Bushman Roadie 15L
VerifiedMPN: SC15119 reviews
Reviews with attachments
Quality product from an Australian company with excellent technical support if needed – Bought as a backup freezer to go with a Bushman DC65-X fridge. Both are mounted to a sliding rear drawer top in the back of a 200 Series Landcruiser. Also bought the Bushman 240v - 12v transformer. Show details · 1
Best Fridge I got – Best fridge I've installed in my van! Power consumption is so low and working so well....also super quiet because I've installed it between my front seat and almost never heard it. He's on 24/7 since I got it (mid November) and no issue yet Show details · 1
Bushman 15lt Roadie - Great little Fridge July 2023 – Bushman 15lt Roadie Fridge - purchased July 2023 We bought this fridge direct from Bushman’s online, quick response, quick freight to Tamworth NSW. It is an additional fridge to a bigger unit. The unit was purchased to fit a specific space in our 4wd wagon, needed to be quiet and it is very quiet, even at night with no other noise around, can… Read more · 1
hardly hear it. We completed a 4,500km trip with it straight up throughout outback NSW, it held temperature as a fridge really well. Power usage running off the 2nd battery was minimal, even in the wagon, locked up on warmer sunny days. I rate this fridge highly, it will be regularly used as both fridge and freezer depending on the trip. The height/depth is really good for storing bottles etc.
Excellent fridge for rear of car – Purchased this to replace my 56 litre Bushman fridge that was 15 years old and, while still working, was now bigger than needed and taking up too much space in the rear of our SUV. The 15 lt Roadie is much smaller and narrow as well, so it takes up way less space. Runs very quietly and maintains temperature - as measured by a third party temp… Read more · 1
probe.
This is very important as we occasionally need to carry temperature critical medications that have to be stored between 2 and 8 degress c.
The attached photos show it is a bit crowded in the rear of our SUV.
Portable Electric scooter and hoist, walker, couple of crates, second battery to pwer Bushman and lastly the Bushman itself.
The fridge is not running and the lid is propped open with a cloth.
This is a relatively expensive fridge, but like it predecessor, the 56 litre unit, it is exceptionally well made and well worth the expense.
Strongly recommend this unit.
Perfect Solo Car Camper's Fridge – Never did I believe such a tiny fridge could so well meet my needs as a solo camper. My travel set up is tiny. A Toyota Corolla Sedan. My Bushman Roadie fits perfectly behind the passenger seat and has not missed a beat. I wanted a fridge I can easily lift in and out of my vehicle without help, even if fully loaded. I run it on a portable lithium… Read more · 1
battery and it draws very little power, to the point I can run my fridge without recharging the battery for a week, if the weather is under 30 degrees, which saves me relying on the 120 watt solar panel, for short trips at least. My litle Roadie was my best "foodie" mate, for six weeks camping in the NT and four weeks travelling from Victoria to the NSW Northern Rivers last year. I actually ditched a 55 litre fridge to downsize to the Roadie. It easily fits enough food, water and wine to happily keep me well supplied for a week. The trick was changing how I packed and used my fridge, to enable me to get so much into it. For instance, I decant wine into a 1 litre soft sided hiking carafe, (see the tall blue and black container on the table photo). Another holds water for drinking. I decant yogurt, salads and meats into small square containers and washable ziplock bags that fit its tiny size and save space overall. I always have a 1 litre milk carton and a bottle of tonic water in it and buy grated cheese, which again, compacts, like my wine carafe, to take up negative space, that would otherwise be wasted. I can't believe just how much I can actually pack into such a tiny fridge and how little power it consumes. I also bought the separate 240 volt charger, so I can use it as an overflow freezer at home, when not out camping, or power up and load contents the night before I head off camping, for a quick getaway in the morning. If heading off to extended remote camps I can use it as a freezer and couple it with a decent cooler, rotating frozen water bottles into the cooler daily. I cannot recommend the Bushman Roadie more highly and love that it is made in Melbourne!
In-depth reviews
Great fridge! – Not really used in anger yet but tried it out when moving house recently as the main house fridge was moved out I used the Bushman roadie to keep drinks and food cool while packing up stuff. Set it to 0deg and it kept everything just right, I had a thermometer in it for while and it got down to 2deg at the bottom which was perfect for a cold… Read more · 1
beer. Does not use much power after initial cool down period but when used camping I will put cold blocks in before the trip to get the temp down and save the aux battery a bit. Very happy with the construction but for one tiny thing (which does not affect my rating). The hold down brackets are made for a flat surface mounting and the ends of the roadie are convex so they do not sit flat. But that does not seem to detract from the strength of them once screwed into place. The bridge gap to put the strap through could have been slightly bigger but not a real complaint. The real test will be when I start doing some road trips of a few weeks at a time to see how it performs. I purchased direct from Bushman so got the cover and carry strap + brackets with it which was nice. The cover is also made from a insulating material so that will help with power usage.
Good fridge - needs tinkering – I use the fridge inside a ute with a 35-52L Bushman. I like the fridge size and the amount of electricity it draws. There are some items Bushman could work on. The temperature dial - the temperature setting is difficult to see in poor light and the dial moves easily if you bump it. The carry shoulder brackets are not fitted to the fridge. I have… Read more · 1
to measure and mark out the bracket position and then drill into my new fridge and screw in the brackets. I thought the brackets would come pre-fitted. A temperature gauge would be handy. I like the fridge and also use it as an esky for picnics. It holds the temperature very well. We used it for an all day picnic without power and with an ice block and it held the temp well all day. Two bottles of wine, snags, onions, an ice block, salad items, four dips and desert for two people fitted no problems. I purchased the fridge through Bushman Victoria and I created a challenge with the manner I needed the item delivered. The team at Bushman were brilliant with making the purchase work. I am impressed with the staff. I would recommend the fridge.
Added another. 2 work well – Having had one Bushman Roadie 15L, for about 2 years of compact camping, we decided to get a second. Now one is a dedicated fridge and the other a dedicated freezer. This was decided after ordering a teardrop van towed by an EV. The van has room for a larger fridge/freezer. The Roadies will fit in the original space with room to spare. Heard… Read more · 1
of too many stories of well known fridge brands breaking down and the travellers left with nothing to chill with. What? No cold beverages! Also that the bigger ones only have either fridge or freezer, like the Roadie. So, we now have both functions with an effective redundancy to run off our battery bank and solar. The more compact size is much easier to move around too. They paired well on our first trip, very warm weather outside a tent (still waiting on teardrop build). The freezer made ice within hours. We used a freezer block in an insulated bag for lettuce and similar which prevents "frostbite" on delicate food so cycling two blocks works efficiently. The Roadie is a really great unit! We have two now. One wish - that the LED power light would shine through the dial knob's numbers, that would make it readable without a torch. Small simple change would make a world of difference. Easy to carry, easy to use and efficient. Impressive delivery time from the east to the west despite a week before Christmas. I recommend again.
Positive reviews
This fridge/freezer is ideal for my requirements as a permanent fixture in my ute. Low on power use and very stable fridge temps. It gets used daily - during the week for work and weekends for recreation. It compliments my larger fridge that I only use for extended recreational trips. The side lift lid has turned out to be excellent for my use - takes up less room when accessing contents. Show details · 1
The Roadie 15 k is the best small fridge I’ve used and uses very little power. On setting one it’s cold enough for your drinks on the hottest days when left on in the back of my ute. Show details · 1
Great Small Little Portable Fridge , I needed a small portable Fridge I could still lift in & out of the car , this fits the bill nicely , also takes a 2 litre container of milk standing up Show details · 1
Negative reviews
I had a 130l upright sold it as up north could not get it below 7c Ok for food not cold beer Tommy replaced the door it was no better even after defrost Went back to my Engel Now I have cold beer
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Disappointing – Something inside the compressor rattles and it is so annoying. Best to be used in a trailer or ute. This is really disappointing considering the price point of this fridge. I'm not blaming Bushman as they don't make the compressor but it would be good if this rattle could be fixed. My other small gripe is the numbers on the dial can be a bit hard… Read more
to read, especially for the over 50's when your eyes aren't as good. The size is perfect and very practical. Power consumption is probably consistent with other brands.
Hi Richard, Thank you for taking the time to… Read more
Does the job – It’s a pretty well thought out fridge in regards to storing tall bottles and cans. Comes with a cover, shoulder strap, tie downs, rubber feet etc. For some reason I thought the cup holders were chilled…they’re not. My mistake! Would’ve been cool if they were. The plug is a bit ordinary, socket not recessed for the cable/plug, so it’s quite… Read more
vulnerable. If something brushes past it the plug can pull out easily. Which it did on day two of our trip. This should be improved. It’s a portable fridge so it doesn’t have a permanent spot in our cars where the power cable can be set up more securely. Anyway a bit of gaffer tape sorts it out. Would just like to buy something that does need a home fix with tape, cable ties etc to make it better. Adding to this review now after a year of use. We’ve found the temperature control dial rotates easily even with clicks in it. Had a few occasions if you’re reaching over the fridge or something lightly brushes the dial, it can rotate and set a new temperature. We have arrived at a few destinations with fully frozen or warm drinks/food etc. Love the Bushman brand but in hindsight, these shortfalls in design would make me consider looking at other fridges.
Hi LTR, Thanks you for writing such a detailed… Read more
Recent reviews
The Bushman Roadie is my first portable fridge. I chose it based on the low power consumption, high quality construction and the local support. It has performed exceptionally well in 30-35degree C days inside the back of an SUV. I run it off a small power bank, 285VA, and monitor power consumption routinely. The Roadie uses around 33W while… Read more · 1
cooling. It is well insulated and that allows my power bank to run for 6-8 hours before I need to connect to the car. It’s such a lifesaver having very cold water available for kids playing sport, so much better than ice and tap water.
Consumes next to nothing to power. Gets cold pretty fast. Great size that isn't too big or too small. We bought it for our roadtrip but now it's a fixture on our deck. I love how you don't have to worry about letting refrigerant gas settle before turning it on. Show details · 1
Tough, well made, dependable overall it is very good, well ventilated, the ability to change the action of the lid, Nothing more really to say,…very pleased with it , Show details · 1
Great performance in a small size – Excellent performance and very quiet running. Convenient size to fit in many spaces. My only criticism is the thermostat control is difficult to read. Show details · 1
Great Little Fridge – This is the 2nd Bushman Roadie 15L which I have installed into my boat, my original bushman’s was fitted to my 4x4 6 years ago and has been a brilliant unit. Show details · 1
Great as a fridge or freezer – Great little fridge for the car. Very efficient and quiet. I have used it as a freezer set at minus 18 while away on fishing trip for 6 weeks with great results as it freezes items very quickly. Not a problem while the outside temperatures were in the high 30’s with some days touching 40 degrees C. Show details · 1
Way to go Bushman! – Just had a camping trip away & supplemented our 130lt Bushman fridge with the 15lt fridge as a freezer & it was perfect. Taking the same configuration on next trip for 2 months to the desert country Show details · 1
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Convenient and useful – very useful to have, I like the design not too bulky great way to bring on a camping trip. Thanks it was a really excellent product that I have Show details · 1
Great little day outing fridge for two people – Purchased for a day outing fridge for the 4WD, convenient size for two people with relatively low power usage and quite running characteristic. Occupying a small footprint it has minimal impact on vehicle tub usable area as it tucks neatly into space behind wheel arch. Fridge is employed 24/7 run via a 100 ah lithium battery charged via vehicle input only. Show details · 1
Roadie good as camping freezer – This fridge is a good size and excellent design. It kept our meat, fish and chicken thoroughly frozen for 2 weeks when set on minus 10°, running from 100Ah battery in back of our car or in tent. Used about 10Ah in every 24hrs, which is very low, but the weather was mild. The Roadie would be even better with a temperature display. It is also… Read more · 1
annoying that the shoulder strap has to be removed to secure the Roadie for transit. I leave two tie-downs attached and carry the fridge with them rather than shoulder strap. This is not very convenient for one person, but works well with 2 people.
I thoroughly recommend this compact and efficient fridge/freezer.
Great unit – I have a vw t4 camper van. Like most campers it has a standard fridge with a freezer compartment that is ready only good for making ice. My new bushman 15l is perfect for expanding my freezer capacity. Easy to use on the road and on powered sites. Show reply
Absolutely perfect – Awesome little fridge. Have it on the back seat for road trips. Fits drinks food and snacks no worries. Run it off a lithium power bank has bugger all draw and quiet. Love it Show details · 1
Low energy consumption & quality – The use of a variable speed quality compressor means that this little unit can run for days on my 4x4 with a lithium battery, the average current draw is as stated on their site. I also run the 35-52 from Bushman as well, so now one as a fridge, one as a freezer. Quick delivery ordering direct, quality product with a 5 Year warranty. Show details · 1
The fridge works awesomely – Hi, buahman Roadie works very well. It’s very quiet in operation. The side opening is a little awkward to use. And the height of the fridge when installed in between the seats in a single cab 79 series land cruiser is a bit to tall and restrictive when changing gear / steering to full lock. Show details · 1
Very good – Good design and build quality however needs to have a low battery voltage switch like other brands do. I had to jump start my car twice now as it drew to much from my cars battery apart from that excellent product Show details · 1
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Hi Tim, Thanks for the review of your experience.… Read more