Author Topic: 60L Ridge Ryder fridge freezer (EvaKool re-badged for supercheap auto)  (Read 22547 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline grafy82

  • Hard Floor Camper User
  • *****
  • Posts: 825
  • Thanked: 41 times
  • Gender: Male
I know the 'which fridge is best' question has been done to death already but I'm more looking for info just on this fridge. I have just sold my 40L Engel so we can buy something with a bit more capacity as the family has outgrown the small fridge. I have been looking at the Ridge Ryder fridges in supercheap for a while and the 60L is on sale now for only $799. They are made by EvaKool and still have an EvaKool sticker on them and national EvaKool warranty. Has anyone got one of these and or had any good/bad experience with them? I would love the Engel in this size but at $1600 ish, its out of the question.
My Trailer Build
http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=16864.0

You can't believe everything you read on the Internet. - Julius Caesar

Offline grafy82

  • Hard Floor Camper User
  • *****
  • Posts: 825
  • Thanked: 41 times
  • Gender: Male
I've checked them out in store and they seem well built enough. Just can't find much info on the net about them.
My Trailer Build
http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=16864.0

You can't believe everything you read on the Internet. - Julius Caesar

Offline edz

  • Hard Top Camper User
  • ******
  • Posts: 6880
  • Thanked: 926 times
  • Gender: Male
  • " I dont like Sheeple "
You would have to think if they are built and still carry all the Evakool stickers / warranty that its just badge branding and the components should be the same quality .
Would Ridge Ryder be one of the super groups own brand , would  do a nation wide deal for bulk orders to get a decent cost reduction and have x many units  rebadged .. my thoughts on it, good price though ..
" IMPROVISE  ADAPT   OVERCOME   and  PERSEVERE  "

Offline muzza01

  • Hard Top Camper User
  • ******
  • Posts: 3987
  • Thanked: 106 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Y62 S5 Nissan Patrol and Tanami 13 Hybrid
    • Photobucket Muz
How long is the warranty Grafy? SuperCrap used to extend their warranty on items if you were a member, not sure if they still do it.

65 litres is much better than 40, me and the Mrs fill our 95 litre Evacool whether it's a two week trip or a three day trip.

Offline MarkVS

  • Hard Floor Camper User
  • *****
  • Posts: 1354
  • Thanked: 63 times
  • Gender: Male
My understanding is that they aren't "made" by EvaKool....

I was looking a while ago, and EvaKool told me that they have varying ranges, that they have made to specs they provide, in line with the market (price, type) they want to sell for.

The only ones they make are the fibreglass.

MarkVS

2020 Patrol Series 5
2015 Complete Campsite Exodus 14

2013,2015,2017 National Meet
Survivor 2013 McGirr Across the Gulf trip
2014 McGirr Cape trip
2016 Duggie Savannah trip
2018 McGirr Kimberley

For every situation you have 3 choices. Live with it, change it, or leave it. But only pick one

Offline Muckinhell

  • Soft Floor Camper User
  • ****
  • Posts: 691
  • Thanked: 38 times
  • Gender: Male
  • 2014 Ecomate traveller forward fold.
more on the whole fridge selection, i sold a 60ltr trailblazer and bought 2 40ltr evakool fridges cause needed more room, best decision i ever made as 2 seperate fridges easier to move and when you run one low you can combine into 1 and shut one off saving power, and easier for day trips to lug a 40ltr around too.
2005 HDJ100r Sahara
Better to look at it, than for it!

Offline grafy82

  • Hard Floor Camper User
  • *****
  • Posts: 825
  • Thanked: 41 times
  • Gender: Male
They are covered by a 2 year nation wide EvaKool warranty. Went to the camping expo in Townsville today and couldn't find any good deals, so I'm off to supercheap to buy one right now. Nothing else comes close for the price. Wish me luck I suppose  ;D
My Trailer Build
http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=16864.0

You can't believe everything you read on the Internet. - Julius Caesar

Offline duggie

  • Hard Top Camper User
  • ******
  • Posts: 2455
  • Thanked: 176 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Dont you just love it.
If you give EVAKOOL a ring or go on to their web page, the often have FACTORY SECOND/RECONDITIONED  fridges going fairly cheap. I bought one of the  FACTORY SECOND/RECONDITIONED 100 Litre Koolmate Dual-Compartment Fridge/Freezer and still comes with the Evakool no fuss 5 year warranty . Saved over $300 and there is only a couple of small dents in the lid.


I have attached a link to the EVAKOOL FACTORY SECOND/RECONDITIONED  fridges

http://www.evakool.com/factory-seconds?gclid=COftuteY18UCFVJvvAodzj4AXQ
" Old Nissans Just Keep On Truckin On "

Offline grafy82

  • Hard Floor Camper User
  • *****
  • Posts: 825
  • Thanked: 41 times
  • Gender: Male
Bugger, didn't see your post straight away Duggie. I bought the fridge already. I had a look at those seconds just now and there's some really good prices. Oh well, I'll take one for the team in the name of product testing and keep you all up to date on any issues or otherwise.
Cheers
My Trailer Build
http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=16864.0

You can't believe everything you read on the Internet. - Julius Caesar

Offline Bill

  • Hard Top Camper User
  • ******
  • Posts: 2747
  • Thanked: 89 times
  • Gender: Male
As already said above.
They are made by Evakool and carry a full 2 year Evakool warrenty.
Bill
"The problem with the world is stupidity. I'm not saying there should be capital punishment for stupidity, but why don't we just take the safety labels off of everything and let the problem solve itself?"
-unknown

Offline shadmorgon

  • Sleeping Bag User
  • *
  • Posts: 34
  • Thanked: 2 times
  • Gender: Female
Crikey grafy82... 21 hrs from post to purchase?
Has to be a record in that effort, hey?

No doubt the Engel arguments have been done to death.
Fact is they use a swing/sling compressor with permanent magnets.
Max rating is 50watts.
They do break, believe.
And are poorly insulated compared to what can be done with little extra cost at manufacture.
EvaCool (and others) use a conventional variable speed low start torque compressor rated out to 150watts in varying configs.
Reported on the EvaCool website they are still marketing some imported generics under their badge. From my experience those Italian made units were very good value.

Both comoressors are built to a market and both require aome astute
fridge management, as is the way with it when moving off the lounge
to a hammock.

You likely fluked a wise buy... good luck with it all.
And remember.. in Agri areas, come clean leave clean.

HooRoo

Shad....

-- ridin de desert ship wif no saddle


Offline grafy82

  • Hard Floor Camper User
  • *****
  • Posts: 825
  • Thanked: 41 times
  • Gender: Male
21 hours is a record for me. Usually once I want something, I've purchased it with 30 minutes (providing funds can be redistributed) ;D
My Trailer Build
http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=16864.0

You can't believe everything you read on the Internet. - Julius Caesar

Offline shadmorgon

  • Sleeping Bag User
  • *
  • Posts: 34
  • Thanked: 2 times
  • Gender: Female
Ahhhh.. the life of the contempory single.

/sighs

... more luck to ya :-)

Shad....

-- ridin de desert ship wif no saddle


Offline grafy82

  • Hard Floor Camper User
  • *****
  • Posts: 825
  • Thanked: 41 times
  • Gender: Male
Hahahahaha, contemporary single???, I'm married with three kids, 2 dogs and a mortgage, hahaha. Everything I buy, another bill gets put on the back burner. If I was single I could have forked out the $1699 for the equivalent 60L Engel. ;D
My Trailer Build
http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=16864.0

You can't believe everything you read on the Internet. - Julius Caesar

Offline shadmorgon

  • Sleeping Bag User
  • *
  • Posts: 34
  • Thanked: 2 times
  • Gender: Female



> equivalent 60L Engel
..... now that, THAT woulda been a *total* misuse of funds!!!

If ur ever flush and looking to buy wisely check out the Trailblazer range.
www.norcoast.com.au/


I was building boxes in that way long before that guy started.
He obviously paid attention to what works.

Yeh, they aint pretty :-)


-- ridin de desert ship wif no saddle


Offline muzza01

  • Hard Top Camper User
  • ******
  • Posts: 3987
  • Thanked: 106 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Y62 S5 Nissan Patrol and Tanami 13 Hybrid
    • Photobucket Muz
Any reviews of the fridge yet Grafy? I know you have got it plugged in already

Offline grafy82

  • Hard Floor Camper User
  • *****
  • Posts: 825
  • Thanked: 41 times
  • Gender: Male
Yep, had it set up that night on 240v. Got cool nice and quick, reasonably quite and build quality looks good so far. Just wish they sold a transit bag for them. I was having a look on the evakool website and they have an RV62 model that looks very similar in shape and size. They have a bag to suit it so I'll have to give them a call to see if it will fit mine.
My Trailer Build
http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=16864.0

You can't believe everything you read on the Internet. - Julius Caesar

Offline duggie

  • Hard Top Camper User
  • ******
  • Posts: 2455
  • Thanked: 176 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Dont you just love it.


> equivalent 60L Engel
..... now that, THAT woulda been a *total* misuse of funds!!!

If ur ever flush and looking to buy wisely check out the Trailblazer range.
www.norcoast.com.au/


I was building boxes in that way long before that guy started.
He obviously paid attention to what works.


Yeh, they aint pretty :-)


-- ridin de desert ship wif no saddle


Norcoast Refrigeration Company has been making special purpose, high energy efficient, battery powered refrigerators and freezers for 32 Years.
" Old Nissans Just Keep On Truckin On "

Offline MattNQ

  • Hard Floor Camper User
  • *****
  • Posts: 1189
  • Thanked: 183 times
  • The smartist formerly known as Skypig
    • My website


> equivalent 60L Engel
..... now that, THAT woulda been a *total* misuse of funds!!!

If ur ever flush and looking to buy wisely check out the Trailblazer range.
www.norcoast.com.au/


I was building boxes in that way long before that guy started.
He obviously paid attention to what works.

Yeh, they aint pretty :-)


-- ridin de desert ship wif no saddle


The trailblazers are great units ....if you have the $$. They are a big lump though.
My funniest memory was in a work truck out between Lawn Hill Station & Doom City.
It was a Patrol GU1 that had that stupid rear door lock assembly with no built out surround...so after many kms of rough road, the Trailblazer was wedged up against the door lock. I had to take off & build up speed.... & then hit the brakes to make the heavy bugger slide forward enough to unlock the rear doors. That took a few attempts. I was getting a few strange looks from the cows.  ;D





Offline shadmorgon

  • Sleeping Bag User
  • *
  • Posts: 34
  • Thanked: 2 times
  • Gender: Female
Quote
The trailblazers are great units ....if you have the $ $....


Unless it is something "throwaway" - xmpl, plastic tarp - I
know we often do ourselves a great disservice in considering only
upfront bucks.
In looking at TB boxes and others of like build it is the long term
gain in battery and charge input values which *save* a lot of
bucks 'n' angst that then bring reward for the outlay, especially
with the FC* ... who must be obeyed at all times :-D
But yeh, if a box only has a life for use of a year or so and
gets "recycled"...?... lowest bucks is maybe the wise route, as long
as the jobbee gets done and no tears doing it.

When next looking at box investment ask the shop what the
"U factor" for their product construction is.
Lowest number wins.

I understand these forums are not 'technical' as such, but
for those explorers of deeper (?) understanding my comment
is considering the thermodynamics of transportable "chilly bins".
On K and U factors an explanation is here:

http://www.prefoam.com/prod1.htm


Quote
I was getting a few strange looks from the cows.  ;D


You musta been well out beyond the Black Stump ;-)


*Financial Comptrollor

-- ridin de desert ship wif no saddle


Offline crappsy

  • Soft Floor Camper User
  • ****
  • Posts: 282
  • Thanked: 24 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Life's short so enjoy it when you can
any more comments on how well the fridge runs Grafy now you've had it more than 21h

Offline grafy82

  • Hard Floor Camper User
  • *****
  • Posts: 825
  • Thanked: 41 times
  • Gender: Male
Haha. It hasn't been turned on again since that first night. But we are going away this weekend so it should get a good shakedown. I ordered a pair of 227kg runners and they just rocked up so I'll be making a new fridge slide for it too.
    For anyone interested in buying one of these, I was worried that you couldn't buy a transit bag for them. But I jumped on EvaKool's website and found their RV62 fridge was very similar in shape to the Ridge Ryder (pretty obvious copies). I ordered the bag to suit the RV62 and it just came today and fits perfectly.
My Trailer Build
http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=16864.0

You can't believe everything you read on the Internet. - Julius Caesar

Offline MattNQ

  • Hard Floor Camper User
  • *****
  • Posts: 1189
  • Thanked: 183 times
  • The smartist formerly known as Skypig
    • My website
Was the case zippered properly for the long side hinge..or incorrectly for short side hinge like my BCF ' special'

sent from Earth via tapatalk


Offline grafy82

  • Hard Floor Camper User
  • *****
  • Posts: 825
  • Thanked: 41 times
  • Gender: Male
Luckily zippered properly along the long side.
My Trailer Build
http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=16864.0

You can't believe everything you read on the Internet. - Julius Caesar