Are Engel fridges worth the money?

[skyguy]

Are they really worth the high price tag or can you get an equivelant spec fridge for less money? Im looking mainly to run of a second 12v battery, via a split charge system in the Landy.

Gary

[swag298]

I dunno about the Engel's, but was looking at some 3-way fridges in our local camping store today. They were only £140.
You could buy a few of those for the price of an Engel

swag

[Pete H]

Have a look at this little lot,not much change out of a grand :rolleyes:

http://www.minicoolers.co.uk/products/engel/mt45.htm

[AJC]

I'm sure the Engel fridges are robust, rockhard and make ice but I got a Tropicool 32 Litre Thermoelectric Cool Box TC-32 from the same company and it's done 4 x UK camping trips and 2 Morocco trips and it never let us down, never drew too much juice from the Aux Battery and kept everything very cold indeed.

No, it doesn't make ice but keeping your perishables cold and your ready use water bottles ice cold is good enaough for me. If it only lasted up till now I'd buy another. I know of one other person that swears by them too.

AJ

[Pete H]

I'm sure the Engel fridges are robust, rockhard and make ice but I got a Tropicool 32 Litre Thermoelectric Cool Box TC-32 from the same company and it's done 4 x UK camping trips and 2 Morocco trips and it never let us down, never drew too much juice from the Aux Battery and kept everything very cold indeed.

No, it doesn't make ice but keeping your perishables cold and your ready use water bottles ice cold is good enaough for me. If it only lasted up till now I'd buy another. I know of one other person that swears by them too.

AJ

Blimey,there only 145 quid,last i looked they where 230 quid :eek:

[skyguy]

I'm sure the Engel fridges are robust, rockhard and make ice but I got a Tropicool 32 Litre Thermoelectric Cool Box TC-32 from the same company and it's done 4 x UK camping trips and 2 Morocco trips and it never let us down, never drew too much juice from the Aux Battery and kept everything very cold indeed.

No, it doesn't make ice but keeping your perishables cold and your ready use water bottles ice cold is good enaough for me. If it only lasted up till now I'd buy another. I know of one other person that swears by them too.

AJ

Cheers Aj

will the fridge last 24 hours on the aux battery? or possibly longer. What amp is your second battery?

Thanks Gary

[Marc Lurie]

I've had an Engel 30l fridge for 9 years now. It's been knocked, bumped, dropped, drowned, and generally treated badly.

When we're not using it in the van it is used at home on 220V as a spare bar fridge or as a spare freezer when we need it. It's pretty well run constantly for it's whole life, and never had any problems.

Two years ago I took it to an Engel dealer for a look-at. They did a complete service and re-gas free-of-charge. Apparently services are free for the life of the fridge. :p

My Engel has kept fish frozen rock-solid in the Namib desert, in full sun with ambient temps around 48 degrees. :rolleyes:

The main problem with 3-way fridges is that they have to be level in order to work, and it's difficult to keep a Landy level :D

There's only one fridge that I'd replece my 30l Engel with - a 40l Engel.

Regards,
Marc

[AJC]

Cheers Aj

will the fridge last 24 hours on the aux battery? or possibly longer. What amp is your second battery?

Thanks Gary

Gary,

I can't comment on 24 hours duration but it certainly lasted from an early evening camp (1600) to the following morning (0800) when we hit the road again. My auxillary battery is a Exide Maxxima 900 deep cycle with the following spec;
MAX 900 DEEP CYCLE


Cranking amps=900 CCA/SAE
AH=50 (20h)
Weight=17kg
Dimensions (mm) 260x172x205
Multi-fit termination
750 cycles (50% discharge)
Will not leak - even when case is pierced or broken
Hope this helps,

AJ

[essexlandy]

Try http://www.waeco.co.uk/

They do fridges amongst other goodies

[AJC]

Try http://www.waeco.co.uk/

They do fridges amongst other goodies

It's WAECO that make the Tropicool 32 Litre Thermoelectric Cool Box TC-32 mentioned above.

AJ

[Slime101]

I have a Waeco coolmatic CF35 fridge which is excellent - worked 24/7 for several months, and just last week was put into action as a freezer for 5 days during a house move, once again worked flawlessly.

Cost me about £400 from memory but is very well built and hardly uses any juice, it also runs from 240V, 12V or 24V systems.

The advantage of a leccy only fridge over a 3-way which can use gas as well is the efficiency, its much greater as its purely designed for use on primarily low voltage systems.

P.S - i might be selling my fridge too ;)

[AJC]

I reckon you paying about £150 plus on top of a cooling device price for ice. Ask yourself, 'Do I really need ice'? If you don't need ice get an electric cooler.

AJ

[rustyveedub]

P.S - i might be selling my fridge too ;)

When ;)

[Slime101]

When ;)

When someone offers me some cold hard cash :D

[Pete H]

I ended up with onne of these Fridges. (http://www.mobilegas.co.uk/mobilecoolbox/portable/coolfun-ck40.htm)

Got it off ebay for 50 notes,brand new with 12month warranty, this will make ice if needed in only a couple of hours,tho to be fair it draws more power than the others.
Suits my needs ;)

[AJC]

I ended up with onne of these Fridges. (http://www.mobilegas.co.uk/mobilecoolbox/portable/coolfun-ck40.htm)

Got it off ebay for 50 notes,brand new with 12month warranty, this will make ice if needed in only a couple of hours,tho to be fair it draws more power than the others.
Suits my needs ;)

Do you run it off an inverter Pete?

AJ

[Pete H]

Do you run it off an inverter Pete?

AJ

Thats the plan ;)

[Astbury]

They are worth every penny!

stand on them
sit on them
jump on them

And you can even keep things cold in them.

they do cost a lot and so probably not worth it for someone who does not camp/travel a lot.

C

[andyb43]

Love mine worth every penny.

but not cheep.

[skyguy]

Thanks for the input guys, I have just orderes a Tropicool 32 on AJ's advice. I got it on offer for £165 from mobilecoolers. I will try it out on bank holiday weekend.


Thanks Gary

[jeremywallis]

Hi,

One of you said you bought a compressor cooler box / fridge / freezer called the CK-40 :-
http://www.mobilegas.co.uk/mobilecoolbox/portable/coolfun-ck40.htm

Questions :-

- A few months later from the last post, how is this unit working ? Are you still happy with your purchase ?

- Are these units noisy at all ? E.g. is it suitable to run one in a tent (6 man tent, fridge runs in separate compartment) .. just wandering if it'll keep us awake all night ?

- Does it actually hit -15degC or is it limited like the thermo-electric designs to (e.g.) 25degC below ambient ?

I camped in the Kruger National Park recently at 40degC and my thermoelectric coolbox didn't have a hope, am thinking of something with more guts.

Thoughts anyone ?

Regards,

Jeremy.

[Marc Lurie]

Hi Jeremy,

The thermo-electric thingies are useless in Landies in Africa, apart from keeping the drinks slightly cooler in your Merc with the aircon on. :p

I use an Engel 30 litre that has been running almost non-stop since 1995/6. It freezes solid even in the Namib heat and it's tough enough to take the bumps.

In hindsight I think that the 40 litre is a better option as it has the same footprint, but is slightly higher and can take the 1.5l plastic bottles standing up.

If I had the money, I'd look at two Engels. A 30 litre running as a freezer for the butter, bacon, fish, meat and a 40 litre as a fridge to keep the beers cold and the lettuce crispy.

Cheers,

Marc

[El Stiemo]

If I had the money, I'd look at two Engels. A 30 litre running as a freezer for the butter, bacon, fish, meat and a 40 litre as a fridge to keep the beers cold and the lettuce crispy.

I have a 40 litre Engel and have not had one second's problems with it. Two plugs in the back under the seat, use one for 40 litre Engel which cools drinks, food, leftovers, etc. and the other plug is for a friends 30 litre Engel that freezes the meat or the fish. End of story. The lowest that I got the 40 litre was -19 degrees (measured by built - in thermometer which is admittedly not 100% accurate) at outside 42 degrees but low humidity.

One of the best investments I have made, just one thing: don't get the "stainless steel" appearance ones, they look tatty after one trip.

If you switch off the cooler one in the evening and turn down the freezer one to stage one without opening it, they will easily last 24 hours without draining the battery dry.

40 litre has the advantage that you can still carry it alone if its packed, the big ones are impossible to carry alone.