Engel Two Zone - Any comments?

my thinking says...
the refrigeration all takes place below
cold air falls, warmer air rises
when lid opens warm is drawn in ( slight vacuum/venturi effect) where it stays at the top

dont expect the top product to be very cold....? but it may be very suitable for average ambient temps but must be suspect with higher ambients...to what degree or adverse effect?......some others on here can let enlighten us further

Previous reports on here by users have given this device the thumbs up while reports by non-owners/users give the device the thumbs down....lol, more info by searching.

I fitted one yesterday. Still have to test it though. Will let you know in Seprtember when we get back from our Big Trip No 2.

I know Member Number 1 is a Fridgie but to my way of thinking if hot air rises, and you open the top of the unit, that hot air will rise out into space and that ingestion/downdraught of more hot air into the unit would be negligible? Whaddya reckon, Richard?

I have used a Two Zone in the Kimberley and NT , and concur with comments by people who have used them in very hot conditions that they are an efficient and practical unit . The Two Zone comes with its own basket , and the Engel mat is repositioned from the bottom of the Engel to the bottom of the Two Zone basket to create the division between the [ lower ] freezer compartment and the refrigerator . Fill the freezer with pre-frozen product and this forms a 'cold bank ' which aids efficiency . Access to the lower compartment is easy , either by swinging the Two Zone up , or by lifting out the top basket . Freezer will stay frozen if generator power is applied for 1 hour in morning , and 1.5 hours at sunset . Operation from a dual battery system would be fine , so long as you aren't going to pull down temp of large quantities of unfrozen product . Convenient place for mounting for single or couple of travellers is behind the front passenger seat , facing forward . This allows access for drinks and snacks from inside the vehicle .

Hi Mike,
My parents have just bought one (29l) and tested it for a week before they left for Broome . Dad was very impressed. He cut a piece of 3mm ply wood to fit in the bottom of the basket to seperate the two temp zones . Talked to a guy who had one and he just uses it as a big fridge he said it was well worth the money.
Regards
Col

As these are apparently made in WA they obviously must be good. I would love to have one....but the PRICE! Around $325 for what is basically just an insulated tube with a couple of seals and catches and a wire basket, I just can't justify that sort of expense.

I have an Engel 40ltr which is brilliant. On long trips (which for me means only about 3 weeks unfortunately) I run the Engel as a freezer and carry a cheap Esky to keep things cool. I have two 2 litre plastic bottles of water which I freeze before leaving home, each morning I swap the bottles over, one into the Engel to re-freeze, the frozen one into the Esky with the frozen food needed that night. The water bottle and the defrosting food keep the esky nice and cool. Has worked well for me and I am pretty sure that lots of people do the same.

I have dual batteries which have been in for over two years now and haven't missed a beat, I don't use anything else like solar panels (don't understand them) or generators (can't abide them). However, I rarely camp in one spot for more than 2-3 nights and usually (but not always) use my vehicle every day which recharges the batteries.

It's the same as everything - if you have the money and will get the use out of it then go for it, I am sure it is a great product - what can go wrong with a tube?

For all the handyman types out there - surely someone can work out how to get the same effect for 20% of the price by cutting the bottom out of an Esky and making a few alterations - I look forward to seeing the instructions on this forum soon!

I had a 39 L Engel and considered putting a hat on it. I thought $350 for the hat to be a bit over the top.

So I did this....sold the Engel for $650, added the $350 and got an 80 L Waeco from the Fridge Shop for $990 delivered to my door. Eighteen months on and I'm still happy with my decision. I've got an 80 L job that I can put seperators (supplied) into and can be run as a genuine fridge and freezer or remove the seperators and run it as all fridge.

Bloody versatile unit.

And the Engel with the hat would have been impossible to open in the back of the car.

Just my thoughts and experience for what it is worth.

I have a 39L Engel fridge which is good BUT whatever you want out of it it is allways on the bottom. Everthing comes out of the fridge each time you want somthing ,, putting the two zone compartment on the top would make things twice as bad. I would be thinking about buying another fridge (29L) if you wanted more room and use one as a fridge and one as a freezer

Hi,

My name is Aaron Rowley I work for Twozone, for information on inderpendant testing conducted by Origin Energy in South Australia fell free to visit the twozone website www.twozone.com.au . The areas you will find of interest are the Test results on the toolbar and the storage of fruit and vegtables on the product page.

Also by reading the "How to get the best out of your Twozone" (on prooduct page) you will gain a greater understanding of how the product works and what it is designed to do. Use it for what it has been designed and you never have any problem.

If any body wishes to discuss any information in further please don't hesiate to contact me on 08 9309 2418 I will gladly ring you back to save you the intersate call costs.

Cheers

Aaron Rowley

Hi Mike,
I currently travelling NT, and bofore leaving home bought the two-zone for my Engel 40. We run the fridge as a freezer and have the two-zone full of drink cans. It takes about 1.5 -> 2 days for the cans to get nice an cold, but the have never frozen.

So the wife is happy - she gets the full 40 litres for food, I get 20L (two-zone) for my stash of drink cans.

Just watch the combined height of two zone on the Engel still opens in your rig.

Yes, they are expensive, but if you wait for a Rays Outdoors sale, you can get 24.5% discount!!

Big thumbs up from me...

Rob