which camping fridge to buy

[GRIFF]

looking at buying a camping fridge.
before I start the research, get some feed back from aulro members.
After a land rover type -not pretty, strong, maybe a few modification but a cold beer at the end of the day.:eek:

[weeds]

can of worms

i run two engels 1 x 32L and 1 x 40L and have had no problems at all

run good size cable with both the + and - run all the way back to the battery

my dad had a 40L engel and approx 60L 3 way chest cold 10+ years old, both have been trouble free

my mate get custom fridge done each time he changes rigs and runs danfoss with basic thermostat i.e. no electronics and he has no problems

another mate runs the 60L waeco, i thik he had a hic-up with the thermostat control......it was fixed without fuss and sice has had no issues

i guy at work brought a down under? 'i think' before his simpson desert trip a year or so ago, it broke down at birdsville, the company tried best effort to get a replacement unit to him, he sid it was the most expensive esky he had brought, once again the unit was replaced on return and he has had no problems since

buy a name brand and all should be good

[rrturboD]

Can of worms all right!

I have had an Evacool for years, 47l, great ice chest with a danfos compressor, never had an issue keeping anything cold or frozen.

[Captain_Rightfoot]

Engel..
Engel...
Engel...
Engel...

The 40l one is the one to have. Or you can have flat batteries. Your call :)

[Ken]

Also ask yourself how many people need to be accomodated for from the fridge you decide to buy ie litreage
Engel and Waeco have add on extensions for fridges these days
I think its easier to go up in space than buy a bigger fridge
Im not sure what performance is lost through extensions if any but its a thought as they arent a cheap accesory

[LRO]

The trailblazer is also a good fridge

[fraser130]

Here we go.....;)

I recon the "Autofridge" is the best you can buy!!

But not siuted to everyone's style of using them.
They can be tricky at first to judge how long you need to run them at night and early morning.

[Slunnie]

Evakool for me.

[Blknight.aus]

I run 2 engles once large enought to keep a weeks worth of milk, meat and eggs fresh the other just a couple of days (thats for 2.25 people)

I also have a couple of those peltier cooler jobs that I serve as coolers and heaters

[isuzu110]

Evakool

[Col.Coleman]

ENGEL.

Tougher than Waeco. Draws less current, insulates better especially with a bag and no probs with bits to go with it. Haven't heard too much good about the add on extenders for them though. Being in Brissie there is a mob in springwood that repairs and rebuilds the old ones. The old ones suck juice like a new born. Have 2 from the seventies around that still go like a train and bought a new 40 litre 12 months ago that has been bounced all over fraser and through sundown and no probs. Even worked upside down for an hour.

Took it to Carnarvon Gorge over easter and ran it off the start batt overnight on the first day no hassles then switched it over and ran it for 3 while hiking. Came back and the temp was -2.7 because I bumped the thermostat before I left. The 120amp/hour batt hardly even needed a charge. Runs off the same batt all week next week on moreton with no hassles. NO warm beer here!

The new series 2 fridges now have an led light fitted inside.

[stuart]

National Luna...works well for me...

[Reads90]

I went though the same porcess as you and asked on here and went for the more expensive engal . Well i was glad i did
I have a 40l engel. Which i bought before our trip around Aus and turned the fridge on in the back of the 90 and turned it off 7 months later when back home. I love it and it is now used by the pool full of beer:) (as t works 240v as well as 12v)

I alos have picked up a two zone cheap on the eval bay which i have not used yet but just got it as it was cheap and in case i need it :):) But great that with two zone you have the option to do that

[100I]

Evakool.


Where's the poll?

[mns488]

WAECO 40l, never had any dramas (coming up to 2y/o).

[Taz]

The eutectic "Autofridge" is not like your standard fridge (engel/weaco etc) and one that should be looked at when low power consumption is a factor. 4x4 magazine ran a test about 3years ago with about 8 fridges in a temperture controlled room. They were set to maintain 6deg and the room temp cycled to simulate diurnal temp variations representing a range of environments for a period of one week. The Autofridge average power consumption was one of the best and it's ability to maintain a steady 6deg's was far superior than any other fridge.

[Disco_owner]

my 2 cents worth;

I agree with both Fraser and taz with regards to Low power consumption of the Autofridge and it's outstanding performance , but they are pricey.

Just a Price comparisson between Engel & Autofridge

39L Autofridge = $1560 app
40L Engel = $1000


all the best choosing the right fridge.

[markd2]

hi everyone

my preference is waeco iv'e got 2 of them 50litre and a 32litre no problems one fridge and one freezer as far as power goes its all very similar but comparing prices waeco beats the known brands ,two weeks ago I saw a brand new 50litre waeco selling at bcf a penrith for $860.00

[dungarover]

How I made the decision is what I was getting in terms of value for money. I almost bought a 35L Engle which at the time was $940 (with a 20% discount Anaconda were offering at the time), but I seen the Waeco 40L for $790 so really for over $200 less and 5L more it was a no-brainer.

I will say the EWaeco is finikie with it's voltage. I had issues with a slight drop in voltage even on it's lowest voltage cut-out it would switch off. I ended up fitting bigger amperage wiring, problem solved :D

Also, my parents have a Waeco 45L old style 'Coolmatic' and it's 6 YO and never given any grief. I only go camping 5-6 times a year on avg so the plastic casing on the Waeco doesn't really phase me.

Trav

[slug_burner]

waeco 80 ltr two zone plus dairy, love it. Ice cream in the Simpson. A bit big for a disco or just your weekend stay but great for extended periods away from the shops.

[Xavie]

I went national luna. They are expensive but there is no question about their quality or how they are put together.

Xav

[awabbit6]

How I made the decision is what I was getting in terms of value for money. I almost bought a 35L Engle which at the time was $940 (with a 20% discount Anaconda were offering at the time), but I seen the Waeco 40L for $790 so really for over $200 less and 5L more it was a no-brainer.


We made a similar decision. The Engels certainly have a stronger case, but when it comes to value for money, the Waeco won. Ended up with a CF-80. We needed a decent size with 3 kids. Once in the back of the Disco, it doesn't leave room for much else, but there's plenty of storage in our camper trailer so it really doesn't matter.

[BradM]

Only one fridge for the Pilbara...Engel

BradM

[Captain_Rightfoot]

Has anyone noticed how 20yo engels sell for a significant proportion of a new one? I'd be interested to know whether it's more than they paid for them?

[DiscoStew]

I bought the Waeco 80l CF80.

I went the waeco as the engels were all too tall to fit inside the camper trailer. It now lives permanently where the rear passenger seat used to be and if it was any taller we would have issues accessing it.

We have had a couple of times it has cut out but not likely to be CF80 problem, more likely problem with dual battery setup. Even though the setup uses large cables as recommended by supplier perhaps I should replace the cable from fridge to battery.

Probably due to overpacking by the kitchen hand who tries to take everything from the home fridge we have found the sides have pushed out a bit and the partition between fridge and freezer no longer stays in place.

[Bush65]

I have a 29 litre engel, but for more demanding conditions a 50 litre trailblaza with 125mm insulation.

IMHO trailblaza are the better design of the 2.

A friend has an autofridge and they are good.

[amtravic1]

I have had both Engel and Autofridge. The Autofridge is far superior in my opinion. Stupid me sold the autofridge as I needed cash and I was offered as much as I paid for it 20 years ago.

Ian

[Hunchy]

Waeco 60l.

Got it as part of a special deal, about this time last year. Came with the 35Ah battery, the remote socket, relay thingy (thick cable to minimise voltage drop) & mounts. All up, $1,299.

Has been to Uluru & back, plus numerous shopping trips locally. Damn a fridge is a handy thing to have :)

[numpty]

Been to Uluru and back:o Hardly call that a test.;)

[Larry]

Has anyone noticed how 20yo engels sell for a significant proportion of a new one? I'd be interested to know whether it's more than they paid for them?

To give you and idea,I paid $713.00 for my 39litre engel (new) in 1987! That was a LOT of money back then.:eek2:

So they haven't gone up in price that much in over 20 years.:D

[Hunchy]

Been to Uluru and back:o Hardly call that a test.;)

Did some serious beer cooling stress tests. Passed with flying colours :)

We actually got off the blacktop, so there. (Plenty Hwy)

[DRS]

Have a 40L engel which was purchased in about 88 and it is still going srong. Used to live in my series 3.

Bought a waeco 50L about 2 years ago. I use this one in a boat as well as Disco. Being plastic it handles the salt water a bit better. It also is a great fridge. Just needed to upgrade the wiring to the back. With the new digital key pad and voltage monitor the fridge can get error message with standard plug and wiring. I also replaced rear standard plug for a 50amp anderson (okay may be little over top)

I also liked the way the lid is universal on the waeco.

Both fridges work fine.