Car Fridges , help with some stupid questions please

[04OFF]

So ....i need a new esky, the one i like is about $300, but now im half thinking i should put that money toward a 12V fridge ?

There is a billion threads on what fridge is best, but there never seems to be actually much of a conclusion, so id thought id ask some specific questions about what ive seen so far.


To give you a idea where im at, so far ive looked at a 40L Engel (the gold version with auto temp and battery cantrol), and also the Waeco 40 - 50 L in the CFX range.









Firstly , the conventional esky im used to, is a 47L capacity, im assuming that i only need a 40L fridge to fit just as much stuff , as i dont need to allow room for the 2 bags of ice ?, i am very limited to vehicle internal luggage space, so a bigger (external size ) fridge is not better for me.




So....

Do you need/use a drain plug in the fridge ?, if you don't have a drain ,and say spill milk inside, can you just tip the fridges upside down and hose them out , or are they like a nornal fridge that need to stay upright ?


How important is a external bag ?


Are they really as good on power consumption as the sales dudes say, e.g. if i have a single car battery, i can run the fridge all night and still start the car in the morning ?


I assume i can pile stuff/camping gear all around the fridge as long as the fan vents are clear, and what sort of clearance or gap do you need to give the fridge fan vents ? , what happens If im off roading and stuff falls and blocks the vents , do they have a thermal cut out, or do i wait for the flames ?


Fridge slides are just a convinience thing so you dont have to reach into the car , or are there other benifits to having a slide system ?


Most people with car fridges seem to drink "cans" of beer, is this because they are more space efficient and are easy to chill, or do bottles tend to rattle/break or chip the inside of the fridge (or am i just reading too much into this)





Thanks in advance

[Winnie]

So ....i need a new esky, the one i like is about $300, but now im half thinking i should put that money toward a 12V fridge ?

I've got the Gold Engel, it's awesome. If you do somehow spill crap in it you can just soak it up with a towel and give it a wipe down inside.
Travel bag is good but not necessary. I would spend the extra money for one though. Keeps the fridge cooler and protects from scratches etc.
In the cooler months I have run mine for a week without using the car at all and it still started. Warmer months it will last two days. But this is not good for the battery, you really SHOULD use dual batteries but I went with the single battery for 12 months.
Don't know about other brands but the Engel has a thermal cut out. Keep things away from the vents but there are vents on both sides and the back so partial blockage would be okay I would think.
The slides are just convenience. But say if your fridge is on top of a set of drawers the lid might hit the roof before you can get into it so would be necessary there.
I use cans because there is no chance of them breaking inside the fridge and I can crush them to take up less room when taking them home. But I have used bottles no dramas, just more rubbish to take with you.
Fridge is definitely the way to go!

[macca]

Been an Engel owner since 1982 and would not use an esky if the fridge had space in it. Only ever taken an esky when taking lots of beers for my crew on camping weekend.

[happygu]

04OFF,

I have the ultra-efficient AutoFridge, and it is fantastic - wouldn't be without it, but one drawback is you can't tip it upsidedown as the Eutectic fluid leaks out - well it used to anyway and I haven't tried it with the new one.

It isn't really a drama as you never really need to tip it upsidedown, as you just wipe the inside with the cloth, and I use Vanilla Spray to keep it smelling nice ...

Engels and Waecos are alright to tip upsidedown if you wish - just leave them sit for an hour or so before turning back on to make sure that the oil is still in the compressor.

40 Litre Fridge is ample for most needs - we lasted over one week in the Simpson for 4 people as an example.

Never broken anything in the fridge, but the Autofridge does tend to freeze vegetables if they are touching the sides, so we pack the meat around the edge, and put the vegetables in the middle.

I hope that this helps, but I would definitely go the fridge.

Mic

[Drewboyaus]

Pretty much as above, but I use a 60L ARB fridge. Tough as. Engel or ARB for mine. They are the best value for performance. Never been a huge fan of Waeco...too many stories of breakages. There are cheaper and more expensive options out there but these are the pick IMO. The ARB 47L is about the same price as the Engel 40L.
Has a drain plug in the bottom so you just hose it out.
Same as Winnie, cans only for me. Mainly for space when carrying rubbish out. Buy a 10L cask of water and when it's empty, use the goon bag inside to blow up and fill the unused space in your fridge to stop stuff bouncing around.
Definitely fridge mate. And get yourself a dual battery setup too. Your camping trips will never be the same!

[gaddy]

13 years old cops a flogging in the boat as in gets the crap belted out of it , was also in the back of a ute for that time on the beaches , still runs like a dream .1383962342368.jpg
Down side needs 42 500 amp batteries 9 solar pannels and 5 chargers Lol
Steve

[threedogs]

I use a Baileys ice box for drinks and my Engel for food.
The Engel resides behind the driver on a platform with an engel transit base bolted to it.
It draws its power from my Aux battery via a switch on the dash to 50amp Anderson.
Anther thread here had roto molded iceboxes for $90, but don't get any Techni-ice yuk.
Plus with an ice box or similar you have extra water{ice} in an emergency.
Had the Engel since '92 and rarely not running. No Probs to date.
One thing I might add is some don't like The tropics,,,,,

[NP99]

This is what I got Steve, in 60lt. I'm more than happy......

http://www.techniice.com/car-fridges-1.html

[Maxhead]

Pretty much as above, but I use a 60L ARB fridge. Tough as. Engel or ARB for mine. They are the best value for performance. Never been a huge fan of Waeco...too many stories of breakages. !

I thought the ARB fridges are a re-badged Waeco. They use the danfoss compressor unlike the Engle's Sawafuji....something I heard not long ago

[threedogs]

Glass will break cut a piece of lino or similar if filling up with cans
as the top layer will wear its way through the bottom layer, the wine bag is a good tip
as you fridge wont have to work as hard to cool things down. Fill wine bags with water.
only put cold stuff in. Not ideal for drinking out of opening and closing all the time.
That's what the Esky/icebox is for