car fridges

[ramblingboy42]

why are they so dam expensive? I looked at an Engel this morning for $2000.
I can buy a brand new 'beer fridge" for $200 and spend another $100 or so modifying it to suit my vehicle, Even if it cost $200 or more to modify it, whats the big deal with the car fridges? Enlighten me please.

[Bigbjorn]

why are they so dam expensive? I looked at an Engel this morning for $2000.
I can buy a brand new 'beer fridge" for $200 and spend another $100 or so modifying it to suit my vehicle, Even if it cost $200 or more to modify it, whats the big deal with the car fridges? Enlighten me please.

Damn right. I can buy a small Chinese bar fridge at my local electrical shops for around $85-$100 and name brand one a bit larger for $220- $250. For the price of an Engel I can buy a ginormous double door domestic Fridge-Freezer.

What are they? An insulated box with a compressor and motor and some control gear, that's all.

[Tombie]

Its like saying "Wedding" - the price just triples!

Camper trailers are my favourite price rip off....

Its a $1500.00 trailer with some **** stuck on it... Not a $30,000.00 object by any stretch - Yet cashed up people keep on buying them.....

[ramblingboy42]

not this lil black duck

[vnx205]

why are they so dam expensive? I looked at an Engel this morning for $2000.
Enlighten me please.

I'm sure part of it is because as people keep repeating, you get what you pay for. Except that often when they say it, they don't realise that what they are paying for is the name.

I'm sure that in the case of the Engel, they are an established name and some people are prepared to pay for the name.

[PhilipA]

But one of the most important attributes of a car fridge IMHO is reliability.

I met a bloke in Broome whose Autofridge had carked it and he was buying a new Engel. He was not happy , as the nearest agent was thousands of ks away.

I agree that they are outrageously priced but you have the choice of a Chinese special, or a bar fridge if you like. The quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten.
My Engel is now 12 years old and going strong, and I do not begrudge the price paid , which was the same then as now, so they are much cheaper now in inflation adjusted terms.

They ar every robust even though they get surface rust. I doubt a bar fridge would lat one trip on corrugations, if the Dometic fridges in caravans are anything to go by.
Regards Philip A

[PAT303]

Engels are like Toyota's,the ones you buy today aren't the same as the ones you bought 10 years ago.I have fixed many broken fridges and 9 times out of ten it's the battery system or poor airflow around the fridge or some other problem that caused the trouble,most if not all car fridges have the same parts that come out of the same Chinese factory. Pat

[rick130]

[snip]
I doubt a bar fridge would lat one trip on corrugations, if the Dometic fridges in caravans are anything to go by.
Regards Philip A

They did once upon a time.

Back when I was a kid Dad fitted out a caravan for off roading (raised suspension, shockies, etc) to tow behind our 4WD and it went from NSW across the Nullarbor twice when it was still dirt and bulldust, all around the dirt roads of the south west, etc.

He fitted a normal Westinghouse bar type fridge running off a gennie fitted to the drawbar, and he was an Electrolux agent at the time :D
Oh, he also removed the condensing unit and fitted that to the drawbar too, running the suction and liquid lines all the way back to the fridge.

That little fridge lasted for years.

[rick130]

Oh, and I agree, the pricing is crazy but the importers will say it's economies of scale, etc, but I'd suggest someone is maximising their profit margin somewhere ;)

[DoctorJ]

Unfortunately Rick is right it is all to do with demand, everyone has a need for a Fridge but how many of the population own a car fridge, another example is the bullbar vs rear bar you can pick up an Arb winch bar for $1600 or a kaymar rear bar for $4000 this I questioned and I was told it is all to do with demand. Guess what I didn't get a rear bar!

Cheers
Julian

[Slunnie]

I met a bloke in Broome whose Autofridge had carked it and he was buying a new Engel. He was not happy , as the nearest agent was thousands of ks away.
Why an Engel? If he wanted something as reliable, more efficent and has service agents everywhere then he should have bought something with the Danfross compressor.

[Bigbjorn]

They ar every robust even though they get surface rust. I doubt a bar fridge would lat one trip on corrugations, if the Dometic fridges in caravans are anything to go by.
Regards Philip A

The Engels we had on road train service in Western Qld didn't like them either. We ended up mounting them on four coil springs to stop them self-destructing. This is why I am cynical about the price.

I wonder what it would cost to buy the necessary components and fit them up in a good class of Esky? Boat builders do this in big cabin cruisers. They commonly build in the insulated box.

[rick130]

[snip]

I wonder what it would cost to buy the necessary components and fit them up in a good class of Esky? Boat builders do this in big cabin cruisers. They commonly build in the insulated box.

I've been threatening to do this for years Brian but couldn't be bothered if someone else isn't paying me to do it, AKA sheer laziness :D

[zwitter]

My first Engel cost me $1275 when I earned $9000 a year before tax. Lasted 22 years of use and abuse, 3 trips round Australia, dozens of trips across it and hundreds of weeks and weekends away and 2 years as my only fridge at home. Plus borrowed by all and sundry.

When it slowly died and would not cool so well I checked the new fridges on offer and bought the new Engel of the same size for $1175. Listed the old one and got $200 on Ebay for it advertised as not working. Have now got 40 and 13 litre versions.

Not many items last 22 years with the kind of treatment portable fridges suffer.

Icecreams in the nullabor, gormet food on 3 week safaris, cold beer any time. The price is easily justified and forgotten.

James


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[Slunnie]

I wonder what it would cost to buy the necessary components and fit them up in a good class of Esky? Boat builders do this in big cabin cruisers. They commonly build in the insulated box.
Thats how my EvaKool fridge was made. I have their 60 litre esky and was so impressed with it I bought their 50 litre fridge (ED50 is their 60 litre esky with the fridge element inside it).

[dirtdawg]

I just bought the 60l evakool for $650 with cover and a few other bits it's going fantastic

[TerryO]

Yep the 60 litre Evakool for me to, now nearly 3 years old and going well, cheap as chips and easy on power consumption which is a real bonus when free camping.

As for lasting 20 years that is fine but chances are I won't be doing much if any camping by that stage of my life.

Cheers,
Terry

[Mick-Kelly]

For what its worth i bought a 60 litre Evakool RV range fridge recently because i thought why not get the extra capacity for the same price as one of the 'brand name' fridges. I took it out for its first camping trip and the temperature control was all over the shop. I set it on 2 degrees and it would range up to 12 degrees without the compressor coming on. I played with it a bit and noticed that if i held it on an angle and touched the earth screw on the bottom the compressor would then come on.
I took it back to the shop (BCF) (great service) and they were happy enough to do an exchange for an Engel 45 litre. I love the Engel. It finished that trip and the next with no dramas and lives in the back of my car now. Very happy with the Engel.

[101RRS]

I have had my cheap ebay 55litre fridge freezer coming up on 3 years now - works great with no issues - low power, cold on hot days. Was a third the price of the brand names.

As I tend to go on shorter trips for which it is a bit big, last week I bought a 25l EvaKool fridge freezer for the smaller trips - easily fits in the back of the RRS. Have not used it in anger but has been running and does have a 5 degree range around the set temp but I assume that is because there is nothing in it to provide a stabilising cool mass.

On longer trips I will most likely use both fridges - one set as a freezer and the other as a fridge.

Happy with the cheapies - all the fridge faults posted up on forums seem the be the big brand names but rarely the cheapies.

Garry

[PAT303]

The Engels we had on road train service in Western Qld didn't like them either. We ended up mounting them on four coil springs to stop them self-destructing. This is why I am cynical about the price.

I wonder what it would cost to buy the necessary components and fit them up in a good class of Esky? Boat builders do this in big cabin cruisers. They commonly build in the insulated box.

My Engel started making horrid noises on the Gibb this year and I've been looking at bigger models but can't justify the price so I'm getting an Eva cool 60ltre.I don't think the new ones will last 20 years like the old models. Pat

[dirtdawg]

My evakool has been running for 2 days straight in the back of my car and the battery is still fine, I have it set on 2 degrees and every time I have looked at it it's been on 0 or 1 I figure if I upgrade my battery to a very good one like optima yellow top it will be fine
The fridge I got is here

60L EvaKool TravelMate 12v 24v Portable Camping Fridge Freezer cooler car boat | eBay (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/60L-EvaKool-TravelMate-12v-24v-Portable-Camping-Fridge-Freezer-cooler-car-boat-/280948214507?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_15&hash=item4169d18aeb#ht_4623wt_962)

[edddo]

My 40 lt Engel has been to the Gulf twice and the Cape once and dozens of trips into the Vic alps. It was in my previous disco when some cockhead fell asleep and ploughed into it while I was stopped at roadworks. Wrote off the disco and gave me a dodgy neck but the Engel is going perfectly with just a bent handle from the tie downs.

[Mick-Kelly]

Mine was the 60 litre Evakool from the RV range which is only sold through BCF. The salesman made it clear that it was not a Danfoss compressor but a Chinese knockoff to keep the price down. I bought it knowing that and suffered the consequence. The troglodite in me very much likes the one moving piece design of the Engel.

[Blknight.aus]

I've got 4 car fridges, Id be struggling to have spent $200 on all 4 total.

[pop058]

I've got 4 car fridges, Id be struggling to have spent $200 on all 4 total.

want your money back :D

[Blknight.aus]

nope, they're all working quite well thank you.

Names Dave, Not Ron.

[Kev the Fridgy]

Hmmm an interesting thread this one... could I ask if any of the fridges are being used as freezers and if so what temps your achieving............ I am always interested in this topic having repaired Engels and Danfoss systems over the years and built up many Eutectic systems in the marine industry

[d2dave]

My 40 lt Engel has been to the Gulf twice and the Cape once and dozens of trips into the Vic alps. It was in my previous disco when some cockhead fell asleep and ploughed into it while I was stopped at roadworks. Wrote off the disco and gave me a dodgy neck but the Engel is going perfectly with just a bent handle from the tie downs.

Many years ago dmdigital rolled his disco. It sat on its roof for many hours with the Engle still purring away. He still has this fridge mounted in his Kimberly Kamper and working fine.

It would be interesting to know whether a Danfoss would have survived, as they are similar in design as a house fridge. Now we all know(or should) that a house fridge that has been transported lying down has to be left for a period of time (one hour seems to be the norm) before turning it on to allow the oil to flow back to the compressor.

Now before you all jump on me with the "I don't intend to use my fridge upside down" post, I am just writing this to highlight how good Engles can be.

[TerryO]

If you are looking at a Evakool fridge then buy direct from the company they are usually cheaper then shops and eBay.

Evakool Store - TravelMate and AD Fridges (http://evakoolstorecom.melbourneitwebsites.com/cat/index.cgi/shopfront/view_by_category?category_id=15908)


Cheers,
Terry

[incisor]

If you are looking at a Evakool fridge then buy direct from the company they are usually cheaper then shops and eBay.

Evakool Store - TravelMate and AD Fridges (http://evakoolstorecom.melbourneitwebsites.com/cat/index.cgi/shopfront/view_by_category?category_id=15908)

Cheers,
Terry

Got to love a manufacturer that cuts their resellers throats.... Surprised anyone carries tbeir stuff around the traps

[TeamFA]

Hmmm an interesting thread this one... could I ask if any of the fridges are being used as freezers and if so what temps your achieving............ I am always interested in this topic having repaired Engels and Danfoss systems over the years and built up many Eutectic systems in the marine industry

G'day Kev!

I'm interested in the eutectic system for converting an existing 100l esky (an Evakool IK100, to be specific) to an eutectic system. After researching a bit, I think they would be ideal for the sort of travelling/camping we do. We rarely stay in one spot for more than overnight, so I thought the time driving would be ideal for cooling down the eutectic system, with having less power draw when we're not driving.

Do you have any advice/suggestions on this? Any advice welcome (even if it's that I shouldn't do it).

I haven't come across too many conversion kits, Ozefridge being one of them.

Cheers!
Michael

[weeds]

Hmmm an interesting thread this one... could I ask if any of the fridges are being used as freezers and if so what temps your achieving............ I am always interested in this topic having repaired Engels and Danfoss systems over the years and built up many Eutectic systems in the marine industry

i used to run my 32L engels as a freezer, 3 weeks on a simpsondesert trip and a couple of other smaller 5 day trips.

from memory it used to run somewhere between -10 and -15 not cold enough to hold ice-cream, mine would never get to -18. my 32L is maybe 5 years older than my 40L.

the last couple of time i used it i noticed it rarely cycled off, come to think of it i might have posted a thread on here

the up shot is i now cyro-vac meat and run both angels as fridges

[weeds]

here it is......oh and only just changed my battery system around last week, its now a 2 sec job to give the battery the once over

[Bigbjorn]

I had a look at some Eutectic web sites including Ozefridge. They look to be the duck's nuts for a serious portable fridge/freezer.

[pabooth]

Yes they are a ripoff allthough found a Primus duel zone fridge/freezer 75 litre for $1350 at Anaconda it seems like a goodun, seals,cabinet well insulated.The salesman said they use less power than Waeco/Engel.It has the Darfos motor?As yet to put it thru its paces, will let you know.

[Tombie]

Yes they are a ripoff allthough found a Primus duel zone fridge/freezer 75 litre for $1350 at Anaconda it seems like a goodun, seals,cabinet well insulated.The salesman said they use less power than Waeco/Engel.It has the Darfos motor?As yet to put it thru its paces, will let you know.

I've got one of these Primus units as well as a 40L Engel and a 50L Waeco...

They all work fantastic...

:cool:

[weeds]

i believe all danfos compressor draw the same power.........the amount one uses depends on the type and thickness of the insulation, how many time you open the lid, ventilation around your fridge, have you left your car in the sun with the windws left up etc etc etc

sure factory testing in a controlled climate one will perform better than another........how you operate my mean the fridge preforms a whole lot diffferent

i have two engels, if one was to fail i reckon i would go a custom build with danfos motor

[DeanoH]

We've got two Engels. An MF35 (steel case) which we bought new about 10? years ago and an MF17 (plastic case) which I bought second hand from Cash Converters about 5 years ago for $250, couldn't get my wallet out quick enough. :D

The MF35 has travelled a lot of k's on some of Australias worst roads/tracks and has never missed a beat. Often used with a Cool Zone extension on longer trips. The MF17 was fairly battered looking when I got it so it hadn't had an easy life, (probably why it was so cheap) is used as a freezer.

Both have travelled along the GRR and up to the Mitchell Falls three times and up to Kalumburu once. The MF35 has crossed the Simpson twice, the MF17 once. Both have 'done' the CSR from Wiluna to Bililuna, travelled the Gary Highway from end to end and 'survived' the Anne Beadell without a hiccup from either of them.

Plus countless other excursions. The MF35 has just returned from Cape York where it served as a full time freezer for six weeks.

I tend to set the fridge (MF35) on about 2 degrees C and the freezer (MF17) on -7 degrees C. This varies a bit depending on the weather and gives us pretty good results.

If either failed I would get it repaired if possible or wouldn't hesitate to buy a new Engel.

My only recommendation is lose the cigarette lighter plug and hard wire in or use the Engel 2 pin screw in plug. Cigarette lighter connectors are useless on corrugated roads (fall to bits and/or rattle out).

Deano :)

[Discomark]

Iv'e got one of the first Evakools to have the Danfoss compressor fitted and its now over 10 years old (Retrofit model). Never missed a beat in all those years since the new Danfoss was fitted. Prior to the Danfoss compressor they used a local compressor made in QLD that gave heaps of trouble (micro-compressors QLD).
Also got a 3 way fridge in the camper trailer but that runs best on gas.

[rick130]

Well I've had a little insight into why car fridges are so exxy as I just priced up a Danfoss BD50F compressor to repair a friends domestic fridge/freezer. (They have no 240V supply, only solar/batteries)

Holy smokes is it exxy for a littley :eek:

RRP is $1200+ + GST :o

OK, my price is a lot better than that, but both the wholesale and retail prices are insane compared to a normal domestic or small commercial hermetic compressor.

[scarry]

My only recommendation is lose the cigarette lighter plug and hard wire in or use the Engel 2 pin screw in plug. Cigarette lighter connectors are useless on corrugated roads (fall to bits and/or rattle out).

Deano :)


Or use a hella plug,they are also called merit plugs in some stores.They work well,having a firm connection & do not fall out or apart.

Jaycar have them,as well as any good auto electrical place.

[PhilipA]

Or use a hella plug,they are also called merit plugs in some stores.They work well,having a firm connection & do not fall out or apart.



Totally agree. I have standardised on them for the last 12 or maybe 20 years.
I have never had one come out, except when I have tripped over the lead .
Regards Philip A