Eva Cool Fridge

Submitted: Saturday, Nov 09, 2002 at 01:00
ThreadID: 2330 Views:9845 Replies:8 FollowUps:12
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Can anyone comment on the Eva Cool fridge/freezers. They seem to have the same Danfoss gear as the Waecos and others....what are they like?
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Reply By: brian - Sunday, Nov 10, 2002 at 01:00

Sunday, Nov 10, 2002 at 01:00
Hello Feret the fridge you are looking at is the second generation of this make,the first was released approx 3 years ago with a different compressor mounted inside the box at one corner.the vast percentage of these failed very quickly,some were returned to the conpany where the orig compressor was removed/replaced with danfos compressor fitted to outside of the box,giving more space an a very reliable unit. i was charged $500 for the changeover,i think it should have been free as under the trade practices act i believe you are entitled to a refund if the product is not fit for the purpose it is advertised.
However, how does it now work GREAT. have just come back from a month in nt/west qld air temp 30/38 each day. fridge maintained minus 15 in freezer sect and plus 4 on fridge side measured with didgetal thermometer from dick smiths,may not be totally accurate but gives good guide to temp differemtial in each side. best test meat frozen like a brick always beer absolutely icy on 38 deg day.power usage not sure longest i did not charge battery was 48 houres fridge still operating normally after 48 hrs maybe it would go one more day just guessing.
its lighter than engel ,twin compartments are huge advantage.
AnswerID: 8354

Follow Up By: Oziexplorer - Sunday, Nov 10, 2002 at 01:00

Sunday, Nov 10, 2002 at 01:00
I was only looking at the evaKool website this morning:
http://www.evakool.com/

None have the Danfoss compressor mounted externally. They are all mounted in the one corner of the box.

There is no "twin compartments are huge advantage" on any evaKool model on their website.

I have e-mailed evaKool asking them about their warranty as Waeco has 3 years on cabinet and 5 years on compressor, Engel has 3 years, but personally I would most definitely not buy another Engel.

On the evaKook website, there is no mention anywhere of 'warranty'. WHY?
I do like the look of the evaKool units, but they are 20% more expensive than a Waeco unit the same size.
http://www.portable-engel-chescold-more.com.au/WAECO/cf50_features.htm
with possibly beater features.
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Follow Up By: Mark - Sunday, Nov 10, 2002 at 01:00

Sunday, Nov 10, 2002 at 01:00
Brian,
I also have a Evakool retrofit SK60 and had the same problems with the old "micro" compressor. Since the Danfoss was fitted (stung me $500 also) all has been well and very happy with performance, just done a trip and 80 ah battery gave 3 days with ambient temps of around 25c. Does your unit have a seperate freezer compartment ? I have just a thin alloy seperator plate that was supplied. As most camping fridges have the same danfoss compressors today I guess it really comes down to the how good the insulation is as this will determine the overall efficiency.
Mark
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Reply By: Tuco69 - Sunday, Nov 10, 2002 at 01:00

Sunday, Nov 10, 2002 at 01:00
Having owned 20 litre Finch, 60 litre Chescold, 15 litre Engel, 39 litre Engel we now have an Evakool ED70. It is by far the best we have owned.

Battery life with the 79 litre Evakool is twice as good as the 39 litre Engel. I put this down to the insulation on the Evakool being much thicker than the Engel. It doesn't 'cycle' as much as the Engel and is also quieter.

We are very happy with ours.

Tuco in Cairns
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Follow Up By: Tuco69 - Sunday, Nov 10, 2002 at 01:00

Sunday, Nov 10, 2002 at 01:00
That should have read 70 litre Evakool NOT 79 litre - just a typo!

Tuco
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Reply By: brian - Sunday, Nov 10, 2002 at 01:00

Sunday, Nov 10, 2002 at 01:00
Hello Ferret, you are correct the current range of evakool freezers have the conpressor within the box,these are 2nd generation mine was first generation basically 45/50 litre fiberglass box with danfoss motor bolted to the outside,not as neat as the current generation but same performance,remember mine is a first generation model that was modified by the factory,not the current retail model. other people on this site claim that ice will keep in these iceboxes for up to a week if so they must have the best insulation around.
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Reply By: Ferret - Sunday, Nov 10, 2002 at 01:00

Sunday, Nov 10, 2002 at 01:00
I bought the Poverty Pack ED40 at the Perth 4WD show for $695 with the 240volt thingy. I was gonna get a waeco but made a spur of the moment purchase with the Evacool. Looked solid, good shape for the back of my Disco and a reasonable sell job by the rep. Time will tell I guess. Took it home, plugged it in and put three containers of water in....frozen solid in 2 hours. For the money I THINK i've done alright.
AnswerID: 8371

Reply By: Slunnie - Sunday, Nov 10, 2002 at 01:00

Sunday, Nov 10, 2002 at 01:00
The Evacool freezer has the motor incorporated into the unit if you buy it as a freezer from the factory, but if you have an Evacool Esky converted to a freezer, the Danfross unit is mounted externally on the side. I have looked into the purchase of an Evacool Freezer and will head that way, though my Evacool esky has held ice for a week over Christmas at Fraser Island, and block ice in containers for a 2.5wk trip though the Simpson Desert. There was still some ice left on return. Considering how efficient the esky is, I suspect the freezer would use less power than most other freezers. The only problem I can think of is the case for these units are fibreglass, and so when they rub on cargobarriers etc they tend to mark a bit, but the nylon handles and hinges protect it from this quite well.

Regards
Slunnie
AnswerID: 8372

Follow Up By: Oziexplorer - Sunday, Nov 10, 2002 at 01:00

Sunday, Nov 10, 2002 at 01:00
I can buy an evaKool ED50 for a $1,000 so I may grab it tomorrow if evaKool contact me. I was going to buy the Waeco CF50, but the style of the evaKool is preferable, as I can make it so the lid is a bench top. I would have to have a hinged plywood and laminex lid made to fit over the Waeco CF50.
I am just dubious about some of the complaints I have read about evaKool, and there is NO mention of their warranty terms and conditions on their website.
www.evakool.com
I have e-mailed them and given them my phone number, so will be interesting to see if they reply or phone me tomorrow morning. If they do not phone or reply, then I will buy the Waeco CF50 as their warranty terms and conditions are well spelt out.
http://www.waeco.com.au/warranty.html
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Follow Up By: Slunnie - Sunday, Nov 10, 2002 at 01:00

Sunday, Nov 10, 2002 at 01:00
Hi Oziexplorers,

A fella Rod Miles from Evacool posted here when there were some problems that came up with the Evacool and Dust/motor problems. His phone number is 07.5492.7777 and the thread you will find using "Evacool" under the search function. There are a few on this forum who have had warranty claims rejected by Evacool for motor failure. I do not know why the Danfross motor fails in the Evacool freezer and not the other freezers (or do they!).

Regards
Slunnie
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Follow Up By: Oziexplorer - Monday, Nov 11, 2002 at 01:00

Monday, Nov 11, 2002 at 01:00
Slunnie, yes, I did a search through the archives and did find that.
Trouble is, how to take those type of messages. You are always going to get some dissatisfied people, and it is a one sided storey.
HOWEVER, in saying that, they certainly did not appear to do the right thing by customers with their previous SupaKool range. Many got the repair job for $500, and evaKool wanted to charge others $900.
It makes you doubtful of how good their warranty and intentions are. As I previously stated, there is ZERO information on their website about warranty. The word 'warranty' is not mentioned anywhere. In Waeco and Engel's case, they are prepared to put their warranty policy up for al to see. In Waeco's case, a 5 year warranty with the terms and conditions is excellent.
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Follow Up By: Slunnie - Monday, Nov 11, 2002 at 01:00

Monday, Nov 11, 2002 at 01:00
Its a bit of a worry about the warranty. I noticed he was happily replying to questions on the thread right up until I asked something specific about the warranty - then he vanished. You would think that any company would promote their faith in a product via the warranty. Best wishes with it, and I'd love to hear if you work out the warranty issue (not that you should have to work anything out about it!).

Regards
Slunnie
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Follow Up By: Member - Nigel - Monday, Nov 11, 2002 at 01:00

Monday, Nov 11, 2002 at 01:00
Oziexplorer, my EvaKool had a 12 month warranty on the compressor and 24 months on the compresor. Only prob so far was a dicky catch, but I went back to the dealer and he got me a new one ASAP.

In the 4WD monthly comparo the evakool had a smoother temperature graph than the waeco, indicating better insulation. I once turned mine off accidentally for 7 hours (midday to 7pm) and everything was still cold enough (FNQ in autumn).
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Reply By: Member - Nigel - Monday, Nov 11, 2002 at 01:00

Monday, Nov 11, 2002 at 01:00
I bought a 68 litre EvaKool about 9 months ago - works great - I get 3 days / 2 nights from my 95 Ah deep cycle and still enought to start the car if my main battery fails. It goes offroad at least once a month on some pretty horrid tracks on the cape and/or gulf area.

Reasons for buying:
1. Lightest Fridge available
2. All Fibreglass
3. White (reflects heat)
4. EvaKool's reputation for the best insulation

They use the same danfoss compressor as nearly every other fridge (only Engel and Liemack have different compressors) so they can be fixed almost anywhere.
AnswerID: 8410

Follow Up By: Member - Nigel - Monday, Nov 11, 2002 at 01:00

Monday, Nov 11, 2002 at 01:00
Forgot to mention:

Before I bought my EvaKool I read the comparison in 4WD monthly and the EvaKool had one of the best cycle graphs (between 1 and 4 degress from memory - and very smooth). Some other fridges cycled between 0 and 5 degress or more and had more cycles in the same time period.
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Reply By: OziExplorer - Tuesday, Nov 12, 2002 at 01:00

Tuesday, Nov 12, 2002 at 01:00
Well, I bought an evaKool ED50 fridge today.
After spending all this time looking at all the different brands and their pluses and minuses, I plonked by $$$ down for the evaKool.

The Waeco 5 year warranty was *very* tempting, but the more I looked at the evaKool cabinet, not only was it a far superior cabinet in insulation, but the build quality is supurb with great hinges and handles.

After all, after the 3 way, fridges, Engel and ex Liemack/now Reefer, they all use the Danfoss compressor, so really, while the Waeco warranty was tempting, the evaKool won out. Good thing about the evaKool the top also makes an excellent work surface, and they say can be used as a seat as well - must be really rugged.

The testing in 4WD Monthly done by ADI (Australian Defence Industries) and NATA (National Association of Testing Authorities) showed how good the quality of the evaKool cabinet is. This put the icing on the cake and that is why I bought the evaKool ED50
AnswerID: 8429

Reply By: Steve - Wednesday, Nov 13, 2002 at 01:00

Wednesday, Nov 13, 2002 at 01:00
Warranty on the Evakool Fridges is 2 Years on the Compressor 12 Months on Electronics and 5 Yrs on the Cabinet.Customers with the Micro Compressor Units on there fridges were given the opportunity to fit the Danfoss units at reduced prices if they wished . Anybody that has researched the Danfoss Compressor would know that $500 is a cheap price for the unit which can give you the opportunity of a combination Fridge/Freezer. If anybody would like more details contact Steve Tanner at Evakool and I'm sure he will help you . You can contact him on 07 54927777
AnswerID: 8487

Follow Up By: Member - Nigel - Wednesday, Nov 13, 2002 at 01:00

Wednesday, Nov 13, 2002 at 01:00
Has this warranty been increased since I bought mine last year?
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Follow Up By: Cruiser - Friday, Nov 15, 2002 at 01:00

Friday, Nov 15, 2002 at 01:00
Everkool might have finally got thier act together with the new range of products, but the fact remains that they are a very unprofessional mob to have to deal with. I to, had a first generation SupaKool and had the compressor fail 3 times, and not once in my dealings with Steve Tanner was I satisfied. He is very unproffesional in the way he deals with people and will try the line " $600 is cheap to get a new compressor", however fails to realise that the owner has already outlaid over $1000 for something that has failed during warranty and to have to spend more money is not only an insult, but not justified under the Trade Practices Act. If you fall for his bull bleep lines, you have ended up paying approx $1600 which isn't cheap in the longrun. All I can say is "Buyer beware"
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Follow Up By: Steve - Saturday, Nov 16, 2002 at 01:00

Saturday, Nov 16, 2002 at 01:00
Nigel the warranty has been increased according to the new brochure out now
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