portable fridges - what do you use, and why

[Robbie Reddog]

Have one of each.
8 year old 40lit engel which has been been in the back of the car since purchase and still going strong. The digital temperature readout died a few years ago but doesn't affect the fridges cooling. Have one of those small portable engel temperature gauges which has been velcroed to the front of the bag which has probably worked out cheaper and is more convenient to read anyway.
Recently got a Waeco CFX35 which was 30% at Anaconda and used it for about 8 months as s freezer and back up fridge and no issues with it.
Years ago probably wouldn't have touched a Waeco however these days I think they're much of a muchness. Both are as good and bad as each other.

 

[Dean Anderson]

Had a Waeco Cf50 for about 9 years. Had a problem within warranty and was fixed. About 2 years ago the inbuilt rectifier packed it in ($50 for Waeco to supply a quote to repair ($250)). Just use the 12 volt input now and use an external rectifier when on 240v. l had to patch up the lid with decs (epoxy) and fabricate a replacent hinge (a replacement lid was $150). The latch is caput but it still closes okay its just not tight on bumpy roads. It might look like I'm knocking Waeco, but that fridge has taken a bashing. Still using it in the van.

Just bought an Engel 40 litre for the car. Hopefully will be able to stop the food creep into the drinks fridge. Ask me in 10 years and I'll tell you what the Engel is like.

Hype about plastic (Waeco) versus metal (Engel) is just hype. The Engel I just bought would be dinged.up bad if it went through what the Waeco has. Plastic bounces back steel doesn't.

Question is. Why did I go Engel this time? Thought Id give them a try.

 

[achjimmy]

I called in to the fridge repairer at Arndell park today to grab a thetford cartridge as a warranty replacement. He has a large factory unit full to the brim of 12v fridges they are stacked to the roof kid you not! I would guess they were 75-25 waeco to engle maybe that's also relates to the market share?

 

[NoWorries]

I have a Engel 40ltr and it works well, my Brother in law has a Waeco and it works well
But when you go up north into high temps my Engel seems to keep things cooler better.

 

[Crusty181]

ok,
so my 5yr old Engel turned its toes up while we were away
SWMBO is not impressed with the Engel brand now...... (understandable)
so I'm after some ideas for a new fridge

come at me with what you have, and why you chose it....





PLEASE - no slagging of other brands please, and no brothers sisters aunties nephew stories

Sorry @bigcol I missed this post

My mates neighbor recons his brother-in-laws second cousin twice removed on his mother side, had a work colleague who once seen a guy at the beach on holidays back in 2003, and was talking to a parking officer about which fridge was the best .... and neither of them knew. But they both agreed that one of them probably was the best.

Couldnt help but take this photo of our neighbours camp in Coolum a few days back. I personally dont have any "Holden v Ford" preferences with fridges, and I think "they" are both equally great units; either of which Id be happy to have as a gift (hint hint)

But one things for sure, you dont see to many of the other "one", this old, beaten up, neglected and still running perfectly

 

[warren cook]

Sorry @bigcol I missed this post

My mates neighbor recons his brother-in-laws second cousin twice removed on his mother side, had a work colleague who once seen a guy at the beach on holidays back in 2003, and was talking to a parking officer about which fridge was the best .... and neither of them knew. But they both agreed that one of them probably was the best.

Couldnt help but take this photo of our neighbours camp in Coolum a few days back. I personally dont have any "Holden v Ford" preferences with fridges, and I think "they" are both equally great units; either of which Id be happy to have as a gift (hint hint)

But one things for sure, you dont see to many of the other "one", this old, beaten up, neglected and still running perfectly

View attachment 46637

A bit of paint and she'll scrub up ok I reckon, any idea on how old?

 

[bigcol]

A bit of paint and she'll scrub up ok I reckon, any idea on how old?

looks like my 27L engel (not that bad though)
mine is a 1987 (when my uncle brought it - I brought it off him 2009) - its never missed a beat

 

[Crusty181]

A bit of paint and she'll scrub up ok I reckon, any idea on how old?

No, was going to ask but he buggered off early the morning we left

 

[Drover]

Mine would probably look like that under all the stickers, 38lt tin Engel been running strong since 1978..........and on a really hot day will suck a 100ah battery inside out

 

[Tucker]

Hi I had a cf40 and a cf50 and a Cf80 because you can never have enough fridges and all never missed a beat
Last week I sold the cf50 and cf80 to get a bigger Waeco and bought the new cfx95 very happy with it so far and i think it uses less power then the cf50 (only half the fridge turned on) but it is a big fridge and I'm loving it

 

[yabbietol]

We have a 40l Waco, not sure which model but bought it on special in the early 1990's, the shop had sold all they had and they contacted Waco for us and Waco sent one from Queensland for the sale price, very good service from shop and Waco. We paid about $800 for the 40l Waco at the time the 30l engle was over $1,000. The Waco has a German made Danfoss compressor and works really well, hardly even run it over 2 (out of 10). It is still going well.
Its main claim to fame is that it was in the back of my Land-roll-over Defender which rolled over 4x down a hill for about 50m with fridge, Tufor winch, assorted heavy recovery gear all luckily behind the cargo barrier. The fridge lost its control knob and a mate who collected my gear sat it upright for about ½ then loaded it up with food, etc. and took it home. He gave it back to me a week later and amongst the other gear he recovered from the accident we found the knob. It is still going strong, the only problem has been some years later a melted Merit plug (fuse OK?), which I replaced. I once asked a Waco salesman at 4WD show in the early 2000's could I get a Waco cover for it, I described it to him and he laughed and said it was too old for their covers, that was at least 14 years ago.
It seems to be bomb proof, I wanted the Engle at the time but could only afford the Waco. Next fridge may be an Engle or a Waco if I ever need one?

 

[Drover]

Ha, @yabbietol that would have been the same look I got when I told this Engel bloke mine was 38 yrs old...................I really need a new basket for mine though and I use the liner from ALDI/Woolies shopping bags to stop the basket from wearing thru the plastic base, they last longer than the cardboard from a carton.

 

[yabbietol]

I have been looking at the same problem, I was thinking of a bit of closed cell foam in base under basket (foam that is washable). I like the shopping bag liner idea. Also this trip the lid rattled a bit and I plan to put a clamp type latch on the lid to make it a tighter fit.

 

[Drover]

Yep, I've tried all sorts of things over the last squillion years and have found the plastic bottom of the ALDI bag to be the most durable, easy to clean and doesn't degrade like cardboard, foam and other stuff........I have also chopped up a windscreen sun screen thingy as an external heat shield with marginal success, should have bought one not on special actually....................................are we wandering off topic at all.....???????...tough.

 

[Tucker]

Ha, @yabbietol that would have been the same look I got when I told this Engel bloke mine was 38 yrs old...................I really need a new basket for mine though and I use the liner from ALDI/Woolies shopping bags to stop the basket from wearing thru the plastic base, they last longer than the cardboard from a carton.

Hi Drover what about the 10mm thick foam camp Mats + it would suck up some of the vibrations towards the beer too

 

[bigcol]

yeah, I have a piece of 1.2mm insertion rubber under the basket in mine (27L)

 

[Drover]

Camp mats !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! might be too thick for the lid to shut and something might start living in it if I'm a bit slack with the cleaning...

 

[SkinnyBuddah]

twas funny, but I had never heard of them failing as well until I went to the Engel shop to get a quote to repair
the back was absolutely full of the newer models that were broken

maybe 2 of the old types, but a shed load of the newer ones like mine
View attachment 38003

was not impressed thats for sure
cost to repair is near on the same for a new one

Not Happy Jan

So does it turn on at all? (why is it my brain goes into fixit mode on the forum lol)

 

[SkinnyBuddah]

And I run a Engel. Which as I didn't like the entire set a dial to a number which represents how much luck the beer won't freeze rather than a temperature I jury rigged in temp control a WiFi access point which serves a website to tell me the current fridge temp and a little oled screen to tell me the temp and anything else I decide is important hahaha


When I got it it wasn't working. Would make noise but not cool down. Flipped it upside down. Ran for thirty seconds. Flipped it back...voila working fridge.

 

[bigcol]

So does it turn on at all? (why is it my brain goes into fixit mode on the forum lol)

she is cactii well and truly

thermostat switch
cooling plate
and something else - (its been sitting in the Junk room since Xmas last year)
only thing salvageable from it is the outside and motor

everything else died

no funds for a replacement - so its on the list

way down the list