Advice needed-metal ute camper setups-ENGEL

[chargd86]

Sorry for all the newbie questions but this site is a wealth of information!!

Im in the process of building a steel framed alloy sided camper setup on the back of my ute and have been tossing up ideas of fridges until i came across the engel 95l upright.

It is more aimed at cravan and van campers more that a ute setup but i want an upright not a chest!

I rang engel today to see what their ideas were about me running this fridge in my ute and they said not suited. Reason: the unit will get far too hot in summer time and reduce the life and be very ineficient. so fair enough.

I asked about running a chest fridge in the same application but again too hot blah blah not suited.


Obviously there are people with fridges in cars/ campers that see bloody hot ausie temperatures . 2 people i work with use their engels in ute with canopy/ gq wagon in hot temperatures and have no issues. So what are peoples thoughts/ alternitavely using.

[Gunna Do]

I'm only guessing, but will the fridge be in or under some sort of canopy or cover?  If it will be, I can't see any problem with installing a fridge there.  There would be thousands of campers out there with fridges stored in boxes/cupboards, and many hundreds of utes with fridges in the tray, and all doing the job without any problem.  I can't see how under a cover in the back of a ute could be any hotter than in the back of a wagon which is all locked up and sitting in the sun.

Below is a picture where our upright fridge is mounted in the wedgebox on the front of our camper.

[GGV8Cruza]

I dont see a problem with it, the only thing is that the fridge is going to have to work a lot harder and that means a lot more use of battery reserves. In my last ute with a canopy the ambient temperature hit the 60 degree mark quite often and the engel handled it, we always had some cold beverages on hand.

GG

[darren]

My old 39l engle lives in the back of my wagon and when where not driving it would get dam hot in there. As long as you can get a little air flow over the condenser i dont see a problem. Of course it will use a little more power, but i think they are covering their ar$e

[chargd86]

Thanks for your advice guys, -> gunna do is that area ventilated in your wedgebox? becaus that near exactly what i will be doing?

Also i did ask the guy from engel about the issue with the vibration and rough roads on the upright unit itself compared to a chest (which my mates own and cop a hiding)  and all i got was that things will move around in the fridge (obviously) but i was realy wanting to know aobut the fridge internals-electronics handling the rough stuff? 

[chargd86]

this is the general idea of the box it will be in.

[Gunna Do]

Thanks for your advice guys, -> gunna do is that area ventilated in your wedgebox? becaus that near exactly what i will be doing?

It has a small mushroom type breather at the back of the compartment behind the fridge, and a hatch type flap on the back edge of the box.  It does get hot in there, but we have never had any trouble with the fridge doing its job of keeping things cold.  Having the alloy checkerplate protection on the top of the box seems to attrack a lot of heat also, and would probably be better painted white.

I know you said about stuff moving refering to the workings of the fridge, but when we got ours, I was more worried about stuff moving in the fridge, which doesn't seem to be a problem.

I cannot see you having any problem keeping your fridge in a canopy such as in the picture above.

[chargd86]

Realy appreciate the help mate you should be a fridge salesman

[geopaj]

chargd86, a mate of mine has the same ex-Telstra steal canopy (his is on an ex-Telstra Mazda Bravo).

He has been running an upright fridge/freezer in the canopy for the last 3 or so years without any issues. He uses it every day to keep his stock cool.  His setup has crossed the Simpson (inc Oodnadatta & Birdsville Tracks), and went to the Birdsville Races this year.

His is either an Engel or Waeco... I can't remember.

The Telstra canopies are good because they have insulation in the roof and are white so don't get as hot as some canapies do.

[Foo]

I can't see there being much difference in the ride of the ute to a van.

Maybe put a small fan that will pull air from the outside to the condenser area! 

[Ray-C]

chargd86, Talking from my experience I had an 80lt Waeco in a alloy metal vented  box and found on hot day it wasn't cooling but was working way too hard. when I took it out of the box it was alot better. These days they fit solar fans to the boxes .
I have done away with all of that and have a 100 lt trailblazer in the back of the ute . I think good ventilation is the key. I hope this helps in your build.   

[Estelle]

Hi Chargd86,

As mentioned, you just need some form of air flow, and I've found an exhaust fan to be more suited in such instances than a fan that blows air in. With an exhaust fan, the air flow seems to be more widespread than a blowing fan which tends to direct the air.

Maybe something like the air units on top of dog trailers.

Depends on your setup.

Cheers,
John.