Brad replied:

I've had my Engels for several years now and no problems. Spent 3 weeks away including Fraser Island and ran it as a freezer and had a big esky as well. Didn't buy 1 bag of ice. I did spend alot of time on this forum getting info before I bought and in the end it came down to personal choice. I have heard good and bad stories for both Engels and Waeco. In the end I chose Engel and am happy.

Hope this helps

Brad

timber replied:

Check the archive, you will find advice that comes from the Toyota/Nissan, Holden/Ford, Petrol/Diesel schools of what is best.

Size depends on what you want to carry, for how long and how much cold alcohol you want to consume at the end of the day.

Me I run a 50 l Waeco, suits my needs and have had no problems, but there is only me and SWMBO to cater for and a 6 pack of beer is all I need cold for an evening around the campfire, most trips are only weekenders so no great issue with storage capacity.

Cheers

Buggerlux

gramps replied:

calny,

You'll probably start WW3 with that question. Before I duck for cover my 2c worth - Engel if you're not phased by price, Waeco if you're stingy like me. Engel is not the dearest option though. There are more expensive brands. All will do the job to differing degrees.

I'll let the more experienced and/or fanatical guide you from here.

Good luck.

Bob of KAOS replied:

Either

Member - Jimbo (VIC) replied:

I've owned both and they both keep stuff cold.

Waeco is a better value option IMO.

Cheers,

Jim

Mainey (WA) replied:

cainy,

Your choice; 50 Ltrs
Spend less money than the Waeco.
Has same compressor as the Waeco.
Has thicker insullation than the Waeco.

http://www.refrigerationresearch.com.au/RT%20Reefer.html

Yes, it even looks like a waeco... :-)

cokeaddict replied:

Luck of the draw really,
both are good, have to be unlucky to cop a rotten egg but they both have faulty units unfortunately. Anything mechanical can break down. I got a waeco 80...been excellent for me. Good luck.
Ange.

Member - Cocka replied:

Four important Q's first befor anyone to give you good advice rather than just an opinion.

1. How many going on your trips ?

2. Where are you likely to be going to on most trips ? ( Deserts, remote tracks, National Parks, only bitumen, fishing etc)

3. Are you going to be travelling mostly OR stopped in caravan parks, beaches (or similar) for long periods ?

4. What kind of vehicle are you setting up in ?

There are many scenarios, most will work, some expensive / some cheap, some require dual batteries / generators, some great on gas.

Give us answers to the above and your more likely to get a decent answer that'll save your $ & time.

Mad Dog (Australia) replied:

Engel for better build quality.

D-Jack replied:

I Agree with Mad Dog - Engels cost more but are tougher, because they are not made of plastic. You will save a fair bit with a Waeco though, which balances it out. Both have similar efficiency/performance figures, I just prefer metal to steel. I can sit on my fridge, the waeco lids have been known to warp in the heat and need replacing. I beleive the aftermarket service for Waecos is 2nd to none, judging by previous comments on this forum, but we hardly hear of any comments on aftermarket service for Engel because it is hardly ever needed. Engel also have a history of reliability, waeco are relatively new on the market in Australia. Mates have engels 20 years old plus, and still work as well as the day they bought them with absolutely no repairs or servicing. This is reflected in resale prices.

A friend has a 50 Waeco, and it seems to be easier to regulate the temperature than my engel, very easy to freeze in an Engel, but the more you practice the better you become.

Engel 40L anniversary models in Stainless Steel for $999 at Rays in SA - bargain if u ask me.

D-JAck

Member - Jimbo (VIC) replied:

More important than brand is design.

How big does it need to be?
Do you need a separate freezer compartment?
What space do you have in the car?
Is height with the lid open an issue?
What are the tie down points like?
How much battery power do you have to run it?

Find one that suits your needs, don't buy based on brand alone; most are very reliable.

One final point. Don't buy one that is too small. What may seem adequate, may very soon become too small. Some people get by with a 40L by packing judiciously. I got sick of having only 40 and went to 80; we like to take a lot of stuff.

Cheers,

Jim.

Member - Steve (ACT) replied:

We know just where you guys are at the moment, until recently we had an OLD OLD Electolux 3 way fridge we picked up for $50 at a garage sale, had it service and it still runs perfectly.

But with building cargo drawers it wasn't going to fit so we had the same choice to make, we asked many people and everytime we spoke to someone we ended up leaning the other way.

We ended up with the 40L engel and have had our first long weekend away with it, we had it running off the car the whole time, (duel batteries) no problems.

Good luck with which ever you decide on!!

Steve

Member - iMusty (VIC) replied:

Buy a 12 Volt icemaker.

Patrick replied:

Have had a 50L Waeco for nearly four years without any major problems. Runs a treat on battery when away and used as a home fridge between trips. I am very happy with its performance and reliability. I added a cover some time ago which really offered lower current draw with longer chilling due to the insulation.

The full weight is amanagable rather than a larger one needing two people to move.

What every product you buy it, you will benefit from having access to the fridge/freezer when tripping.

desert replied:

BUSHBOY fridges. Made locally (Melbourne) by a fridge engineer who is also a four wheel driver. Std sizes are: 40l,50l 90l, OR will custom build to your shape and size. Runs two speed Danfos, has service points so any idiot can regas it, basic wiring so any idiot can problem solve, gas strut lid etc, very rugged and 100% reliable. My 50 lt, model pulls 4.5 amps on high and 2.2 amps on low speed. Choice of powder coat finish or Gal, no fuss, no glamour, just simple basic mechanics that work.

Member - Collyn R (WA) replied:

As a generalisation you will find that most portable fridges have very similar potential consumption and performance. Whether or not that inherent perfomance is obtained is mostly a function of installation and usage.

Most 12-volt fridges are connected via ludicously too-thin cable. Very few work as well as they could.

Because of the above, when most users argue about whether an XY is better than BH, they are primarily comparing the quality of installation (often dreadful) and manner of usage (which may well relate mostly to the quantity of beer cooled and drunk - or fish being frozen, or both).

Eutectic fridges such as Indel and Autofridge however can be used in an optional 'pump down' mode that genuinely slashes energy consumption. Used normally (on a thermostat setting) they tend to use marginally more energy than most.
Collyn Rivers

neilvin replied:

We used a Waeco 35 l as a freezer for a two year trip around Oz - worked great, no problems.
I also converted an old 300 l domestic household fridge using Waeco parts (condenser unit which used the larger BD-50F compressor and an evaperator unit) for the caravan, also worked great over the 2 yrs. You can keep a lot of food ad drink cold in a 300l fridge !!
Danfoss equipment is pretty good
Regards
Neil

Phillydom replied:

I work in the mining industry where we use engels on our electric shovels and I had the oppertunity to pull one apart only to find that it was stuffed full of electronics. Imagine my surprise because the salesman say that they are better because they supposed to be wired 12v simple not like waeco's.
But they are full of crap man because today they use electronics for everything, engels AND waecos........However in the end I bought a waeco 60 litre and had it now for a few years and like engels it works just fine.....so dont ask which is better just go out there and give them all a good look over and make a decision based upon which one suits your situation and needs best, size weight etc.
I made the decision based upon if it was fully loaded could I lift and carry it!!!!
waeco won!