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General => General Discussion => Topic started by: chargd86 on January 24, 2011, 06:29:24 PM

Title: HOW DO I decide which engel to buy
Post by: chargd86 on January 24, 2011, 06:29:24 PM
I have been building my ute back camper for trips probly up to a week long but cant decide wether to get the engel upright 95l fridge only or the 80 lt fridge/freezer. I built the camper to take the 95l but the 80l will also fit.

I have a 100ltr techni ice ice box which i will also use!

What are the deciding factors?

Im scared fo running out of ice in my esky and needing to keep drinks in the fridgeif that happens.

thanks for your opinion guys!
Title: Re: HOW DO I decide which engel to buy
Post by: Kit_e_kat9 on January 24, 2011, 06:59:30 PM


Pass!  LOL!  We are having enough troubles deciding which brand to buy.

Kit_E
Title: Re: HOW DO I decide which engel to buy
Post by: HEM19X on January 24, 2011, 07:01:37 PM
Mate, not sure on the dimensions but is it possible to fit say a 60L plus a 25/30 L fridge?

Use the 60 for the fridge & the smaller one for the freezer.. I have found separate is better even though they take up a bit more room.

Otherwise "Bigger is better"..

Regards

Hem

Title: Re: HOW DO I decide which engel to buy
Post by: chargd86 on January 24, 2011, 07:25:34 PM
i prefer an upright for 2 reasons i buit my camper to suit and because of the height of my ute a chest is going to be hard to use!
Title: Re: HOW DO I decide which engel to buy
Post by: Blue One on January 24, 2011, 07:38:32 PM
charg,
          I run a 40 & 32 ltr Engel. 32 as a freezer and 40 as a fridge. Works well as the 32 is only opened once a day unless we need ice for drinks LOL.

You get redundancy if one goes on the blink. (Hasn't happened for 6 years)

Been up north & through the deserts & the combo works a treat.

Cheers
Title: Re: HOW DO I decide which engel to buy
Post by: speewa158 on January 24, 2011, 07:51:34 PM
Go & get 2 plastic engles 39L . 1 as freeser  , 1 as chillert for coldies & milk etc .   :cheers:
Title: Re: HOW DO I decide which engel to buy
Post by: SteveandViv on January 24, 2011, 08:18:57 PM
I also subscribe to the *two* idea.One for fridge, one for freezer which ever brand you get. If you need a freezer that is  8) We start off with the meet etc frozen & cryo-ed then as we are away longer I slowly turn it up until the freezer is now another fridge. Like mentioned you also have a back up then.

Anyway. It's not what you asked is it  ;D Can you fit two  ??? Would work well..
Title: Re: HOW DO I decide which engel to buy
Post by: speewa158 on January 24, 2011, 08:34:47 PM
& as the freezer is emptyed & the food is removed there is more rroom for   :cheers:
Title: Re: HOW DO I decide which engel to buy
Post by: D4D on January 24, 2011, 08:36:26 PM
Buy a Waeco :)
Title: Re: HOW DO I decide which engel to buy
Post by: speewa158 on January 24, 2011, 08:38:03 PM
DREAMING   ;D
Title: Re: HOW DO I decide which engel to buy
Post by: Heiny on January 24, 2011, 09:24:01 PM
Buy a Waeco :)
X2 ;D
Title: Re: HOW DO I decide which engel to buy
Post by: Paul and Bern on January 24, 2011, 10:06:10 PM
 :D When you allowed for space on the 80l was it the normal (chest type) and did you allow for the power cord to go in.  If you use the dimensions out of the brochure they don't allow for the space needed by the plugs which come out the front long side, not the back like the 39's, which I rapidly found out when I got a 75 combo.
We ended up with the combo cause it was too hard to keep meet iced, and lettuce etc not iced in the one un-split fridge/freezer, and we didn't really have enough for 2 seperate ones without an elaborate storage system in the back of the patrol.
There are good arguments for 2 smaller, and arguments about the energy needed to make ice for eskies etc, sooo....
Good luck
Paul
Title: Re: HOW DO I decide which engel to buy
Post by: speewa158 on January 25, 2011, 02:35:39 AM
If you have 2 engles why would you want to make ice for the esky as well  ??? Just how much grog do you get through in a day ?  :cheers:
Title: Re: HOW DO I decide which engel to buy
Post by: WilSurf on January 25, 2011, 09:51:21 AM
X2 ;D

X3
Title: Re: HOW DO I decide which engel to buy
Post by: speewa158 on January 25, 2011, 05:21:40 PM
       x2
       x3
           Why  ???
Title: Re: HOW DO I decide which engel to buy
Post by: Fivid on January 25, 2011, 05:31:03 PM
We have an 80 litre Engel fridge as at the time we bought people were telling us the combos didn't work well.  I now know a few people with combos and have only heard good things about them and sometimes think it would have been better if we had of gone that way.  We do however have a second 40 litre Engel and pull out one of the back seats to fit that in for long trips set as a freezer.  Personally I don't know anyone with the upright Engel so can't offer any opinion about that one.  Stay with Engel though and you will likely have an excellent reliable fridge that will last you 20 years or so.
 :cheers:
Dave
Title: Re: HOW DO I decide which engel to buy
Post by: Maîneÿ . . . on January 25, 2011, 07:45:41 PM
For a slightly different slant on the 'original' question, get top opening door fridge and/or freezer, and not a front opening door fridge and/or fridge.
You loose less cold air and therefore use less current to maintain the low temperature with-in the cabinet  :cheers:
Title: Re: HOW DO I decide which engel to buy
Post by: 4541Andy on January 25, 2011, 08:04:18 PM
I have a st90 f engel upright for sale ,had it fitted to an older caravan  that sat in ambient temps of 40 plus and always had cold beer in it from week to week. It is too big for the camper trailer I am building so it has to go
   Andy
Title: Re: HOW DO I decide which engel to buy
Post by: Estelle on January 25, 2011, 08:48:53 PM

Will the fridge/freezer be able to produce sufficient ice for the icebox (assuming that is the point of the freezer)?  OR, are you going to fill the freezer with ice before you set out and dump it into the icebox when needed then make some more ice whilst out, justincase?.

John
Title: Re: HOW DO I decide which engel to buy
Post by: speewa158 on January 26, 2011, 03:57:09 AM
Estelle I am trying to work out why you want to make ice in an engle to feed an icebox .
the project is going to suck up lots of power. It might be better to consider just the engel to keep your drinks cold . That works for me  :cheers:
Title: Re: HOW DO I decide which engel to buy
Post by: JethroT on January 26, 2011, 06:49:34 AM
We get by with a 50 Litre Waeco, we cryovac our meat and have smaller portions than at home (I lost 3 Kg on the trip to the Cape).  

And guess what, hot beer tastes good, I forgot to drop a sixie into the fridge one day and found that if you start with hot beer it tastes ok.  (and I used to have nightmares about running out of cold beer).

Regards
Geoff  
Title: Re: HOW DO I decide which engel to buy
Post by: griz066 on January 26, 2011, 06:56:00 AM
       x2
       x3
           Why  ???

X2 Why ???

Lets start a Pi$$ing contest :cup: :cup:

Buy quality engels and you only buy once.
Title: Re: HOW DO I decide which engel to buy
Post by: Bill on January 26, 2011, 07:20:42 AM
Just flip a coin.
You wont go wrong with one as they are both Engels...
Bill and Morag
Title: Re: HOW DO I decide which engel to buy
Post by: speewa158 on January 26, 2011, 08:12:38 AM
[quote author=GOLDSTREAM

 " And guess what, hot beer tastes good,"   :o :o :o
 Give your self an upper cut !!!!  Hot  BEER & Rotting Steak  ??? ??? & you admit to it .....
Might have to have a chat to about your responcoble sreving of beer . Go & Buy an Engel  NOW
Title: Re: HOW DO I decide which engel to buy
Post by: SteveandViv on January 26, 2011, 08:17:25 AM
Yuk... Warm Beer.. We'll the natives drink it like that up here - called Kimberly Cold  ;D

Now on this ice thing. I think you are going to struggle to make ice of any quantity in the Engle. To be honest they work hard enough to keep ice at -18 let alone make it. We have a dual zone and even putting a bottle of water can take hours and hours to freeze and during that time the fridge will not turn off. Your gong to be using a lot of power if you try..
Title: Re: HOW DO I decide which engel to buy
Post by: JethroT on January 26, 2011, 09:07:47 AM
I understand your comments Speewa, I used to have nightmares about running out of cold beer, but when you're faced with hot beer or no beer I decided on hot beer and it was ok.

Mind you I never forget to stock the fridge with beer for the rest of the trip.

Waeco X4.    However my Brother has an engel and it works fine.

Regards
Geoff
Title: Re: HOW DO I decide which engel to buy
Post by: chargd86 on January 26, 2011, 07:48:27 PM
Will the fridge/freezer be able to produce sufficient ice for the icebox (assuming that is the point of the freezer)?  OR, are you going to fill the freezer with ice before you set out and dump it into the icebox when needed then make some more ice whilst out, justincase?.

John

either or, even to freeze items like meat!
Title: Re: HOW DO I decide which engel to buy
Post by: speewa158 on January 27, 2011, 03:54:49 AM
Engles will hold cold but I will not expect them it make ice. That is stretching the limits . Your better off to get2 1 to freeze 2 as chiller . As the freezer is emptyed throw in a damp towel to fill the space to give it a hepling hand . Works better .
Cold beer = Engel I rest my case , thank-you ball boys Thank-you groundsmen    :cheers:



     warm beer     ,,      pesant
Title: Re: HOW DO I decide which engel to buy
Post by: Estelle on January 27, 2011, 06:54:49 AM
Shouldn't take too long to cool down a drink in the freezer.

As others have said, fridge/freezer is more versatile.