MySwag.org The Off-road Camper Trailer Forum
General => General Discussion => Topic started by: lachjake on June 11, 2011, 05:11:49 PM
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Howdy All,
Heading to the Brissie Camping show tomorrow. Looking for input on some fridges, Waeco, Evakool etc, looking at approx 50 litre. Any tips, things to look out for, things to leave alone, things that are a must?? Any info is greatly appreciated.
Also looking into a battery charger to charge one 95ah on the camper and a 12 volt lighting system ( looking at the DIY KORR lighting pack ).
Cheers :cheers:
Steve
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Evakool for the fridge mate, awesome stuff and Australian made on the sunny coast if there are dramas. {which I'm sure there won't be}
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defiantly evakool a 50L will set you back under 1k in the fibreglass model I bought one from the sydney show to go with our yellow 70l in the car
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Have a good look at the Trailblazers http://www.norcoast.com.au/ (http://www.norcoast.com.au/)
Good value too
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I have 2 Evakool 47 Litre units and they are great but I reckon my older one (bought 2nd hand) is better than the new one because the evaporator plate goes all the way around the freezer. The Bushman is a great unit and well priced and the new ARB fridge has the bells and whistles and performs well.
If you want industrial strength, check out the Traliblazer and Explorer fridges. Very big, thick insulation and $$$ to match the fact they're hand built here in Australia.
Of course nothing wrong with the proven Engel fridge but it's interesting to note 4wd Action tests show they struggle to keep temperature in really hot conditions. No doubting their reliability though.
Do a search on Waeco's and you'll be confused - some love them and others hate them. Appears to be luck of the draw. A close friend had enough of his failing and sold it but some get years without any trouble.
Mark.
Mark.
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Well I'm sure there will be plenty of opinions on this one ;D
one thing I would think about is the size or where it will live. Quite often the shape is either a little wider, higher etc. If your planning a special space then that may make a difference.
A lot of brands now use the Danfoss compressor - Waeco, ARB and others. Look for deals as well. Waeco have a good seconds outlet and often create bundles like adding a power tank, wiring loom and insulation bag.
I've only ever had Waecos and had no issues with lids breaking etc. Sure things can go wrong but that the same for all. One feature that I think is worth while is the Auto battery cut out that I think Waeco and ARB use.
Anyway, have fun choosing and using :cheers:
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Hi,
Check out the ARB fridges heaps of good features, I am VERY pleased with my ARB fridge. Very Strong and robust fridge
Check the video on this page
http://www.arb.com.au/products/arb-freezer-fridges/ (http://www.arb.com.au/products/arb-freezer-fridges/)
HTH
Ray
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look at em all, go with your gut feeling. the gut knows all.
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Engel have a special going at the moment. $1249 "Escape with ET package" for the 40L fridge.
Free; Engel 8 can thermo/cooler, Engel fishing/cooler bag, Engel fridge stand, Engel overnight plastic container set, Engel stubby cooler, Bennie, cap plus bonus transit bag.
It was in a brochure from a TJM store.
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Thanks for the info guys.....will head out tomorrow and hopefully be the owner of a fridge by the days end !! :cheers:
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Hi there,
I went to the Brissie show on Thursday and also have an Evakool. I bought it from Camping Solutions in Cleveland about a year ago.
I paid less through them than any specials at the show, I checked the prices on Thursday, out of interest, and still reckon it's cheaper out of the show...
Just my opinion, I have a 95L. It's fab, never tested the amp usage but it's never given me any worries, never drained my battery. I have a problem with it being too cool, even on the lowest eco setting....and that's a problem I am more than happy to live with!!
:cheers:
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I've got a Waeco, Engel and Norcoast ;D
Norcoast are by far the best made, talk about solid!
I like the low current draw of my Engel.
The Waeco is light.
Hope that helps ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Seriously, what SteveandViv said is best advice ... check out relative sizes, and ensure you're getting a GOOD compressor. Not all Waeco's use Danfoss.
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Ended up purchasing an EVAKOOL 60 litre. Went with my gut feel, liked Evakool all along ( borrowed my bro in laws on a recent trip) and thought it was great. Also included was the insulation cover and 240v adaptor. $799.
Thanks for the info guys !!! :cheers:
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Ended up purchasing an EVAKOOL 60 litre. Went with my gut feel, liked Evakool all along ( borrowed my bro in laws on a recent trip) and thought it was great. Also included was the insulation cover and 240v adaptor. $799.
Thanks for the info guys !!! :cheers:
well done, great price for a 60ltr fridge.!! no doubt you'll be happy with it.
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Ended up purchasing an EVAKOOL 60 litre. Went with my gut feel, liked Evakool all along ( borrowed my bro in laws on a recent trip) and thought it was great. Also included was the insulation cover and 240v adaptor. $799.
Thanks for the info guys !!! :cheers:
thats a good price.
Themissus and I went on Sunday and got ourselves a Bushman for $999. The rep was saying Saturday was an all out price war on fridges and he had dropped his price from $1099 to try keep some sales. We saw Waeco doing packs with a CF50+ a 41L esky, accessories and a trolly to wheel it to your car for $1049. Evacool had heaps of bargains in the Esky's but I don't remember the fridge prices, they had the Travelmate(looks like a waeco) fridges cheap but I'm a dubious about their thirst for amps :)
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WOW that's a great price
and a great fridge
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Ended up purchasing an EVAKOOL 60 litre. Went with my gut feel, liked Evakool all along ( borrowed my bro in laws on a recent trip) and thought it was great. Also included was the insulation cover and 240v adaptor. $799.
Thanks for the info guys !!! :cheers:
very good price and you wont be disappointed :cheers:
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thats a good price.
Themissus and I went on Sunday and got ourselves a Bushman for $999. The rep was saying Saturday was an all out price war on fridges and he had dropped his price from $1099 to try keep some sales. We saw Waeco doing packs with a CF50+ a 41L esky, accessories and a trolly to wheel it to your car for $1049. Evacool had heaps of bargains in the Esky's but I don't remember the fridge prices, they had the Travelmate(looks like a waeco) fridges cheap but I'm a dubious about their thirst for amps :)
You will not be dissapointed, good price, heaps of flexibility and low amp draw....have fun with your new toy
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Yep ;D . we are pretty damn happy with it. We are heading to Maroochydore this weekend for 5 days so I will try the new fridge and new lights on the battery and see what usage I can get. :cheers:
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I'm cooling a beer right now....don't know when I'll get to drink it as the weather lends itself to something a touch stiffer right now. just unboxed it after dinner, plugged in and set her running, 19 deg down to -4 in about 15 minutes with the 35ltr lid and nothing in it.
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Themissus and I went on Sunday and got ourselves a Bushman for $999.
Wow, $999 for a Bushman is a great price also. Best I could get when I got mine at the Sydney show last year was about $100 off
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Hi Lachjake,
I have just done a seach on the Evakool Travelmate fridge (the one that looks like a Waceo) and see you bought one at the 2011 Brisbane Caravan & Camping show. How is it going as I have just bought one at this years show and am hoping I have done the right thing?
Cheers
Wartim
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that's a good price, I got three evakool / fridge mates , pretty good gear
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Evakool are great. We have had our 68L for about 11 years. Has been fantastic. Service from evakool is brilliant. I had mine rewired about 2 years ago through the factory. Mice decided to nibble on the wiring while in storage. Evakool did a great job and pricing was very good.
Runs off the car battery for around 3 days in north Queensland depending on heat.
Enjoy your new fridge.
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Ended up purchasing an EVAKOOL 60 litre. Went with my gut feel, liked Evakool all along ( borrowed my bro in laws on a recent trip) and thought it was great. Also included was the insulation cover and 240v adaptor. $799.
Thanks for the info guys !!! :cheers:
is that the "Fridgemate" plastic style one? Looking for a fridge for my Pajero and was wondering if that style would fit lengthwise, as the compressor seems to stick out a bit. I like their ice boxes, so figure that's a good basis for a fridge. Not sure we can stretch to the $1200 or so for a 40litre Engel....
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The fridge I want to know about is the charcoal fridge brought in from China by Evakool and is branded 'Travelmate'....? This fridge has an Italian compressor called a Domus which is a copy of the Danfoss and only 2 years warranty on cabinet and compressor.
They are currently around the $600 mark (at Brisbane caravan & camping show) for a 60 litre fridge/freezer with insulated cover which puts them at the bottom end of the market, but with better warranty and hopefully reliable after sales service from a major Aussie brand.
They seem to have a high power usage though - at 32 degrees ambient with the fridge running at +2 to -2 it draws andthey have an average power draw of 1.5 amps per hour over a 24 hour period which is 36 amps a day...? I have been told the average for a Waceo/Engel or white fibreglass Everkool is under the 24 amps per day which makes these fridges 33% more efficient.
This is a big thing when running off a limited power supply?
What is everyones thoughts or experience with these fridges?
Cheers
Wartim
Cheers
Wartim
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My experience with fridges......
I own a 7-8 year old 74lt Evakool from new and a second hand 47 lt evakool
Keep them in the shade, duhhh, I have had a mate ( not to bright) complain his fridge was using heaps of power, he had it next to him in the qld sun,38 deg day trying to keep the kids iceypoles frozen?....
Pack them cold, I even pack them frozen, If I am running the unit as a fridge I will put the meat in the unit frozen. Don't pack everything in warm then try to chill it at camp
Pack them full, empty fridges run more often
Keep out of them, keep the kiddies grubby hands out of the fridge every five seconds
When I do this I have never ran out of battery power, I have 2 x 95amp hr batteries, but but but no two trips have every been the same, different food, different weather, different everything so it's so hard to say the fridge runs at ..... Amps, it's relative
All I can say is got my second hand 47 lt fridge was cheap because is was not running right, probably 10 year old fridge, I bought it on a punt, got it home, opened up the compressed box, cleaned the layer of dust off the condenser fins, runs like new.
Buy something someone else has tested for you, evakool are great, I have heard engel run forever, I would hate to spend $600 to test a product that your then not happy with
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i have a bushmaster and a 20 year old engel. Engel just powers along nicely, the bushmaster seems to have a large footprint for its internal space but a great fridge nontheless.
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Evakool for the fridge mate, awesome stuff and Australian made on the sunny coast if there are dramas. {which I'm sure there won't be}
Yeah ive had an RF60 fridge for over four years...Brilliant fridge and over efficient sometimes...Get yourself a Wireless Thermometer too...So you can keep an eye on temperatures while your driving..
Put it on your camping table too etc etc
Goodluck
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brisvegas- depends which Paj, but i have the 57l white Evakool fits in my NT lengthwise.
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Our next fridge will the RF60 Evakool. As soon as the Waeco sells ;D.
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Lachjake,
You'll be happy with your purchase.......... i love mine...... just took it out for a few day camping again last week........ removed the divider in the middle as i really didn't need anything frozen, had it running at 5 on the dial for the first day or so, had some bacon and corn meat down the freezer end and it started to freeze a little...... turned the bugger down to 3 on the dial and it was perfect........... had the temp sensor down the freezer end, and everytime i looked at it, the temp was reading somewhere around -5 deg c. Had lettuce and eggs etc at the fridge end, and they were just kept nice and cool as you'd want them to be......... had two kids and the Mrs on board with me, so the fridge got all the usual opening and closing etc.
Enjoy your new purchase.
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brisvegas- depends which Paj, but i have the 57l white Evakool fits in my NT lengthwise.
Thanks mate. Sorry for the slow reply.