Portable Fridges

MurrayM · Member

Portable Fridges

Brownie2 · Senior Member

Hi Murray,
I'd go with the Engel. We've had the 38l (plastic body) for several years and it performs very under all conditions. We have ours in the back of the BT50 most of the time. Minimal current draw (about .5 - 2.75amps from memory). We use a Waeko digital temp gauge with it to keep an eye on the temp. Run it at about 1-2 deg. for drinks etc. No experience with the "Giant" so cannot comment on that. They should specify the current draw in their specs. (just looked it up - 1 - 3.5amps they state) Happy Camping. Bob

Wizardofoz · Guru

Check out the 'EvaKool', it is very good and Australian made, it rates well in comparison reviews such as 'Choice' as well...well worth some consideration.

dirvine · Senior Member

There is really two camps when it comes to portable fridges. Those who like the Engel with its swing motor and those that like the danfos motor that is in most other brands. The issue seems to come down to current draw as both cool very quickly and work in our climate. The Danfos motor is more efficent as it draws less current. I have an engel 40ltr fridge which I bought in 1972. It is still going strong and is bolted permanently into my car. It is old but has stood the test of time. It does however draw a lot of current and will flatten my 90amp battery overnight in hot weather. Recently Aldi sold a Sterling (their brand name) 40 litre fridge for about $400. This is a Waeco look alike. In fact some say it is just made by Waeco but with a name change. It has the danfos motor, internal thermometer internal light and compartments. I decided to buy one as the equivelent Waeco is $600+ in BCF or Rays outdoors. My brother has used it for the Easter weekend. He said it was far better than the Engel. Then it should be as its newer technology. It lasted over 2 days in 20-25C days before it beeped at him telling him that the battery was low and the fridge would shut down. I personally dont like plastic. I worry about it cracking or getting effected by the sun (ie UV).But it is far lighter than my Engel. Its just that my Engel has been so reliable that I just cannot depart or retire it.

LLD · Senior Member

Engel. Little dearer but you gets what you pays for. Just keep an eye on BCF, Rays etc for when they have specials.

Krusty · Senior Member

TrailBlaza Fridges are the best in my humble opinion.

MurrayM · Member

Thanks to everyone for the information, we will take it on board.

Bryan · Guru

I have one of the plastic Engels for about 4 years now, the 38 litre eclipse. Because voltage draw and all such calculations are foreign to me, I set it up with an 85 amp hour glass mat battery in the garage and ran for 3 full days. I didn't take it any further for fear I would damage the battery. The same battery is still running the fridge but its now hard wired in my car.

BruDi · Senior Member

Talk about overkill. We have 2 40L Engels and a Waeco CFX 40L. We prefer the Engels for offroad, well off grid travel. Two of the fridges we won. We use the Waeco at home for an overflow drink fridge when we have guests. Both are good though.

Di

Happywanderer · The Master

Interesting topic
I will be throwing my fridge out and getting a portable to replace it when I find one on special. Looks like Engel is the way to go.

LLD · Senior Member

My Engel is a dual zone job. Works great with either of the dual zone configurations and great as entirely a freezer but as a fridge it's not good. At the freezer end drinks freeze whilst at the other end they are barely cool.

jab160 · Senior Member

Mate is army guy, they swear by bushtracker fridges, fitted into most of their vehicles now.

Koala · Veteran Member

Hi Murray,

In my opinion Engel is the only fridge, just bought our 5th one, we use them in our work Utes & my kids have them in & on their vehicles.We have the second battery but if ute not started over a week will be bit flat. ? Engel currently has the Legacy edition in the 40 litre, it's very nice, I am bolting it down so my son doesn't swap me

They are worth the money, got ours on special at local truck & machinery dealer, I have seen one that has surviced a truck rollover, another reason why we stick with them.

Regards

K J

mr glassies · Guru

I got 2 40 ltr Engels 1 is 37 yr old it still runs like new when dad died mum used it for her freezer for 15 yrs never got turns of . I'm sold

Dibs

MurrayM · Member

Thanks once again for your advice. It is great to make a choice from others experience

meetoo · Guru

I have been using Waeco fridge freezers continually now for around 15 years. Have had 3, all either 40 or 50 litre sizes. Pretty much always have one running in the back of the tug. Not saying they are the best, but they have never not worked properly. Only trouble I ever had was the cigarette lighter cord, which now days I have an Anderson plug fitted.
Cheers, John.

dirvine · Senior Member

I am a little worried. A number of posts here say they love their Engel but then say they are on the 3rd to 5th one. Given they came to Aus in 1972, thats not a great advert for them. When I bought mine in 1972 it cost$1000 which at the time was nearly twice the amount of a big home refridgerater. But after trying all the others, Finch, Electrolux, scheen etc, they just did not cut the mustard in hot weather on when on funny angles. Mine has been bashed, dropped, been in 3 rollovers when my 4wd got tired trying to get up steep hills and it still works. It seems though nothing has changed in regards to the coldest spot. Ist corner after the refridgerent comes out of the motor. Guess where my beer gets stored! If you look at the bushtracker models they certainly look the goods. Reason they are used by the UN and Army is the exceptional insulation and the danfos motor. But they certainly are not cheap and are very heavy. For most of us they are probably an overkill and they are certainly not cheap. But if I was 18 again, I recon I would buy one as they would probably outlast me just like my Engel will probably outlast me.

Krusty · Senior Member

I can't find any reference for Bushtracker Fridges. Plenty in Bushtracker Caravans though. Are you sure you're not thinking of the Trailblazer Fridges as I think they're the ones the Australian Army use?

dirvine · Senior Member

http://www.bushtrackerforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=25002&sid=2508a351bd61f525dfd58a4df4d1bdd5. Thats the link

03_Troopy · Guru

From that link, they are talking about Trailblazer fridges.
Another very good brand, but also expensive is National Luna
National Luna Fridges

Radar · Guru

Dirvine wrote, I have an engel 40ltr fridge which I bought in 1972. It is still going strong and is bolted permanently into my car. It is old but has stood the test of time. It does however draw a lot of current and will flatten my 90amp battery overnight in hot weather.

Its just that my Engel has been so reliable that I just cannot depart or retire it.

Dirvine hi, just a small warning, I wrote about my old faithful once before, we use it as a back up frig at Christmas time, everytime I went near the frig it seemed to catch my attention because it appeared to be not working but the moment I touch the frig to check it away it went keeping the extras cold, then not long after Christmas it was used in the back of the car doing the job of keeping picnic food cold.

Well I parked the car for about 4 hours and noticed at the end of this time it was making a sort of flat battery sound, then did same checking the battery was down lower 12 volts.

Whats goes on here I asked myself, a near new battery, all that side of things checked out. Next step old faithfull goes to frig bloke for a check up with a tear in his eye said it would be better to go by a new one as parts to fix the electrics in this one being so old are now unobtainable.

I brought it second hand, but the man owned a 1984 model 4x4 which he said was as old and brought them at same time.

I now own a plastic one and it doing a great job, very easy on the new battery as the old frig killed the last one which was only 12 months old. Very impressed with it. I am coming upto 69 and if it last 10 years I will be laughing, I paid sub $800 for it.

-- Edited by Radar on Sunday 15th of May 2016 04:43:20 PM

dirvine · Senior Member

I agree Radar. Thats why I bought the Aldi oneas a back up, as it was so cheap. The engel still operates as it always did. They were known to drain batteries back in the 70s and nothing has changed with my old model. I have heard the old ones can blow the 12v regulator, so I carry the 240v lead and have an inverter in the car just in case. But the old girl just keeps defying the odds. I thought it might spit the dummy when I bought "junior", but it seems to want to show there is still life in the "old girl". Until it turns up its toes, it stays in the car. My only real concern is that I am doing the Canning in June/July, and food for 21+ days is required. I just cross my fingers as I love my engel.

Radar · Guru

dirvine wrote:
I agree Radar. Thats why I bought the Aldi oneas a back up, as it was so cheap. The engel still operates as it always did. They were known to drain batteries back in the 70s and nothing has changed with my old model. I have heard the old ones can blow the 12v regulator, so I carry the 240v lead and have an inverter in the car just in case. But the old girl just keeps defying the odds. I thought it might spit the dummy when I bought "junior", but it seems to want to show there is still life in the "old girl". Until it turns up its toes, it stays in the car. My only real concern is that I am doing the Canning in June/July, and food for 21+ days is required. I just cross my fingers as I love my engel.

Enjoy the Canning.

For best the part my Engel was still keeping things seriously cold but killing the battery while doing it and the 240ac section had thrown the towel in years ago.

$300 for another new battery oh no not again.

I miss the rattle of the old one.

jab160 · Senior Member

Query guys......if my Engel runs 12v for let's say 10 hrs before battery goes flat. If I was forced to hook a inverter to same battery to run fridge......how long will Engel run now.
What I'm trying to say........is straight 12v, more economical than going through inverter..??

dirvine · Senior Member

jab160,

if the battery is flat it wont matter which way you try to connect the fridge. If the battery is fully charged, then a 240v inverter will drain a battery quicker than using 12V on the fridge. This is because the inverter has to work to convert to 240V , and then at a sufficient wattage. However, in my case, my fridge works better on 240V than on 12V. So when i first load it up at home I put it on 240V overnight, and then switch to 12V when I leave. I have a feeling (not backed by direct knoweldge) that the fridge really runs on a voltage higher than 12V, but it will run Ok on 12V. For example, many LED light bars will run on volts between 12 and 24DC. I can tell you when they have 24V through them they are definately more bright. But LED's still do the job for everyday lighting running on 12V. And given that 12V is more popular on cars and 4WD's the market caters for electricity at 12V as a minimum.

chooknphil · Veteran Member

Check out Evakool - we have 2 & they are brilliant & hubby has metered power usage & they actually do what they say they do.

We got rid of our older Engel for the Evakool because of misleading power consumption

Cupie · Guru

Love my 1999 Engel.

Use it as a drinks frige when home. It's never off.

Recently it developed a rattle in the motor. I inverted it & shook it about a bit. Seems to have fixed it.

-- Edited by Cupie on Monday 16th of May 2016 03:31:43 PM