120V freezer or fridge-freezer from Unique Off Grid. Does anybody have experience with this company and their products?

BB.

Here is their website:

http://uniqueoffgrid.com/

They are in Canada (Oakville, Ontario)--So for US folks, watch customs/shipping fees. Note, this is the Mfg.'s site--They have distributors/retailers that carry their products (I believe).

-Bill

DRickey

From the looks of it, they're taking Danfoss DC refrigeration systems and wrapping them in a standard-looking case, but with more insulation (roughly twice what is normal for residential appliances).

There's nothing wrong with the concept or the Danfoss components, so really it comes down to how effectively they have executed it and how good their customer service is, questions that can't be answered until they build a track record. FWIW, the Danfoss compressors were originally developed for marine applications and shouldn't have any trouble dealing with an RV installation (except for the usual caveat of securely mounting them so they don't go for a walk when you hit a bump).

The only thing I would be at all concerned about is that there does not appear to be anything shielding the evaporator plates from inside the refrigerator except a coat of paint, something loose with hard, sharp edges could potentially penetrate the refrigerant tubing and wreck the system (my own plan for a Danfoss-based refrigerator and freezer in an RV call for expanded aluminum shields for that very reason). But that could be dealt with by just not putting anything of that description (hard sharp corners, like a metal container or block of ice) into the fridge in the first place. The chest designs appear to be more shielded from that kind of thing, so if I were looking to put them on a highly mobile platform, I'd probably go with those (they would also be easier to secure, not dependent on wall anchoring).

Hill_Country

We purchased one of Unique's off-grid propane stoves (the 20 inch model; model # = UGP-20) back in the spring of 2015 and thus far it has performed great and is a perfect fit, functionality-wise, for our 100% off grid house.  The stove/oven runs off of a single 9 volt battery for the ignition "spark" and has no pilot light, which means it isn't wasting propane when we're not using it, nor does it require power to start the burner/oven.

However, that being said, we had to buy the stove from an authorized dealer/reseller (fyi, we're in Texas, but our closest authorized dealer was still a couple hundred miles away but still in Texas) as they will not ship the stove/oven direct from their factory to an individual.  Rather, the product has to be shipped to the dealer/reseller and assembled by the dealer prior to delivery by the dealer.  Not sure if that's for every product they sell, or just products that use propane/gas as a fuel source, due to safety measures/liability. 

I've had to talk to Unique's tech support and they have been responsive and courteous.  We had to order a new door hinge for the oven door as the original hinge was rubbing when we first got the stove.  Not sure if it was an assembly issue (i.e. the dealer), or whether it was messed up from the factory (i.e. Unique).  Unique shipped the replacement part direct to our house, no questions asked in a timely manner. 

Hope this helps!