only an Engel?

Sounds interesting... How much is the Waeco, and is it a compressor operated fridge/freezer and not a "cooler"?
regards,

I really think 21 litres is too small for just about any trip, Is it better to buy something pre loved and bigger for the same money.. ?? Michael

I had to check the warranty period you quoted, because the Waeco warranty is generally better than the Engels. You are of course right but I wonder why the CF-18 has the shorter warranty period when the larger Waecos come with a 5 year warranty on the compressor motor and 3 years on everything else.

Maybe that DOES tell you something about the CF-18 at least.

I tend to agree with Michael though. I'm sure you will get by, but they are both pretty small fridges. Maybe a larger Waeco for a similar price to the smaller Engel or look for a good second hand Engel, etc.

Cheers,

Matt.

We have a 24 yo Engel, a 7 yo Engel, and a 4 yo Waeco.

Never ever had an issue with our Engels. The Waeco went in twice for warranty work and has been running well for the past 18 months

Basically most fridges cooling things down and keep 'em cool.

If money is tight then go for the Waeco. Many people swear by them. We swore at ours but things have settled since :-)


Cheers

If Money is tight,
Then it's a no brainer, go for a preloved compressor fridge around the 39ltr mark. If it is an engel and is still working well then chances are that it will outlive you.
We have an Engel which was new in 95 and is still used and abused today.
Plus it hasn't missed a beat since we purchased it.
One of our club members has an old green one and it was a gift form his Dad who did not know it's age and it still goes well.

Gidday

I have a green Engel 21 litre that my late father bought maybe 30 years ago. It works fine.

this is not another installment in the the Engel v The Rest debate, but my dad always regretted not buying the next size up. And now I too regret that he didn't!

If space and weight are not a problem, I would work out what you think you need and go one bigger.

Remember, these things are a long term investment. the extra few dollars might be a hit now but in 10 or more years it will be nothing and you won't be wishing you bought a bigger fridge.

Second hand might be a good choice but when I have looked Engel sellers dont seem to seem to understand the laws of depreciation. They ask top dollar and I can only wonder whether they sell them at the asking price

Hiring is another option that might give you an idea of what you require long term.

Good luck

Rocco

Hi Sarah1

I like the Engel brand, I have 2, a 29 litre freezer and an ol green one used as a fridge, just spent a few dollars on servicing the ol green one, now good as gold, I've had it a long time, never let me down. .

Just a suggestion, whatever fridge you get, have a look at the insulated covers for them, they work a lot betterer.

I suggest you do a search of past threads on this site using Waeco, I've never used a Waeco myself so can't comment on them, keep an eye out on the trader section on this site or ebay, they come up every now and then.

Cheers

Hi Sarah1,
Like many others our Engel (which is now 37 years old) has never missed a beat since we purchased it. Parts for this old one are still available.
We have calculated that it run on average about 20 hours each week of its life.
Normally kept in the back of our car.
Other than a damaged cable (my fault) it just will not die. Just recently gave it a new coat of paint.
Performance is exactly the same as when we purchased it.
Not sure about the new ones, although I know they draw less current.
THEY ARE FANTASTIC !!!!
Geoff

Hi Sarah

Friends had the 18lt and a good experience but on research we went for the Waeco 23lt (CF25) and find it to be an excellant product and suitable size.

This model is tall and takes a tall size 1.5lt bottle , or loaf of bread and its shape allowed it to be fitted between our front seats with the console removed and this made for lots more room for tent or car based camping.

This unit is more efficent than the 18lt fridges using around 0.85
amps average current draw, and like 18lt uses a tough polyprop bump resistant case.

We however avoid taking things that need to be kept frozen all the time and specifically use it as a fridge set at about 1c.

Using smaller fridges like this means we only keep cold what we need to and replace it as required , e.g. another 1lt of UHT milk goes in , or we top up a 1lt container of Chardonay or water from a cask etc.

For us this process has encouraged efficent camping and less reliance on shops etc.

We have both..40l engel , 40l waeco.... pros ..waeco, cheaper , lighter ,quieter

engel...pros..uses less power, can be connected to 12v and 240v at the same time...which is very handy for us as we free camp and have a battery in the van that runs the fridge and when/if we start the genny it automatically switches to 240v running....but is heavier...however both are very good ...my preference..for travelling (as in long distances with frequent stops)I prefer the waeco...for camping for 2 to 3 weeks or more ,the engel goes with us...cheers

Hello Sarah.We have a cf18 waeco that we use as a dedicated freezer when we're on the track.We can get enough frozen meat/fish+chicken necks for the dog in it to last 3 weeks.The secret to using it as a freezer is leave air space around the stuff you put in to allow the cold air to circulate.We freeze the food before loading it in, then as we restock,put the fresher goods at the bottom.It is run off a 120 a/h batt.,in the back of the cruiser.The only trouble is the poor quality of the rubber lid seal, In hot climes a few minutes open and the lid gets condensation on it ,when you open it next time it is frozen shut,causing the seal to tear on opening.Waeco have replaced the lid under warranty but it is still the same.It is not as well insulated as our old Engel,but it does the job. I would buy an Engel next time.

Hi Sarah

Go second hand Engel for the money saving and reliability.

We have two of the old "bomb proof" Engels - both were second hand. We have just returned from 5 months on the road during which time we used the 30 litre as a freezer and the 40 litre as a car fridge for lunches and drinks (this is the first time we have done this). We have a 130 litre caravan fridge but the internal freezer box is flimsy and not suitable for long term freezing, so apart from a loaf of bread and a first aid cold pack, it didn't get used. We could last for many weeks without shopping.

You can travel with a lot of alternatives to refrigerated food. Years ago we never had car fridges to take camping, and there weren't the varieties of alternatives to fresh food available either.

One of the 4wd magazines we bought whilst away (the "Roothy" one) had a good comparison of car fridges. Worth getting hold of and reading it before you buy.

Motherhen

I recently went away with a 40 litre Engel & a 32 litre Waeco ..... came home with a 40 litre Engel & a 32 litre laundry hamper!

Warranty means nothing if you are halfway along the Gunbarrel Highway!

Either way you decide ,have a good look at what you want to have cold at the end of a days drive and as you say 5-6 days away from a "shop" ------- couple of cold beers /bottle of wine perhaps , some butter ,salad makings ect ect + milk and all those little bits of condiments that once opened need to be kept refridgerated + meats ect ect ----- 18 lt waeco /21 lt engle = filled very quickly and for same sort of $ as new a 39 to 50 lt waeco or engle can be found if you are prepared to search and haggle. We run a 15lt Engle [drinks] and a 80 lt Waeco and would really like more freezer room [ a bad days fishing fills the freezer in the Waeco with fillets so what do you do on a good day?]

We have a 60lt Waeco which has been running at -10 since end of January.

Has been in the back of the cruiser in all temps including 35 in Broome and this week at Hyden and Kalgoorlie

Hasnt missed a beat and we fill it up as we buy in bulk even though we are only two of us

Was a factory 2nd and cost $800 plus the insulation bag and a Raps 12 controller

A 21 ltr is far too small and a waste of money.

You will get a bigger one for not a lot more.

I see you plan on taking frozen meat. Much better to have it vac packed and run your fridge at a warmer temp.

I think the waeco 50 is a the bargain of the lot for under a $1000

Hi Sarah1,

I've got a 40lt Engel and cant rate it highly enough. I've been looking at a 2nd unit to be a freezer.

I am prob going to get a waeco 31lt. They were selling them for $699 with bag and 240-12v adaptor.

I think a fridge around the 20lt mark is a little small and you might end up regreting you didnt get a bigger one.


IMHO there is little between the 2 (engel a little stronger waeco's better temp control) but you wont go wrong buying either.

Cheers Wilko

Hi

You mention keeping 8 frozen meat meals. I suggest that you consider getting meat packed by butchers and sealed. This will keek for several weeks in a fridge, means you do not need to run the fridge on freeze and you don't have all that messy thawing juice later on.

cheers