Peter Bailey replied:

Gday Wayne, If you look back through the Forum you will come across many questions and answers regarding fridges for travelling. Most answers have merit, it all depends on your personal preferences. I myself have two Engels, one a 29L which I use as a freezer and the other is a 39L which I use as a fridge. The 29L I have had for 25 years and have only had to replace the power transformer ($25 to $30), the 39L I have had for only a couple of years with no problems. I have Transit cover for both which helps with keeping the temperature down and saves any knocks or scrapes. I run both off my auxilary battery no problems, but if you intend to stay in the same spot for any length of time you will need a generator or solar panels. This is my situation, but please check out the questions and answers in the earlier pages of this Forum, it is a wealth of information. Regards, Peter.

Joe McDermott replied:

Wayne,

I am in a similar position as I need to replace (or at least augment) my FridgeMate, and I have been doing a fair bit of research. My conclusions are that the Liemack fridge is far and away the most efficient unit on the market and is a smooth and quiet one too. The rotary compressor is very effective. The only down sides being the fact that it is 12/24/240 volt so running it on gas for an extended stay anywhere is not possible, and that it is the only unit on the market using this Mitsubishi compressor, so parts availability out in the back of beyond may be problematical. If you wanted to stick with the more commonly known compressors then look at the Waeco systems. They use the latest Danfoss compressor (the BD50) and are very aggressively priced. Like the Liemack this would require you to start your motor every 2 to 3 days to keep the battery charge up to the drain caused by the fridge. Of course, in hot conditions where you are putting warm cans in every hour or two the battery drain will be greater. So if you need something that you can leave running while you get yourself p*ssed and cant drive the only real alternative is the Chescold which will run on gas.
Personally, I am going to buy the Liemack as soon as I raise the $1760 it costs.

Good luck and mail me if you need anything else answered - I really have done a heap of research !

wayne hart replied:

joe thanks for that if you email me some time we will have to have a chat and swap ideas as i am planning the big trip thanks wayne hart my email is harty@hotkey.net.au

Greg replied:

Hi Wayne. I have been travelling the outback for 30 years and for 25 years have been running a 15l Engel and a small 12v/240v/LPG Chescold. I am about to replace the Engel with a Waeco FF-30. The Waeco is hard to beat for price.
The two fridge system works well. I use the Engel as a freezer most of the time and for long stops with no power the 3 way on gas is very good. As far as I am concerned the most important thing is not to buy a fridge that is too big as they are harder to keep cold and draw more current. A 20l freezer and 30-40litre fridge is plenty for 2-4 people. The other thing that is important is that you connect the fridge direct to your battery with very heavy wire. A fuse is required but no plugs or switches. The aim with the fridge running is to have as close as possible to the battery voltage at the fridge. Most moddern fridges will cut out at 10.5volts.
Hope this is of some help.