Travelmate fridge by Evakool have I done the right thing?

[wartim]

I bought a 60 litre Travelmate Fridge by Evakool today at the Brisbane Caravan & Camping show and am hoping I have done the right thing? I wanted the better Evakool fibreglass fridge/freezer or the Fridgemate fridge/freezer.

However when I weighted up the costs of the above single higher end fridge of around $1100 and the fact I would only use 3 or 4 times a year I went with the cheaper 60 litre Travelmate fridge/freezer for $600 and got a Evakool 100 Watt Folding Mono Crystalline Panel with builtin regulator and carry bag for $400 and was left with $100 in my pocket.

Has anyone had experience with the Evakool Travelmate Fridge andEvakool 100 watt sola panels?

Cheers

Wartim

[wartim]

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

[corynmelnkids]

Good choice some of us don't have endless amounts off money and have try these cheaper brands and most of the time they are just as good as the much dearer Brand named units. In my opinion Engell may be a very good and reliable unit but at that much extra not for me i will take my chance with a cheaper alternative.

[chisel]

It'll use some more power and has a higher probably of breaking down but as you say, you've scored a solar panel as well as the fridge for under the price of the competition so I'd say you've done ok.
Let us know how it goes.

[lilstookie]

We have one 45lt. Been running off our 120ah battery for 2 months I and being charged by 160w panel. The battery hits full charge by 11am every morning and just float charges from there.
We are happy with it.
We don't have $2,000 for an engel.
We don't notice extra power usage.
You would have to be a anally retentive power nazi to stress about the difference between do us and danfoss

Ours cost $579 I'm not complaining. It does what it says on the box.

[corynmelnkids]

nice one agree totally

You would have to be a anally retentive power nazi to stress about the difference between do us and danfoss

Ours cost $579 I'm not complaining. It does what it says on the box.

[Maîneÿ . . .]

They seem to have a high power usage though - @ 32 degrees ambient with the fridge running @ +2 to -2 it draws ?? and they 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?

First thing is to get it into perspective 

You have to know, are you comparing a fridge with the same 60 Lt capacity, and 'how do they get the 24 amps per day' and I think you will find it is less than 60 Lt, and tested under ideal test conditions not under real life working like a camping fridge conditions.

Turn the fridge temp from +2° up to +4° and you will see a drastic improvement

Get a second (AGM deep cycle) battery and you will not have any problems

( for comparison my fridge is 70 Lt and 1.8 ah ) 

[Jason B]

Mate, the fridge sounds like it was the right choice for your usage and budget. It is backed by evacool who are a reputable company. I have one of their 50 LT fibre glass fridges that is over 10 years old, it is still going strong. I also have a couple of there ice boxes a 40lt and a 120lt. They are great and one of the best insulated fridges/boxes on the market. BUT they are more fragile than the poly/plastic type fridges like your travel mate. The fibre glass is easily bashed around compared to the plasic ones which can take a fair amount of abuse in the back of a ute for example.

Depending on how long you are travelling for, a mate showed me a great trick to reduce your power usage duing trips (1-4days). He would freeze one or two bottles of water (an empty 2lt milk bottle refilled with water and frozen is perfect) and put them in the fridge. This works as an ice bank in the fridge helping to keep the contents cold and reduces the need for the fridge motor to cycle so often. It can save you 10amps a day.


Regards

Jas

[D4D]

It is easier to keep a full fridge cool than an empty fridge. Moral of the story, keep the fridge full of JD

[cruisindub]

I've been watching and reading this thread for a couple days now.
Must admit, I'm a bit confused.

You've already bought the fridge?

What are you worried about?  It still works? Its not broken? What's the issue?

Fill it full of beer and food and enjoy.!

  Don't sweat the small stuff!!!

[wartim]

Thanks everyone for your constructive imput, I think the fridge will be fine. 

Cheers

Wartim

[Malcolm Tugless]

I've been doing some testing on the 45lt travelmate. It draws between 3.7 and 4 amps when running, thats about the same as a wacko. The unit has been running constantly in the back of the black Subaru forester for over a week, using a 60 amp deep cycle battery that is charged through a VSR under the hood via a DC / DC charger into the battery. The cycling seems to average a maximum of 15 minutes per hour, and more than probably less.
Prior to running the unit under these conditions I had it connected to the 60 amp battery in a stand alone test for two days. The battery voltage never got lower than 12.38 volts during that time.
Quite impressive considering that this unit costs half as much as its competitors.
Maybe the Domus compressor is just as economic as its highly regarded relative. Now that would be funny wooded tit.

[jeb1900]

Nah mate, you really cannot do the wrong thing as a consumer in Australia.  Australian consumers are very privileged and are protected by consumer law.  If a product is advertised to do something, and it cannot then you are entitled to request that supplier to exchange or replace it. 

You made your purchase in full consideration of all your prior research.  You cannot go wrong. 

[Swaggie]

Hiya Mate

I have the RF 60l fridge and its been fantastic...One thing i would do if you only use it once a year,run it every 6-8 weeks,Its got a 2 year warranty so use it as much as you can in that time,even if its inside your house just put soft drinks in it...


Goodluck,they stand by there product quite well...

[pepiman]

I bought the 45ltr Evakool Travelmate Fridge and Evakool 80watt solar panels at the Rosehill camping show in 2010 
and they have been great.

[brispaj]

Sorry to dig up an old post, but how are these fridges going? Im in the search for a fridge and don't have very deep pockets.

[TheWall]

Bris paj. Another thread has stated that Aldi have one this weekend. I think a 40l for $450?

[Me]

Sorry to dig up an old post, but how are these fridges going? Im in the search for a fridge and don't have very deep pockets.

We have the 80L version & it's been shaken along a lot of very ordinary dirt roads in the CT. Ours has been great, we have had no issues with it.

[Sawed-Off]

Yeah, old thread, but a couple of comments.

On reliability, I've been in the workshop of the local "go-to guy" for portable fridges. EVERY brand is on his repair bench, cheap and dear. They will all need maintenance at some point.

The tip about frozen water bottles is a good one.

I have an Evakool fibreglass 80L that sits in the sun on my tray. I worried about power usage and was ready to buy a 5" Trailblaza. I needn't have bothered. A bit of driving and the batteries (2x 100AH AGM from autoelecau) are topped up, and the fridge doesn't use as much power as I anticipated.

[Malcolm Tugless]

Sorry to dig up an old post, but how are these fridges going? Im in the search for a fridge and don't have very deep pockets.

Still going strong ... more than happy with its performance. Value for money's what I call it.