Best value for money 12V fridge/freezer

Kookla · Member

Best value for money 12V fridge/freezer

LLD · Senior Member

Ya gets what ya pays for with 12v/240v fridge/freezers. I've got a dual zone Engel about 18 months ago. Cost about $1,200 then I spent money on a backup battery & box, solar panel plus a few other bit & bobs. Probably not a lot of change out of $1,700 but I do like my setup as wife & I only drink cold (no hot). Only problem was a few weekends ago when it was near 40C (near Port Fairy). Fridges only cool so far below ambient. Had my Engel set to -18. Best it could do was -4. The fridge part was good enough to keep drinks cold. The cool-pops in my van freezer were liquid and milk & bacon in the van fridge went off.

In the back of a closed vehicle in the sun, the ambient temp can be quite high. Daughter has had Engels for years and likes them. When not camping, they were kept on the verandah as a second fridge. They do come at a premium cost though.

Kookla · Member

Thank you LLD for your input. I did look at Egel and saw the down side with the freezer componen. We will be using this mainly as a freezer as our campervan has a fridge, small freezer, and we do have back up batteries, inverter and solar panels.

Thanks again

Cruising Cruze · Guru

@ Kookla

Australian direct
Have a look at there website, they also have an 75 liter split Evakool box $938
Kick ass one is $ 1128 ( Kick Ass has 5 years warranty )

www.australiandirect.com.au/buy/evakool-glacier-series-portable-75l-dual-zone-frid/EVAG75-DX-DL_p

We've got one of them and are very satisfied with it

Cheers John

Mutley · Senior Member

^^ the Evakool referred to above seems like a BARGAIN! We've had an 80L & would definitely buy Evakool again ^^

macka17 · Guru

I've used Waeco in vans and boats pretty much suince they first came out.

Current one is 80 ltr Pre digital dual basket (Fridge\\freez)
Very economical.

From my second. vehicle one. Marine units built in.
I've externally wrapped them with 17mm Duct lagging.
Magic.

In Darwin. Patrol closed. fridge working.
Open door. lift top cover of lagging wrap.
complete outside of lid is covered in heavy condensation.
and it runs as a freezer on 4\5 dots.

The 18 ltr in Di's Honda the same.

Best $72 I ever spent. did both of them.
Hard grey high density foam, with silver covering on one side.
Wouldn't have one without it nowadays.

warhorse · Senior Member

depending on budget you cant go past a trailblazer frig freezer,not cheap but the best around, made in aust,only one approved for medical supplies by the w.h.o, also used by the army....or was,not sure if they still do..cheers ray

Kookla · Member

Many thanks

Kookla · Member

Many thanks

hako · Guru

We have a 50litre Waeco copy which we bought on Ebay for about $500 2 years ago just before our 3 month round Australia trip. It was set at -15 to -20 for the entire trip as it carried frozen meals. Had no problems with it. I would have loved to splash out $1200 or so for a branded freezer but bottom line is they do the same job plus I'm a tight-ass.

Good Luck.

Kookla · Member

Thanks Denis

darjak · Senior Member

We have a Techniice 80i Dual Zone it has Danfoss Compressor comes with Australia wide 6yrs parts & labour warranty also is full stainless steel. Had it operating in 40+C temperatures without any worries, beer still cold and frozen stuff still frozen not like other ones I have owned. Best thing is each side can be fridge or freezer, they have a 60l dual zone, mine was about $1200 delivered 3yrs ago.
You can only buy them online, they are the best people I have dealt with.

Darrell

Kookla · Member

Thanks Darrell