View Full Version : whats the coolest fridge?
hey all,
the time has come for me to get myself a fridge for the car...... although im a refridgeration mechanic by trade, i know nothign about the best ones to get for a car......
not to sure about what size i am after jsut yet.... but is there anythign i should be looking for or avoiding?
i do like the idea of the 12v/240v/gas ones... but it seems that the big names arent making htese..... could be a reason?
cheers
Steve F
11-04-12, 04:48 PM
Chris (Cpage66) has a 12v/240v/Gas one that he was using up at Coffs. I have a Waeco 12v/240v that has lived in the Jeep (comes out on the very odd occasion when I need to carry something) for the last 10 years with no problems.
Cheers
Steve
We use a 47lt Evacool 12volt with a 240volt adaptor. It is a fridge/freezer, it has been on every Bylong trip with us, some of which have been extremely hot. The fridge and its companion battery travel in the Jeep until we get to the camp site, when they are moved into the tent for the weekend.
Cpage66
11-04-12, 06:31 PM
Steve is right, we've got a three way made by Dometic that we love for camp. Easy to use and it'll run forever on LPG. Silent running as well. Only drawback is the one that we have is large. For daytrips I carry a little Engel that's a 1979 model that I purchased from a co worker who won it new in a raffle in 1979 and never took it out of the box. It's great and I can still get parts for it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDPDEExzsUM&feature=player_embedded
Cpage66
11-04-12, 06:38 PM
And you know the Rosehill Caravan and Camping Show is coming up...fridges will be everywhere and much better prices! If I was going to buy another one to use as a daytripper, it would be the one that Bear and Maggie have...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gksdQH67f4Q&feature=player_embedded
jeep_jk112
11-04-12, 06:43 PM
We use a 47lt Evacool 12volt with a 240volt adaptor. It is a fridge/freezer, it has been on every Bylong trip with us, some of which have been extremely hot. The fridge and its companion battery travel in the Jeep until we get to the camp site, when they are moved into the tent for the weekend.
Hey bear if you have any pics of your set up and would like to post them up that would be great, as i'm looking to go down a similar path to you.....
Interested to see where and how you store the second battery in the back of the jk!
Cheers
Matt
I agree - wait for the show in Rosehill 3 years ago I bought a waeco 40 (though its actually 37L) and got it at a great price, with cover and support bracket. Go for a 50l one as it makes a big difference.
Hey Rey :)
My 2c Engel
Great construction
Lowest power consumption by far - don't believe the BS that some big suppliers are claiming - Jax & I went away with some friends who had "Another big brand name" and the exact same Batt as us, and our fridge was still running after theirs was warming up LoL
Runs 12/240v
Will run as a fridge or freezer
Set the temp and it will map out the most economical way to achieve set temp - running and stopping etc!
Will NOT kill your AUX Batt - built in low voltage cut out.
I have trucking mates who bought them in the early 80's and they all still work - many of the "New comers" claim theirs will last a lifetime but only the Engel has proved it.
3way - fridges are good but - When switched to Gas you cannot move them - they make soooooo much heat which is especially ugly when they are in your tent or camper trailer in summer, Gas costs heaps & they only last 2-3 days on a full BBQ bottle - and you have to carry the stupid Gas bottle - takes up space and adds weight ( I drive a shorty LoL) - Cheers Hunty
My 50th Anniversary model - took an Engel to the Cape and had collides all day every day!
http://i685.photobucket.com/albums/vv217/ashunty/a4199e86.jpg
Another vote for Engel the people I got mine from ran it for 12years straight in there office before it finally gave up but I had it repaired for a few hundred dollars
AussieCJ7
12-04-12, 09:27 AM
I have a Waeco and recommend you do a search for poly fuse issues on Waeco. Gives you an insight to them. The service center I took mine to the other week to get fixed had 20 odd lined up to be fixed. This is what made it stop at masters last time I used it
They also are one of the most sensitive to low current from your battery system and shut down.
The ARB one gets good reviews but have no experience with it. I would pony up the $$$ and go straight to the engle
i got a ARB 47ltr for a great price :) its been sitting in the shed for 6months so when i finally use it ill let you know how it goes!!!
Hey bear if you have any pics of your set up and would like to post them up that would be great, as i'm looking to go down a similar path to you.....
Interested to see where and how you store the second battery in the back of the jk!
Cheers
Matt
I have a JK rubicon short wheel base, so space is at a premium. With the back seat removed the 2nd battery (a 60 amp/hr gel cell Thumper pack by Blue Apple) sits on the cup holders behind the front seats. The fridge is fastened to the hoop brackets where the seat was removed. The gel cell is wired to a battery isolator that came as part of the kit when I bought it. The advantage of the isolator is the fridge can run while you stop for lunch, engine switched off, without flattening the main battery.
The advantage of the thumper pack is that it has extra merrit plugs and anderson plugs which Maggie uses to recharge her portable DVD player etc.
We have a 40lt engel that sits on the back seat of the TJ along with the baby seat! We have a 50amp second battery under the bonnet that will run the fridge for a few days if we don't drive every day.
We also have a 50l Waco that is the drink fridge in the house - it tends to be more tempermental even on 240vlt
We used to have a gas fridge on the front of the camper but swapped it for an esky.
On an extended trip a few years ago we used the engel as a freezer, the waco as a food fridge and a smaller engel as drink fridge (split between two cars)
My parents have a Bushmans and are very happy with it, on a trip to WA it failed and found a repairer for them near where they where and he fixed it for about $30 which included labour for fitting a new updated mother board and also supplied a new updated power cable. When asked why so cheap to repair they where told the manufacturer covered the cost as it was how they set them selves apart form Engel and Waco - their fridge was a few years old and out of warranty.
Got a 60L Waeco, about 5 years old, no issues. Just wondering, do people keep their fridges powered up and running when not being used, or store them away?
Steve F
12-04-12, 02:24 PM
Got a 60L Waeco, about 5 years old, no issues. Just wondering, do people keep their fridges powered up and running when not being used, or store them away?
i only run my waeco when i need it but it's in the jeep all the time. its done fraser (3 times ), the flinders, the cape and more . 10 years so far
cheers
steve
Cpage66
12-04-12, 03:02 PM
Got to disagree with the above statement that the gas last 2 or 3 days...we get about two weeks out of a 4 kg. bottle. Our big tent is set up so the 3way is under cover but not in the main sleeping area. For camp set up, to us, it's heaps better than our Engel.
ive heard that a 3 way will run for about 28 days on a 9kg bottle......
Cpage66
12-04-12, 04:16 PM
ive heard that a 3 way will run for about 28 days on a 9kg bottle......
I could see that happening with ours...we ran ours for quite a few weekends before we refilled the little 4 kg.
i only run my waeco when i need it but it's in the jeep all the time. its done fraser (3 times ), the flinders, the cape and more . 10 years so far
cheers
steve
Thats good to hear Steve. As i have one
redrubi
14-04-12, 12:00 PM
G-Day Rayzor,
We have the ARB 47L,I believe it has the same danfoss compressor as the engel and waeco! So in my opinion it comes down to features. ARB has a drainplug in the bottom, which may not seem all that important! That is until you spill blood from defrosting meat and any other crap you may care to spill in it, then it's the best thing since sliced bread(which by the way also fits perfectly into the dairy keeper section!). The carry handles also make great anchor points to tie it down. The lid is detatchable so drunken mates can't fold it back too far and break it off! It will easily detach itself.
Hope our 5cents worth helps!
Cheers
Andy & Charlene :pirate:
G-Day Rayzor,
We have the ARB 47L,I believe it has the same danfoss compressor as the engel and waeco! So in my opinion it comes down to features. ARB has a drainplug in the bottom, which may not seem all that important! That is until you spill blood from defrosting meat and any other crap you may care to spill in it, then it's the best thing since sliced bread(which by the way also fits perfectly into the dairy keeper section!). The carry handles also make great anchor points to tie it down. The lid is detatchable so drunken mates can't fold it back too far and break it off! It will easily detach itself.
Hope our 5cents worth helps!
Cheers
Andy & Charlene :pirate:
The drain plug is also a plus in the EvaKool. We have never had a problem with running our fridge but if there is any sort of problem with the power, it can be used as an Esky.
G-Day Rayzor,
We have the ARB 47L,I believe it has the same danfoss compressor as the engel and waeco! So in my opinion it comes down to features. ARB has a drainplug in the bottom, which may not seem all that important! That is until you spill blood from defrosting meat and any other crap you may care to spill in it, then it's the best thing since sliced bread(which by the way also fits perfectly into the dairy keeper section!). The carry handles also make great anchor points to tie it down. The lid is detatchable so drunken mates can't fold it back too far and break it off! It will easily detach itself.
Hope our 5cents worth helps!
Cheers
Andy & Charlene :pirate:
Hail to BBQ King but;
Bull$#!ticus - The Engel uses the World Famous Sawafuji Swing motor certainly not the danfoss :) - I have no beef with the ARB - They just can't claim that they will last as long as the Engel for at least another 15-20 yrs LoL
being a refridgeration mechanic by trade i know that both danfoss and fuji are quality compressors.... but there is more to a system then just that
Had my $300 35lt Aldi 3way fridge since the 08 Jambo and it still goes perfectly.Used it dozens of times and my only complaint is that it freezes my milk.A 4.5 kg bottle will last app 14 days.Recently bought a 55lt 3way fridge/freezer from Repco called gear up and it,s a beauty,it,ll use a 4.5kg in app 10 days If i run it on it,s high setting,but everything freezes so i put it on half way.
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