Outer Limits 4x4 Board

Hi chaps,

Birthday is coming up, and im putting out a wish list to family.
(called wish list, because you wish someone would buy from it, as yet no one has ;O) )

Anyway, we have a borrowed 40lt ish chescold, the brown type, and have used it on several trips now. I have found it to be a bit on the small size however it has done its job very well.

I want to eventually go to a solar setup, and thus I was thinking the evakool is the next step towards that.

My question is this.

How have you found a 40lt fridge size re a family of 4, did you wish you went up to a 60, or did you get a 60, and find it overkill??

I have used the chescold as a fridge freezer, keeping meat frozen under the evaporator fins, and vegys non frozen on the other end of the cabinet.

How do the 2 zones work, or can you use a different seperator, so your not down at -20 deg, and 3 deg on the other side??, so you still freeze stuff, but dont have it running on a high duty cycle??

cheers

Trains

Ive got an engel 60 litre fridge freeezer. Its Great really handy for long trips etc. Cold drinks on supply, kids love the icy poles in the middle of the day. Can also freeze left over dinner for later.
Down side its big, bloody big.
I think If was to do the same again I would buy a good 30-40 litre unit. and a second hand one for freezing when the need occured.

Go the 60l Eva Kool. We are are family of 4 and the fridge works out perfect for us. Lots of room for food and grog on the 60l. Ice creams and frozen meat in the freezer and rum, coke, milk etc in the fridge section. Any smaller and it is a bit of a squeeze to fit a week or two worth of food in. Not to mention you have to pull out half the contents to get stuff out of a smaller fridge. Did I mention that the 60l makes a good seat?

We have a ED 70 Evakool (70 litre) and for the 2 of us for extended trips ...it is just big enuff
I have also set it up for solar as well...and this gives us about a week at one stop...before we need to charge battery up properly...which ...in most situations...is plenty.


Cheers Keith

trains wrote:How have you found a 40lt fridge size re a family of 4, did you wish you went up to a 60, or did you get a 60, and find it overkill??

going in what car?? how long are the trips you are doing? Always 4 people?

What do you want in it most? Essentials - food and drink? or more for piss and iceblocks

all car fridges are more efficent when full.

I reckon my 39 litres is about right for 2 people - a little more might be nice, but it's workable.

For four people, I think 40 litres will be a source of irritation - look REAL hard at making the 60 litre fit.

-Scott- wrote:I reckon my 39 litres is about right for 2 people

my 40lt is ok for a weekend away for 2 people with some planning.
the beer takes up at least half the fridge

-Scott- wrote:I reckon my 39 litres is about right for 2 people - a little more might be nice, but it's workable.

For four people, I think 40 litres will be a source of irritation - look REAL hard at making the 60 litre fit.

We did fine with 2 adults and baby with a 40ltr. I think if your smart about it a Wako 50ltr would be worth lookin at.. 60's are fuckin huge.

Hi chaps,
Thanks for the thoughfull replies.

I rekon the 47Litre evakool is pretty much the same size as the chescold.
the 60lts is 15cm longer.
Its going into the back of the hilux, and our last trip was 3 weeks, but was cut short .

To give you an idea of our basic load out.

We usually have a 3Lt fresh milk, sometimes 2.
3 or 4 different cuts of frozen meat for bbq, stews, We eat them as they defrost.
3 long life 1lt milk (usually frozen to help the 3 way).
1kg cheese
250 of fresh parmisan (fresh stuff has better flavour and dosent smell like **$*#((&**)
doz eggs
500g Dairy soft butter type tub.
6 pack beer
tub of home made yoguhurt
2 beer chillers
Stick of Kalleskies mettwurst, and some fritz/ devon whatever its called elsewhere.
2 chilly bricks that we put in a seperate cooler bag that has the vegies like lettuce, tomatoes, capsicums, carrots, pears, apples, bananas.
Other assorted chutneys, and deli meats for fun sandwiches.

And thats about it.
Were pretty much buggered if we want to put in some white wine or a fresh leg of lamb .

Cheers

Trains

trains wrote:Hi chaps,
6 pack beer
Cheers

Trains

thats your issue there need more beer room.
i was told once that you should think of what size you think you need.. then go one size bigger. its always easier then running out of room and havign to think what you can leave behind.

110 L waeco, 4 ppl for a week no probs. Freeze what you want ice blocks etc kids love it. Will hold a lot of stuff downside is its size. I get 2-3 days out of a deep cycle depending on how often its opened etc, works better if full though.

Skegbudley wrote:Go the 60l Eva Kool. We are are family of 4 and the fridge works out perfect for us. Lots of room for food and grog on the 60l. Ice creams and frozen meat in the freezer and rum, coke, milk etc in the fridge section. Any smaller and it is a bit of a squeeze to fit a week or two worth of food in. Not to mention you have to pull out half the contents to get stuff out of a smaller fridge. Did I mention that the 60l makes a good seat?

we have the 60 and does the 4 of us fine,but we do take a smaller esky to put bait and drinks in and use those silver icey bags frozen in the eva kool to keep th esky cold.

smileysmoke wrote:

trains wrote:Hi chaps,
6 pack beer
Cheers

Trains

thats your issue there need more beer room.
i was told once that you should think of what size you think you need.. then go one size bigger. its always easier then running out of room and havign to think what you can leave behind.

LOL

After taking a beer out, I always replace it. Im not a big drinker anyway, so 2 or 3 homebrews is enough in an evening, there only 8% in alcohol anyway.

Hmm leaning towards the 60, but is there that much difference between the 47 and 60, yer I know its only 13lts

Trains

just remember that a 60lt fridge is much larger in size and you may find that it either may not fit or that you may not be able to open it once in the car.

I'd advise trying to fit them both into your car with other indicative packing stuff to see how they fit.

I have a mate who decided his 40 lt wasn't big enough so splashed out on a 80 l fridge. Plugged it in at home and played around with it, everything was great. Chucked it in the car for an overnight fishing trip but without his drawers or usual camping gear. Fit fine, no dramas with power usage. Sold his 40 lt everyone happy.

Then him and his family of four were ready for their 3 week trip way. IN goes the drawers and other camping stuff and the bloody fridge wouldn't fit in on top of the drawers

Good Advice Grimbo.

According to the evakool website, the only difference between the 47 and 60, is the extra length of 135mm.
The width, and height are the same between them, Ive measured the back of the lux, and would have to move the fridge from the drivers side, to the pax side against the coleman 2 burner dual fuel.
But when you think that the fridge has the extra compartment out its end for the compressor area, thats about the same volume as the 2lt gas bottle that I would stow behind the fridge anyway. So an extra 150mm max still gives us room, the acutal fridge is lower than the 3 way by 50mm.
I could always move the dual fuel stove to the drivers side, but I didnt want all the weight on that side as the stove is always in the back.
The stove is only 6" or so deep, so it fits nicely under the rear tub lip, utilising most of the available space.

Trains