engel fridge

Submitted: Monday, Aug 23, 2010 at 16:21

ThreadID: 80893 Views:4359 Replies:5 FollowUps:4

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Portable Fridges

The debate over which fridge is the best on the market is one of the most contested discussions in the camping recreation. In this article we look at the range of features and the major issues to

oztours

We head off on our little adventure this Saturday.

Just a quick question in regards to powering our 38l eclipse. Its runs off 240 and 12 volt.

We can only run the fridge when in the car with the keys in the ignition turned to accessories. What happens when we need to leave the car for a tour or something? Will the fridge stay cold with no power?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

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Reply By: Member -Dodger - Monday, Aug 23, 2010 at 16:34

Monday, Aug 23, 2010 at 16:34

Your fridge will stay cold for an hour or so if the ambient temp is cool however as we lock our vehicles and they are often in the sun temps inside rise dramatically making it hard for the fridge in esky mode.
Suggest that you get a dedicated power source from you battery for the fridge and keep it running.
Remember that this will flatten your starter battery in time.
Most of these fridges use around 3amps per hour so simply divide your battery amp hrs by 3 then again by 2 and this will give you the max hrs that you can realistically leave the vehicle.
This is why most 4wd people install a dual battery system.
This would then be a better idea.
There are many other variables but the above is the simplistic version.

I used to have a handle on life, but it broke.

Cheers Dodg.

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AnswerID: 428144

Reply By: Rangiephil - Monday, Aug 23, 2010 at 16:37

Monday, Aug 23, 2010 at 16:37

Only for a while.
Depends on what the inside temperature of the car is but IMHO it would be dangerous at more than say 2 hours on a day where the interior temp was say 30degrees and that with an insulated cover..
The whole Philosophy of Engel and like fridges is that they do not draw too much power from the battery while left on for several hours /overnight and most people run a wire directly from the battery or second battery..

If you wanted to leave stuff in a hot car without power perhaps you should have bought a eutectic fridge like an autofridge, which freezes a fluid around the interior.
Regards Philip A

AnswerID: 428145

Reply By: vk1dx - Monday, Aug 23, 2010 at 17:00

Monday, Aug 23, 2010 at 17:00

Go to an autoelectrician NOW ASAP, and get a socket installed somewhere in the car that runs directly from the battery on it own fused circuit. Then get a monitor device that will turn the fridge off when the voltage gets below a certain safe cranking voltage.

Then give yourself a kick for not doing it earlier. Sorry but its a basic fridge requirement.

Phil

AnswerID: 428148

Follow Up By: vk1dx - Monday, Aug 23, 2010 at 17:06

Monday, Aug 23, 2010 at 17:06

Then when you get back get an extra battery installed as an accessories battery for things like the fridge and extra lighting. Add a couple of extra oulets as well.

Couple this up with a good quality dual battery management system to ensure it both gets charged from the car alternator and the cranking battery is not run flat by the fridge and all the lighting and accessories you like to run.

I hope this helps.

Phil

FollowupID: 698836

Follow Up By: oztours - Tuesday, Aug 24, 2010 at 10:13

Tuesday, Aug 24, 2010 at 10:13

we actually already multiple outlets in our vech.

FollowupID: 698932

Follow Up By: oztours - Tuesday, Aug 24, 2010 at 10:16

Tuesday, Aug 24, 2010 at 10:16

There will be no kicking ourselves - we are in our early 20's and the fridge was actually a gift that we got this week (one week before our trip)..... originally we were using a an eski... we are just grateful to have a fridge.

FollowupID: 698933

Follow Up By: vk1dx - Tuesday, Aug 24, 2010 at 11:02

Tuesday, Aug 24, 2010 at 11:02

Okay!! Its a bit hard then when the kit arrives late. Our fridge arrived a week before our Kimberley trip but luckily we already had multiple full time outlets wired up throughout the car.

Take a rain check on the kicking then. I find it a bit hard to kick myself in my derier anyway.

Lucky on getting it as a gift.Well done. They are not cheap.

May I suggest getting a spare 12V power cord. Ours broke and our sons also broke on his last trip. 240V ones are a dime a dozen standard 240V cable.

Are the multiple 12V outlets wired through the ignition accessory supply? If so move them to a fused supply direct from the battery. That way if you get an accessories battery its a simple matter to move them to the accessory battery. It also means you don't have to leave the keys in the car to power up the fridge.

Please excuse me if you have done all this already. I don't mean to tell you to such eggs. Okay!!!

Enjoy

Phil

FollowupID: 698939

Reply By: Member - peter f (VIC) - Monday, Aug 23, 2010 at 21:30

Monday, Aug 23, 2010 at 21:30

change the power supply to constant power .
not very hard ,and put a seperate fuse in for it
mechpete

AnswerID: 428201

Reply By: Injected - Tuesday, Aug 24, 2010 at 14:17

Tuesday, Aug 24, 2010 at 14:17

OR you could purchase an Engel Batt pack 28 or 56 Amp/Hr (or similar) to get you out of trouble for this trip. The fridge will run off the batt pack when car is stopped when you are out of the vehicle and then recharges when you start your car up.
Probably pay to see an auto sparkie to have an upgraded charge cable from batt to outlet in back than running through the cig socket for recharging,as most factory wiring is CR_P!.
This is a good system if you have rear in the rear near fridge and no room under bonnet or you have a soft roader etc or dont want to have a permenant dual battery system.
Cheers Gus.

AnswerID: 428270