sidewinder fridge/freezer
Submitted: Tuesday, Jun 10, 2008 at 19:33
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bradnshaz
anybody considering buying a new fridge should seriously consider one of these . i bought one just before leaving on an 8 week trip from
perth to kununara & return including the
gibb river road & kalumbaru . we packed the fridge and freezer to the brim before leaving and it worked perfectly .
we camped on
ningaloo station for 6 days & the thermometer showed ambient temperature maximums from 38 - 52 degrees ( whilst the fridge was sitting in the canvas awning of the camper )
it also showed the fridge never rose above 3.4 degrees everything in the freezer stayed frozen .
we have two agm batterys totaling 210 amp hours & although after 4 days the fridge was still going , i ran the generator/charger for the day & never used it again on our trip as all our other stays were 3 days or less before we ran the car . i would highly recommend this fridge to anyone for quality/price & reliability . i have no vested interest in this product i am just one very happy customer . ( i also own an engel )
Reply By: Member - Allan C (VIC) - Wednesday, Jun 11, 2008 at 21:14
Wednesday, Jun 11, 2008 at 21:14
We have previously had two Engel fridges, which due to noise and vibration we changed for a Sidewinder and we would agree with you about the performance - no issues at all - definitely the quietest and smoothest fridge we have owned.
Our problem is that about 10 days out of warranty, when we had the fridge running in the garage it just stopped running. We contacted Derek Bester from Sidewinder and he was most helpful and sent us down a replacement board which we fitted, but to no avail.
The next step was to take it to the first electronics place that Derek recommended, but they wouldn't touch it as it was a fridge they knew nothing about, so we notified Derek and took it to the next place he recommended. Derek had already rung this person, so he was expecting us and currently has had our fridge for over a week.
We have been told by Derek that he will supply parts at cost - but to just stop running so soon out of warranty and have to pay for parts and labour -even at cost - doesn't leave a good taste in our mouths.
Hopefully it is just one of those things and all will be
well from now on - we will have to wait and see.
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: geocacher (djcache) - Thursday, Jun 12, 2008 at 11:34
Thursday, Jun 12, 2008 at 11:34
PM via your profile...
Dave
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Follow Up By: bradnshaz - Friday, Jun 13, 2008 at 13:08
Friday, Jun 13, 2008 at 13:08
gday allan
not so good to hear about the fridge , but good to hear that derek is doin his best to resolve the problem .
can understand you having a bitter taste having to pay for repairs
when just out of warranty though .
but saying that ,electronics fail everyday & its just unfortunate that yours failed when it did .
a 1 year warranty does not last for 1year 10 days .
i hope it all works out & would be interested in what it costs you to repair
regards brad
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Follow Up By: geocacher (djcache) - Friday, Jun 13, 2008 at 22:13
Friday, Jun 13, 2008 at 22:13
Actually it does on expensive items.
In Victoria it's called "implied warranty" and it's covered in the Trade Practices Act.
It is based on the principle that the consumer can reasonably expect a product of significant value to perform it's intended function for a reasonable lifespan.
It's also why extended warranties are a joke. Retailers are collecting money to cover their implied warranty obligation so that when that right could have been exercised by the consumer anyway they are still making a profit on it.
I've used it on an 18 month old phone that failed. Consumer affairs took the position that I had a reasonable expectation as a consumer that a phone with a RRP of $900 would last the two years that the it was contracted for. It was replaced with a refurbed unit.
The "implied warranty" is between the retailer who sold the product and the consumer. It is up to the retailer to work out the rest with the manufacturer if they can recover their costs.
Dave
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