Is the Engel 2 Zone any good?

Jason,
I bought one for my old Engel. It does provide extra space but if you have the fridge fairly full (usual) then there is very little air circulation. Cold air falls, hot air rises so I found that there was not a lot of cooling in the top part.

I bought the smallest 5v computer fan I could find, mounted it in a piece of plastic tube and sit it vertical in the bottom corner nearest to the thermostat. It is wired so it turns on/off with the fridge compressor. I have a small 2 pin connector so it is easy to take out. This makes a huge difference to the temp in the top section. Without it I don't consider the 2-zone usable.

I doubt I would have bought the 2-zone if I had known the above.

cheers
alastair

I have no idea if there is enough room?? What size fridge do you have??

They are good! Remember that they are not made by Engel and you will have to modify your transit bag. Don't just fold it over the back of the fridge as this will reduce air circulation to the compressor.

I have considered one, but it will make the fridge too tall in our application.

cheers

Mate,
Reviewed the two zone over 8 months and the responses were mixed, checked the price of a second fridge and I ended up by a second hand Engel (32 ltr) for $150 more than the two zone. I'm happy with a freezer for the G&Ts.

Cheers

We have one

Run the 32lt Engel on freeze all of the time and it works well. However, it did struggle in Darwin a bit and drinks in the top section were'nt that cold..

The transit bag attaches to the top via two velchro strips and ventilation is'nt a problem.

Cheers

Yes I have the two zone on my 60 lt but it did struggle in the NT as Willem said.You definately need a fan in it.
Cheers

Captain did a post the other day about how he was disappointed with the performance of a 2zone he bought until he installed a fan to circulate the cold air. Worth doing a quic search.

Leroy

Jason,

I've also got one but generally use the bottom as a fridge and the top as a crisper for the vegies etc. It works well for this setup.
I cut the board out of the lid of the bag and rolled it up against the handle. Bought the separate bag for the top.

The only time I use the bottom as a freezer is transporting frozen seafood but I'm not sure what temp the top runs at. The top is only about 20L so I don't think big enough to hold enough drinks and perishables for a decent trip with a few troops.

Hi,
I have an Engel 40, with a two zone. I run the Engel as a freezer for long trips, and the two zone on top for drinks. My experience with this configuration is the two zone will freeze drinks eventually, so I placed a 3/4 piece of cardboard on the tray of the two zone to provide some barrier to the freezer. I find this works well and helps reduce over freezing for items in the two zone.

Cheersm,
Rob

Hi Jason,

Here is a link to my earlier post on the Two ZoneTwo Zone thread[/url]. Why it doesn't have a fan from the factory is a mystery to me.

Anyway, my wife is happy as she now has heaps of room for the fruit and veg, I am happy as we have heaps of room for the food and drinks . And on the longer trips I borrow my brothers 40L engel so we have a fridge/crisper/freezer.

Cheers

Captain