El cheapo fridge from Repco
Submitted: Friday, Sep 18, 2009 at 18:24
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xxx
I was in
Alice Springs on a Sunday a few weeks ago, about to head bush, and discovered the Engel was malfunctioning.
All the 4WD outlets were closed, and I was staring down the barrel of warm p... for a week. We were directed to the Repco store where they had a 55L dual compartment fridge/freezer wearing the Gearup badge.
I note someone bought one on special in April for $600. I paid $799 ($200 more - choke, vomit) but it was a lot less that the $1300 I was going to have to stump up for the 40 L Engel.
It also included a 12.5 Amp 12 V power supply, and a bag.
It worked very
well on the trip, and appears
well constructed.
Has anyone had any experience with 'Gearup'?
As a follow up, the Engel hadn't failed. The fuse in the line to the auxillary battery had gone 'open' without blowing, so the voltage had dropped to a point where the Engel's green light was on but the compressor wouldn't crank. 95 L of refrigeration is certainly the way to travel.
Reply By: Road Warrior - Friday, Sep 18, 2009 at 20:43
Friday, Sep 18, 2009 at 20:43
Like you I'd never heard of them until I saw them on sale in Repco. Aside from that, I've never heard of or seen that brand at all, anywhere. Is it a 3 way or compressor fridge?
AnswerID:
383690
Follow Up By: xxx - Saturday, Sep 19, 2009 at 08:33
Saturday, Sep 19, 2009 at 08:33
Domus 60Watt Compressor.
It works very
well and had no trouble freezing quite large items in the freezer section.
FollowupID:
651442
Follow Up By: Member - ross m (WA) - Saturday, Sep 19, 2009 at 12:51
Saturday, Sep 19, 2009 at 12:51
Any idea on how much power it uses?
Sounds like it might be ideal for the occasional user
FollowupID:
651473
Reply By: Tenpounder (SA) - Friday, Sep 18, 2009 at 21:00
Friday, Sep 18, 2009 at 21:00
Thanks for an interesting story. I guess that the fuse didn't actually go (completely) open, but actually went high resistance, but with enough connectivity to light the green lamp. So my question (any experts willing to help??) is that a multimeter placed across the terminals at the end of the 12v supply lead would show OK, and only collapse when load is supplied. So how could you diagnose this condition, other than by monitoring voltage under load? Presumably it would show up from a tapping into the 12v leads whilst connected and operating?
It's a hard one!!
AnswerID:
383693
Follow Up By: xxx - Saturday, Sep 19, 2009 at 08:43
Saturday, Sep 19, 2009 at 08:43
TP
The fuse was completely open so the voltage in the auxiliary battery had dropped to about 11 volts- enough to light the LED but the low voltage cutout ensured the compressor didn't drain the battery further.
It was one of the 50 Amp glass fuses. It looked completely normal. I didn't have the multimeter with me so I 'sniffed' along the line with a 12V globe until I noticed where the problem lay. I think I might change to the blade type fuses.
I was rushed for time - arrived in AS by plane, picked up vehicle from where it had been stored, didn't want to keep other members of the party waiting. With more time I would have solved the problem before I bought the new fridge.
As it was, I had time once we set up
camp that night.
I was pleased to not have an Engel problem, pleased to have a nice new fridge, but less pleased at spending $799 because I was rushed.
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Follow Up By: Tenpounder (SA) - Saturday, Sep 19, 2009 at 09:04
Saturday, Sep 19, 2009 at 09:04
Thanks for the explanation: I misunderstood you the first time, and overlooked the fact that you clearly said the fuse was on the input side of the Aux. I had a similar issue last year, with a loose connection to my aux setup, but I have a voltmeter permanently installed in the control box, so I didn't suspect the Engel itself when it stopped cooling.
It's great to be able to learn from others, eh?
FollowupID:
651446