Bushman

What Bushman does

Bushman, trading as DP Refrigeration Pty Ltd (ACN 615 295 255), is a 100% Australian owned family-controlled manufacturer of 12V/24V portable refrigeration equipment, founded in 1982 and headquartered in Research, Victoria. The company designs and distributes portable chest fridges (Original SC35 and the expandable SC35-52 covering 35L to 52L via an extension kit), upright caravan fridges (DC50-X 50L, DC65X 65L, DC85-X 85L), the DF30-HD 30L drawer fridge/freezer, and a compact Roadie 15L unit, plus a complementary accessory line (HD Fridge Slide, aluminium Fridge Boxes, drawer double-stack kits, transit covers, extension collars, and interchangeable spare parts backward-compatible across 25 years of models). All products are engineered around the Secop Danfoss BD35-HD compressor platform — Bushman is Australia's first and only OEM using the Heavy Duty Series variant — with tropical ratings up to 45-50°C ambient, deep-freeze capability to -18°C, and low power draw of 0.5-1.25 Ah/hour suited to battery/solar off-grid operation in vehicles, caravans, and boats.

The product is differentiated by a proprietary 360° ventilation system, marine-grade electroplated rust-proofed cabinet construction, a unique modular volume design on the SC35-52, and an industry-leading 7-year compressor warranty on 2026 and later models. The company operates a horizontal segmentation strategy across Camping/Outdoor Recreation, 4WD/Off-Road, Caravan/RV, and Marine/Boating use cases.

Bushman sells primarily direct-to-consumer via bushman.com.au (WooCommerce, free express shipping on fridges, payment via Stripe/PayPal/Apple Pay/Google Pay plus Pay-in-4 BNPL), supplemented by an Australia-wide network of authorised stockists and service agents. Pricing spans AUD$899 (Roadie 15L) through AUD$1,599 (SC35-52), with accessory SKUs around AUD$469. The company is led by Managing Director Paul Kottmann of the Kottmann family; it has no institutional investors, no subsidiaries, no M&A history, and no disclosed revenue. Customer-facing marketing runs through the brand website, Facebook/Instagram/YouTube/LinkedIn/TikTok channels, and DotDigital email marketing. Bushman has held the Product Review "Best Camping Fridge" award every year from 2017 through 2026 and has repeated wins in the "Best 12V Caravan Fridge" and "Best Portable Fridge/Freezer" categories.

Name

Bushman

Legal name

DP Refrigeration Pty Ltd

Website

https://bushman.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Bushman (DP Refrigeration Pty Ltd) is an Australian family-owned manufacturer founded in 1982 that designs and sells 12V/24V portable chest, upright, and drawer fridges — built around Secop Danfoss compressors — for the Australian camping, 4WD, caravan, and marine markets via direct e-commerce and stockist networks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Portable Refrigeration

NAICS

Air-Conditioning and Warm Air Heating Equipment and Commercial and Industrial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing (333415), Small Electrical Appliance Manufacturing (335210)

SIC

Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip (3585), Refrigeration & Service Industry Machinery (3580)

akta.pro primary industry

Chillers & Cooling Plant Equipment (IMAHAKAE)

Keywords

• Portable refrigeration
• 12V fridges
• Camping freezers
• Caravan fridges
• Off-grid refrigeration

Headquarters

HQ city

Research

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Refrigeration Equipment Sales: Primary revenue stream from manufacturing and selling 12V portable fridges and freezers for camping, 4WD, caravan, and marine applications. One-time hardware purchase model with varying price points from $899 to $1,599 depending on capacity and features.
2. Accessories and Spare Parts: Secondary revenue from fridge slides, transit covers, battery chargers, mounting kits, and replacement parts. Products include fridge slides ($469) and various accessories.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Bushman designs, manufactures and sells 12V/24V portable fridge freezers (chest, upright, drawer and compact models from 15L to 85L) plus compatible accessories such as fridge slides, aluminium mounting boxes, extension kits, transit covers and spare parts, targeted at Australian campers, 4WD owners, caravan/RV users and boaters. Products use Secop Danfoss compressors and are tuned for off-grid 12V/24V battery operation in extreme Australian heat, sold via bushman.com.au and authorised stockists.

Product overview

Bushman Fridges is a 100% Australian owned family company (trading as DP Refrigeration Pty Ltd) that has operated since 1982. The company offers a focused portfolio of 12V/24V portable refrigeration products primarily for the Australian outdoor, camping, and off-grid market. The core product line consists of chest-style portable fridges (Original Bushman SC35 and expandable SC35-52 from 35L-52L), upright caravan fridges (DC50-X 50L, DC65X 65L, DC85-X 85L), and a newer drawer-style fridge (DF30-HD 30L). All products utilize Secop Danfoss compressors and are designed for Australian conditions with tropical ratings up to 50°C ambient. The company also offers a range of accessories including fridge slides, aluminium fridge boxes/cages, extension kits, transit covers, and spare parts. Bushman emphasizes Australian manufacturing and backs its products with industry-leading 7-year compressor warranties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bushman Roadie 15L Car Fridge

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration18 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Secop (Danfoss)coreTechnology or IntegrationSupplier of the Secop Danfoss BD35-HD compressor, described as the world's best 12V compressor. Bushman is Australia's first and only company to utilise the Secop Danfoss Heavy Duty Series 12V compressor.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Engel: Established Australian/Japanese portable fridge brand with a strong 4WD and camping following. Competes head-to-head with Bushman across chest-style and upright 12V portable refrigeration, positioned in a similar premium tier.
• MyCoolman: Australian portable refrigeration brand acquired by Dometic in 2021. Sells 12V/24V portable fridges in chest and upright formats directly competitive with Bushman's core lineup, now backed by Dometic's global scale.
• Dometic: Global market leader in RV, marine, and outdoor refrigeration, with portable 12V fridges, compressor-driven coolers, and OEM partnerships across caravan manufacturers. Direct competitor to Bushman across portable fridge, upright caravan, and drawer-format categories; acquired MyCoolman to bolster Australian presence.
• Brass Monkey: Budget-positioned portable fridge brand widely distributed through Australian automotive and outdoor retailers. Targets price-sensitive entry-level buyers, anchoring the lower end of the market that pressures Bushman's premium pricing.
• National Luna: South African specialist in 12V portable refrigeration and dual-battery systems with strong Australian distribution. Targets the same off-grid camping and overlanding customers as Bushman, with comparable heavy-duty product positioning.
• ICECO: US-headquartered portable fridge and freezer brand with growing Australian distribution. Competes across portable chest and upright 12V/24V categories with a strong value-premium positioning.
• Evakool: Australian portable fridge and freezer manufacturer serving the same camping, 4WD, and caravan customer base. Overlaps directly with Bushman's portable chest fridges and upright caravan fridge SKUs at comparable price points.

Broad incumbents

• Ironman 4x4: Established Australian 4WD accessories manufacturer and distributor with broad product portfolio including portable fridges. Competes in the same end-customer use cases as Bushman via a multi-brand retail and wholesale model.
• ARB: Australia's dominant 4WD accessories retailer and distributor, selling ARB-branded portable fridges alongside competitor brands. Represents both a stockist channel for Bushman and a competing product line leveraging ARB's scale and dealer network.

Emerging players

• Companion: Australian outdoor lifestyle brand offering portable fridges and 12V camping accessories. Overlaps with Bushman in camping-channel distribution and competes in the value-to-mid portable fridge segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/bushmanfridges
• Instagraminstagram.com/bushman_fridges
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bushman-fridges

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bushman