Engel 40 v 57 v 60 litre
Submitted: Thursday, Sep 20, 2007 at 09:02
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Member - Pixie
Good morning EO's
I was hoping for some advice from some people here.
I am considering the various Engel options and trying to decide on which will suit me best. In the past I have simply used eskys with ice (dry and block) so this is new to me.
I am looking for a fridge to suit 2 adults and 2
young children for a 3 month trip between
Brisbane and
Derby during winter next year. I will have a dual battery system and expect to be doing at least 3 hours driving each day. The fridge will also serve for other holidays over the years.
1. Big is better but it comes at a cost of weight, space, money and running power. Is a 57l (combo) or 60l fridge/freezer
Engel site an absolute must for 4 people (as opposed to a 40l?) Would a 40l suffice if used wisely? Is it a case of if the space (in the fridge) is there then it will get filled up?
2. the 40l fridges claim (maximum) 2.5amp power consumption vs 60l (and 57l combo) claim (maximum) 4.2amp consumption. I am assuming this is amp/hr but is it realistic? and does anybody have real life experience with the 2 different fridges and how they compare with energy consumption? Are these claims of power consumption realistic in real life application?
3. does anybody have any experience with the Engel combo (fridge/freezer) ? or is this just a gimick
I would be interested in people's thoughts. Particularly families that have been or are in this situation. Other than milk, butter, cheese, a couple of drinks and perhaps some meat I am really not sure what would be "essential" items for a fridge. I am sure I could fill up whatever space is available.
Thanks
Stu
Reply By: Member - Norm C (QLD) - Thursday, Sep 20, 2007 at 09:44
Thursday, Sep 20, 2007 at 09:44
Stu,
Whatever size fridge you have, you will find a way to fill it.
We are just 2 (wife and me) when we travel. We used to operate with a 70 litre Reefer (about 60 litre fridge and 10 litre freezer) and also carried an esky which we used after a stock up, particularly for fruit and veg or for drinks (fed with ice made in the Reefer freezer).
We recently changed to the Reefer and a 40 litre Engle. Now I know that's overkill in some respects, but we get off the beaten track and not able to
shop for 4 to 6 weeks at a time.
If you like a beer occasionally, or you like some cold water to drink when it's hot (as we do), I reckon you will struggle with 4 people and a 40 litre. But if you are prepared to operate on a minimalist basis you should get by.
I have not measured the power used by my 40 litre Engel, but it is bugger all. I suspect the specs are right. The 4.2 Amps quoted for the 60 litre is the power it _Affordable_Storage_Drawers.aspx when the compressor is running. If it runs for an hour it uses 4.2AH of power.
So, you'll survive fine with a 40 litre, but I think be more comfortable with a 60 litre. But the 60 litre takes more power and space. Guess I've just taken you back to the start point and haven't helped much at all.
Norm C
AnswerID:
263107
Reply By: Member - Duncs - Thursday, Sep 20, 2007 at 09:46
Thursday, Sep 20, 2007 at 09:46
We have travelled extensively with a family of 5. Most of our travelling was done using a 36l (approx) Chescold and an esky.
We upgraded to a 40l Engel when the Chescold died in
Alice Springs a few years ago. We can carry enough food including fresh meat to last the 5 of us 2 weeks easily. I usually carry 2 beers in the fridge and operate the 1 in 1 out. I am not a big drinker so this works
well for me.
I think if we had a bigger fridge we would fill it with more stuff that we don't really need in the fridge. The biggest problem I think would be that the fridge takes up the same amount of room full or empty. Even if you buy a slab you can break it up into 6packs and put them in those little spaces you inevitably find when packing for a trip.
Anyway thats what I think. I have a friend who uses a 90l fridge and carrys an esky as
well, just for 2 of them.
Duncs.
AnswerID:
263108
Reply By: Member - Olcoolone (S.A) - Thursday, Sep 20, 2007 at 10:45
Thursday, Sep 20, 2007 at 10:45
Hello Pixie, I can't comment much about the Engle fridges (we sell Waeco) except they are very good.
When we sell a fridge for a vehicle the most important thing is where in the vehicle is it going to fit, If you are going to use a slide then disregard this part.
If you are not using a slide make sure you can open the fridge lid fully, we sell the 50 Lt Waeco's to people who want a 60 Lt ones but when it is in there vehicle they can't open the lid because the 60 Lt is 100mm taller then the 50 Lt.
We also get alot of people wanting the 80 or 110 Lt ones and when asked how long do they go away for they say........3 to 4 days at the most, so again we sell them a smaller fridge that can be used more often...no good having a 70Lt fridge if it is only getting used once a year whereby with a 45 lt you might use it every month or more. (this is not applicable to all fridge owners)
Make sure you use the Engle cover on it as it will save your battery by insullating the fridge.
We use a 60 Lt in the Hilux and a 35 Lt in the Trak Shak camper trailer. ( a 40 Lt was too tall for the trailer by about 20mm)
Also
check the fridge for usable room, you may find you can use the room in a 40 more efficently then a 57 Lt or vise versa.
Chose your cold or frozen food more carefully and only take what is needed.
Regards Richard
AnswerID:
263122
Reply By: Member - Mark H (VIC) - Thursday, Sep 20, 2007 at 12:39
Thursday, Sep 20, 2007 at 12:39
We're going through this at the moment as we're off for 6 months next year with 2 kids (6 & 9). Originally I was going for a big combo, 60-80 litres, but now looking at 2 smaller ones, one for the Prado and the other for the Track Shak. We plan on geeting away from the crowds as much as possible and want to be pretty self sufficient.
I've used a huge Icekool cooler box previously (150L) for 4-6 day stints at the one spot. Event though lots of space was lost due to ice, it was a shock to borrow the old mans 40 litre Engel for a 2 week trip mid-year. Yes we could probably get used to a smaller one but would rather the option of having the extra space and turning one off if needed.
There's no perfect answer i think, just trial and error till you find what works best for you.
Cheers,
Mark.
AnswerID:
263138
Reply By: mark1970 - Thursday, Sep 20, 2007 at 12:49
Thursday, Sep 20, 2007 at 12:49
Stu,
We are a family of 4 with a 7 yr old and 9 yr old who do a annual 4 week trip (for the last 5 yrs).
We carry all our food for the 4 weeks including - vacuum packed meat, 8 cold beers, 8 cokes, long life milk in Litre plastic bottles, cold water and kids yoghurt in the fridge at any one time.
I find that initially the fridge is full, however after a week more room opens up.
Its all a compromise however if your planned extended period without
services is under 2 weeks I would stay with the 40lt version.
The 60Lt Trailblazer comes in at 36kg empty - therefore lifting it full is not an option,
Cheers,
Mark
AnswerID:
263143
Reply By: Prado Dave - Thursday, Sep 20, 2007 at 13:23
Thursday, Sep 20, 2007 at 13:23
G'day Stu,
On a slide in the LHS of the Prado, we have a 40 l Engel with a 21 l Two Zone on top. This combo can be used as bottom as freezer and top as frig, or bottom as frig and top as crisper. Can't open either section in car, hence the slide, which sits on top a drawer.
Drawer height was built so that the lid just clears the top of the open tailgate. 60 l Engel by itself has too big a footprint.
We are 2 adults and 3 kids, so sometimes the RHS 3rd row
seat is left in - to separate the warring parties!
Power comes from live Engel socket installed above jack housing on LHS.
Cheers,
Dave.
AnswerID:
263148
Reply By: Sand Man (SA) - Friday, Sep 21, 2007 at 01:36
Friday, Sep 21, 2007 at 01:36
Stu,
As Axel mentioned above, it depends on your requirements.
How much "frozen" food do you wish to carry, as apposed to just keeping cool.
One other option not mentioned, is an "accessory" for the Engel fridge, called a "two Zone". This is a 21 litre extension for the 40 litre Engel fridge, made by a 3rd party Company. Simply remove the lid, add the extension and replace the lid on top to give you a 61 litre fridge, or fridge/freezer combination.
The fridge can be cranked up a little to provide a freezer space at the bottom and a fridge space at the top.
It will draw a little more power, but not as much as upgrading to a larger fridge.
Just another option to consider.
One advantage is that if you don't always require the extra capacity, you just do without the "Two Zone".
AnswerID:
263259
Reply By: Jimbo Vic - Saturday, Sep 22, 2007 at 15:32
Saturday, Sep 22, 2007 at 15:32
Stu,
IMHO 40 is nowhere near enough.
I would suggest you choose a bigger fridge and buy it based on the floorplan of the fridge rather than the brand.
The Engel combi has a fixed fridge and freezer compartment, that put me off. I chose the Waeco 80 because of its design that suits us. It has removeable dividers so that it can be run as a two compartment fridge/freezer or all fridge. Also the "dairy" compartment is great so that the lettuce and tomatoes don't get frozen.
There are many brands of fridge on the market and let's face it, they all keep stuff cold.
Check out which best suits your needs and budget.
There are a few brands out there with much better insulation than either Waeco or Engel, which is another consideration.
If you're going to be driving three hours a day (assumimg you have dual batteries) the power drain of a bigger fridge will not bother you.
ATB,
Jim.
AnswerID:
263454