Which Fridge?

[Moonman]

Just looking at getting a fridge for the 4B and was wondering which were the best buys?
Would be used on regular weekend and longer trips and would be in the back of an 80 series.
Which are better as far as battery life goes and what experiences have you had with yours?
Looking at around 80+ litres...
Cheers!
Moonman

[NCpaj]

go with a good brand- 4wd monthly did an article on freidges a few mags back it was a good write so see if you can get your hands on it

contact 4130warrior as he works for 4wd monthly and you could get one on back order.

the tow most common brands would be engel or waeco

IMO i would go waeco as it is less likely to rust and will bounce back after small dent due to its tough plastic construction but it up to u

hope this helps

[dirtyGQ]

mate the eva-kool fridge is a 12 volt fridge available in many sizes, just think of the best fibreglass esky you have seen and that is it with a compressor .The eva kool is great because it has such great insulation that no steel or plastic bodied fridge can match. www.evakool.com.au will tell u all you need to know

[badger]

id go waeco. i think engel used to be superior but these days id go waeco

[PJ.zook]

I would personally go for an evakool, then an engel, then maybe a waeco (waeco still get many warranty returns)

[klrevo]

I would personally go for an evakool, then an engel, then maybe a waeco (waeco still get many warranty returns)

yeh but with a reciept they have no worries at all at returning a waeco, have fun with eva kool or engel especially....iv got a waeco 60L

dean

[-Scott-]

I love my Autofridge.

[Jeff80]

Im sure you will get a whole lot of mixed opinions here moonman. I use an Engel 40 litre, and has never skipped a beat. I chose the Engel because the Waeco seems to have a pretty crappy catch and looks as if it would come open at the first rut you hit at anything other than a crawl. The Engel wont rust, contrary to previous comments as they are made of stainless. I know guys who have had these things in the open on tray backs for years, in the sun, snow, mud and rain and never had a drama. The Waeco, however, does seem to look as though it would pop out if you gave it a serious ding where the Engel would not. As for power consumption, I beleive (dont quote me!) they are much of a much nes. I dont know much about Evakool, so I dont have an opinion on them. So with that said, at the end of the day its your choice. Just go for a reputable brand. And Im sure you will be happy with your decision what ever way you go.


Cheers

[dirtyGQ]

I would personally go for an evakool, then an engel, then maybe a waeco (waeco still get many warranty returns)

yeh but with a reciept they have no worries at all at returning a waeco, have fun with eva kool or engel especially....iv got a waeco 60L

dean

3 of our friends had a waeco but after seing our fridge work in hot conditions for 11 days at xmas they now all have a eva kool

[NCpaj]

As for power consumption, I beleive (dont quote me!) they are much of a much nes.

i think they actually use the same brand of compressor(danfoss?)

[LuxyBoy]

Depends on how you use it

If it is to be kept in car go the ENGEL sturdier than a WAECO and draws little current.

If you are doing extended stays in one spot go a CHESCOLD runs on gas economically.

I went the CHESCOLD after much deliberation; cost me $1100 (RC1180 biggest one) with full 4.5kg gas bottle, hose and regulator and 12v wiring kit. BCF Springwood

I do weekly stays normally and did not want my food becoming a tossed salad while out on the tracks so it stays at camp on gas. Also was going to cost and extra $2000 to do the same thing with an ENGEL (leave it at camp) which swayed me a bit. Need a Big battery $500, charger for the bettery $300-$400 and generator for the charger $800 to run an ENGEL, WAECO and alike left at camp.
Don't even think of solar; was $2000 for just the panels no battery and no controller box

My $0.02

[bastard]

waeco

[mule75]

don't get something knowing they have problems as said before about waeco's. i know you can take them back on warranty but what happens in between when it f!@ks up and when it goes in for repairs. no fridge. go engle, i didnt and im spewin.

[JWB]

I vote Trailblazer
Only because I have one!
Hard ( and expensive ) choice these days!

[Mick.]

I've got a waeco 110 and had it 3 years without any problems. A couple of my mates have them also and they haven't had any problems either.

Cheers Mick.

[Vineboy]

I've got a 40l Engel and can't fault it. It sits on the back of the ute most days. Can sit in the sun with nothing but a Suzuki battery running it and still keep my lunch cold. I have got a bag for it though. One thing that surprised me however, it's bloody heavy even when empty.

[zookjedi]

i was tossing up between engel and weaco and went the dearer engel , it seems sturdier, the compartment area was more to my personal wants , and draws less amps than the waeco , also the engel runs (cools) on on bigger angles etc than the waeco , and i like the steel handles etc for tying it down tight and secure .

i also have a chescold 50ltr and yes there great on gas for week long stays but suck the amps and they dont like being sat on ground that isnt DEAD level found that out the hard way


what ever you get you'll be happy with

cheers jai

[jcclures]

I also use a Trailblazer, in 40deg heat on the back of a tray back, in the blazing sun, ice-cold beer. That is the only test of a good fridge.

[Rangie Thing]

I run a bushman it has two lids one for 35 liters and one for 42 liters and they are looking at a 60 liter add on, lite on the power and has a control panel that can be removed and a bypass switch if the panel fails.
my mum has a weaco and it runs great.
i know lots of people that have engel and they love them and the only one's that have problems are the one's when they changed from r12 to the new gas.

Rick

[cloughy]

My Engel is 18 years old now, and still works faultlessy, i know what i'll be replacing it with, IF it ever dies

[4x4traveller]

Have used both the 80 ltr weaco and 60 ltr engel. When it was time to pick mine I went for ARB badged engel, my grandfather has the 60ltr engel he bought 33 years ago and it is still going strong and I was a bit reluctant to buy the weaco because of the plastic, my mates 80ltr the hinges are already bowing and the latch is nearly had it.

Cheers

[mudlux]

I have a 90ltr Explorer, sits in the back of my ute 24/7 rain hail or shine. Not cheap but will last forever. Also have a 40ltr Engel, 25 years old and runs like a dream.

[mabsydney]

I have a 40L Engel, can't fault it so far. But it's had a pretty easy life so far too!

[cuzza]

In the 4WD monthly camparison of fridges last year, they found the 40ltr waeco to be the best value for money out of all the units tested. They also found that it drawed the least amount of amps and maintained it s temperature within a few degrees throughout the whole test which is contray to some of the calims made above. Im not trying to have a go at any one, just stating what their comparison found.

Also i am not sure if Engles still use the Danfos compressor, as i was talking to a guy at ranger camping last year who suggested thay they did not.

[MattGU]

I have an Explorer, genuine dual thermostat, dual compartment fridge freezer. Has taken a beating for years in the back of 2 different utes over the last 5 years. That said engels are pretty good just not sure why they demand such a premium.

[cloughy]

In the 4WD monthly camparison of fridges last year, they found the 40ltr waeco to be the best value for money out of all the units tested. They also found that it drawed the least amount of amps and maintained it s temperature within a few degrees throughout the whole test which is contray to some of the calims made above. Im not trying to have a go at any one, just stating what their comparison found.

Also i am not sure if Engles still use the Danfos compressor, as i was talking to a guy at ranger camping last year who suggested thay they did not.

Yea well i'll take those sacrifices of higher current draw and "worse value for money" when some can show me some waeco's that are 20 years old without a fault, even that Roothy's waeco shat itself after 6 years "its had a hard life i reckon its done well" CRRRRAAAAAP, 6 YEARS! it was just a pup.

[alki]

My 90 lt Waeco is six years old and doesn't miss a beat.
It's in my 4b all the time,and it has had a rough time.

[Moonman]

It seems there is much debate about which is better but most opinions appear to be biased.
My old man has a Trailblazer, its his 2nd as some thieving bastard pinched the first one
out the back of his ute! But it seems to do the job and is tough as they come. Its a bit on the
heavy side and made to take a beating whereas the one i get probably won't be going far from
the back of the 80, so whether its worth the extra dollars for the extra strength im not sure?
I have a couple of mates with the CF80 Waeco's but are only reasonably new, and the only engels
i've seen are the 20 year old models everyone has mentioned. Are the new ones as reliable?
Is there much differenc in cost? I've only really seen prices for the waeco's. Average $1300
for the 80lt and $1500 for the 110lt.

Being indecisive isn't going to help me on this is it???

Cheers
Moonman

[SmithyGQ]

Moonman this is an easy one.
The best compressor on the market is a Danfos, so just find the fridge you like with the best insulation and size in your price range.

[turps]

Lots of arguments can be had with fridges. Engle have been around for a long time and many 20yr old fridges are in service. They have changed and updated alot of it over the last couple of years ie different motor, inbuilt temp guage (all it is is a guage) and now the new combo's.
I have a 40lt from the early-mid 90's 'C' model I think. I haveent had any issues with the fridge at all. Other than make sure you cool the thing down on 240v then run on 12v. As the dial thermostat can be a bit touchy. Also not all the of the thermostats are the same. I have mine on 3-4 to keep it cold (fridge mode). If some others did this it would freeze.
Engles do have there problems like everything. I know of compressors and power supplys dieing.
Engles parts are stupid expensive. I got prices to repair a broken fridge and the price was adding up very quickly. As most of the parts can only be brought as a complete unit.
Whereas Weaco is easier and cheaper to buy the parts, as you only need to replace the bit thats broke.

The only other fridge I had dealings with are 40lt weacos. One of these had a proplem that was fixed by warranty early on. THey have been working fine since.
As for the catch design. It is crap. For the Paj Challenge we had to put a cable tie over it to keep it shut (it normally lives in a storeage unit) as last year we boucned drinks every where including otu of the fridge (this was in a Paj too).

If my engle ever dies, I am not sure if another engle will replace it. As I like the idea of a digital thermostat (ie selcet 3degrees C and thats what you get - mind you you would need to know where that temp was i the fridge) and the engle way sucks in my opinion as it is easily knocked in a SWB car with limited room.
I am also thinking of getting a weaco CD30. As this can be placed in a drawer system very nicely.