Waeco 18lt Fridge - Your experience?

[LJs GU]

We bought a Waeco 18lt (CF-18) a few weeks ago to use as a freezer for long trips.  We also have a 40lt Engel for fridge use, and both sit in the back of the Patrol.
We used it for the first time last weekend (as a freezer) when we were down at Wilsons Prom for 4 days where the weather was cold and crappy, ie it wasn't hot.

Anyway I noticed that any food that sits in the bottom area (the bit that is not surrounded by the cooling element/evaporator) has a hard time keeping the food frozen.  The top area does but that's because it's completely surrounded by the element. The 'coldness' doesn't seem to flow down to keep things completely frozen.

So the question for those who've used one (as a freezer) is, how do you find it?
LJ

[Bird]

http://myswag.org/forum/index.php?topic=13123.msg269063#msg269063
Shoot Jkohn a messasge, says he does here.
'especially as we normally run an 80lt Waeco fridge and an 18lt Waeco as a freezer off the camper batteries.'


I'd be interested as I've been lookin into this myself.

[LJs GU]

Cheers Lost, will do. I think 'Dion' has one too...

To give you more of an idea, we had some kids icepoles (google 'zooper dooper') standing upright and the bottom inch of them was liquid. Also, we had hamburgers at the bottom (already pre frozen from home in a freezer bag) that part of them had started to thaw in the first couple of days.
LJ

[JCOJ]

We have used our 18lt Waeco as a freezer in our camper every time we go away which has included several 30c+ days while in the Top End.  We usually pre-cook about 8 meals and put them in our home freezer to freeze, then the morning before we leave transfer them into the Waeco (which we turn on the night before).

The Mrs has just told me (as I never go into the freezer) that anything on the back shelf thingy will start to thaw as will anything left near the top - but both of these occur only after about 3 days if left in the same position.  Nothing has ever thawed at the bottom.  If not using anything from the freezer for a few days she will rotate what is in there to put the top items down the bottom and vice versa -but has only done this twice in all the time that we have had a freezer in the camper.

Overall she said it has not been an issue, and we do have ice creams in there - although they are lucky to last more than 2 days!!

Hope this helps.

[Ruffstuff]

I have two x 35 Ltr in the Trak Shak using them both as fridges , not freezers and have the opposite problem, everything on the bottom freezes (even on the second temp setting) everything on top stays warm.. also have a 40ltr engel and have never experienced this issue.
I have taken to placing a rubber mat in the bottom of the waecos which has mitigated the issue to an extent but i still need to keep an eye on it all the time which i find frustrating.

[LJs GU]

We usually pre-cook about 8 meals and put them in our home freezer to freeze, then the morning before we leave transfer them into the Waeco (which we turn on the night before).

Yeah that's us too.

anything on the back shelf thingy will start to thaw

You must be talking about the area on the right hand side (with the fridge facing you)... the area that must be above the compressor etc? That part's fine for us though?!

Hmmm the thot plickens... Roughly what do you set your dial at? Ours was about half way and the thermometer read about -14 deg C

[JCOJ]

All the lights are on when we use ours - coldest setting there is.

[Dion]

Never run ours as a freezer for a long period so can't comment unfortunately.

Our 18L is now used as a drinks/butter/overflow fridge in the camper, and we've got a Trailblaza 20L fridge as a freezer when required.