JOSEPH BAZ replied:

Michael a friend of mine runs a supakool on return to his fishing trips,he manages(better said his fridge)to keep the fillets frozen,he just returned from Dampier(north W.A)bear in mind he only travels on bitumenized road while i been all over OZ with my engel(not bias by any chance) seriously when u are miles from the nearest food source u have to put lots of trust on u gear.Hope this may help rgs JOE

Glen replied:

When considering auto fridges, one should also consider Engels, for their effective and efficient service. Engels are now available from BBQs Galore Nationwide. The advantage is local parts and service if should require.

Andrew & Karen replied:

We purchased a 60ltr chescold in April this year. When we go camping we put about a dozen hot stubbies in the fridge before we go to bed & by morning they are cold. It suffers in the heat a bit (we live in Cairns). We put the freezer divider in during the day to chill them a bit more. Just returned from a trip to Alice Springs & it worked perfectly. Even froze our beer on a couple of cool nights.

Steve Barbuto replied:

Michael,

Be aware the Chescold uses a completely different method of refrigeration to compressor style refrigerators. They generate more heat. They can not be safely run on gas in a confined space, such as a motor vehicle, even with the windows open. On 12V they draw a ton of Amps.... over 10A in fact, and they will not cycle off anywhere near as often as a compressor type fridge. Do not be fooled into thinking Engels are the be all and end all of reliability, they are good, but their insulation is a little lacking and the cooling plate is easily damaged inside. A bag is a must. The Supakool uses a Danfoss compressor and is a solidly made box with good insulation. It will be reliable. Also look into the Autofridge, they are an excellent unit. For the record, I have a Bushboy, which was purchased for 3 reasons... it was a well made/insulated box, it had a Danfoss compressor... lastly, it was physically the size I wanted.

Steve.

Chris replied:

Michael
My wife and I have a Chescold RC1180 fridge/freezer- now about 16 months old with 12 weeks of camping use.

Although a bit heavier than our previous compressor fridge (plus gas bottle) it hasnt missed a beat. (ice cream on a balmy bush night in QLD is wonderful!!).

Just returned from a trip to the Mallee (VIC) and the Chescold stayed ice cold (and the meat frozen) on 37 degree days.

Chris