As the crew on seabreeze are out there to enjoy the great outdoors I thought that this question will be best answered by you lot.
I am about to invest in a camping fridge set up with deep cycle battery/solar panel.Just wandering what people have found to be the best set up? There is a good range of fridges available (Evakool,Fridgemate,Engel,Waeco)what is the best value for$$$.
This will mostly be used for weekend use and the occasional week away.Probably need it in the 60-80 litre size.
Will be good to read what the experiences are.
Cheers EB.
Hey EB we've got a waeco cf40 ac and really like it. Its 12 or 240 v with no adapters and the temp control is digital so you just set it to the temp you want and it does the rest. No experimenting with the temp control untill you get it right. Also has 3 levels of setting for battery use so you won't drain all the juice out of battery if you need it for starting.
Can anyone tell me what the biggest 12/240v fridge/freezer is and what size batt/solar it would need to keep it running for extended periods?
I can't speak for the rest but I've had a 29L and now a 39L Engel since 1976. Used them on mobs & mobs of camping trips, 6 years working around Aus and using the 29L as a freezer in a caravan or as a fridge when on road or camping. The 39L lives permanently in the back of our hot rod so when not away it's used for keeping the shopping cold, bbq's & day trips and as a beer fridge when sailing 
In 30 odd years there has been a couple of repairs and re gassings but overall reliable considering the use, if fact the 29L is still a goer as I gave it to a mate 
As I said I can't speak for the others or even the new Engel's but my next camping fridge will be another Engel for sure 
I've got an engel and a waco. They're both great. alot of the units you mentioned have the same cooling system(danfoss compressor) so its a matter of what kind of "box" you want. Plastic /GRP etc. Get the biggest deep cycle battery you can carry.
That sounds good but 39l sounds small for family of 4? Are you having to recharge the battery when car is left alone for long periods?
Forget about anything other than Engel, closely followed by Waeco. They are both quality but:
(1) Trouble with Waeco (unless something changed recently) is when battery drops to a certain level they turn themselves off so you can still start the car. That may be fine for the average person but those who spend a bit more time out bush and therefore a bit more money on their setup want the fridge to keep running until they decide to turn it off, or the battery dies completely. Engel don't surprise you with turning off, so are better if you are going whole hog with dual battery system.
(2) Engel a bit more durable
(3) Consider a 3 way..... mmmm 3 way 
...... as you can run for quiet a few days on a 9kg barbie gas cylinder
...... as you can run for quiet a few days on a 9kg barbie gas cylinder
Hi again, the newer Engel's also turn off at a certain voltage, 10 point something volts, beside helping with restarting as Mark has said and is right, it also prolongs the life of your backup battery as running dead flat will root it soon as.
Three way fridges can be great but use heat transfer instead of a compressor, what this means is they use lots of power (amps) and don't last long when on 12v and need good ventilation to work efficiently (not too good in a wagon full of gear). I have mates who swear by them but not for me.
If camping a night or two I just rely on the spare batt, any longer I use a quiet Honda Gen and batt charger. The gen & charger allow me to run the gen for only a 4 to 6 hrs a day (late arvo to night). With this system I can go bush for over a week without moving and use bugger all fuel. This doesn't suit all but you'll work out a system to suit yourself.
Happy camping
batteries are rated in "amp hours" new generation 12v fridges pull about 3 amps when running. If you have the thermostat set so it runs, say, half the time, thats 3 amps for 12 hours a day, equals 36 amp hours a day. you shouldnt really run a deep cycle battery down more than about 50% so to run your fridge for a day you would need a battery rated at 70 amp hours. Anything bigger than 120 amp hours gets a bit difficult to carry(heavy !) An 80 watt solar panel puts out about 4.5 amps, so you get a solid 8 hours of bright sunlight a day you'd be putting 36 amp hours of energy back in the battery...You're looking at over $1000 for the panel and a deep cycle AGM battery.
An engel fridge is the best way as allready mentioned
You will have it for years to come.
You will have it long after the kids have left home.
You can use as a genuine fridge or freezer (has advantages around the house at xmas time etc)
The newer generation (about the last 3 or 4 years I think) don't use much power
THey are 12/240
If the compressor buggers up you can claim on house insurance as you do use this as a bar fridge in the house.
Might be a bit dearer but you will get more value out of it in the long run.
Choosing a big fridge though does take up a lot of room in the back of the car and if you don't have a camper trailer to cart all the extra gear around you will have, room will be at a premium.
Engel 40lt or the new ARB 47lt are good allround options when you need to compromise.
Both are fridge freezer, both are 12/24, both are good on power consumption.
So consider the overall setup, with a bit of planning you can keep the fridge stocked with all the required items and have a good holiday.
Yeh thanks for all the input makes for good reading as you dream,off happy camping.As wdric has stated with a bit of planning you can make a good holiday and being in the situation of making every weekend a good holiday I want too make some sound financial decisions on keeping things COOL.Engels seem to be the go? Having a camper too carry it in means that push the size out, to suit 4.
(trouble is you look in these fridges and it is hard to imagine how too fill that small space)Solar panel sounds like a luxury item that would be most enjoyed if more electric items are being used ie;lights,cd player,heaven forbid tv.
Keep it coming
Cheers EB.
ON the solar panels
If you set them up permanently on the roof and are on a driving holiday, I doubt you will get much use from them.
But If you camp in one place for a while, have a think about where most people camp?
In the shade to keep cool. where will your solar panel be?
If you have a portable solar panel and lean up against something to make the most of the sunlight.
If you leave it out while not in camp it might end up in someone elses ownership
If you pack it up when you go for walk or surf etc, this will mean less time charging those batteries & running fridge?
If only staying in one place without driving car for a couple of days consider a dual battery setup.
If staying put for longer periods, consider solar panels or a little generator.
BUt some national parks don't allow them and they can be a bit annoying for other campers, but something like a little honda 1000 is quite and even better with a long extension lead.
I've had a 39l Engel for over 10 years now and I'd certainly recommend it. Perfect for 4wd camping. Fine for our family of four. Never had any other brand to compare it to but Waeco have a good reputation. One deficiency with the Engel is its lack of proper insulation. I've ended up slotting a closed cell foam sleeping mat in between the fridge and the travel cover which improves its insulation significantly. If I was buying again, I'd be checking out some of the less well known Aus brands- as you mentioned I think EvaKool is one, where they use a compressor unit attached to a high quality icebox. If the compressor is efficient, then the better the insulation, the less current it will draw in comparison to poorer insulation and if you power source fails it will still keep its cool for longer.
I have had it set up with an 80w solar panel and a 115Ah deep cycle battery and that keeps it running indefinately so long as the panel gets plenty of hours of good sunlight. Maybe you'll get more sunshine hours in WA or have less trees, but camping last summer (as wdric said, partly in the shade) the deep cycle wasn't getting long enough to charge and it couldn't keep up. Had to connect it up to the vehicle aux for a while.
In my vehicle I've always just used an Exide Extreme as an aux because you can use it as a cranking battery and they're relatively cheap as well- through a Redarc Smart Start, but a better, but more expensive option would be to use an AGM battery. AGMs give you high CCA's so you can use them for starting, and will give you a long and slow current like a deep cycle, but they charge very quickly like a cranking battery. An AGM will be going in my boat where things are a bit more critical.
But these days for weekends we just take a 75l good quality icebox.
Too many choices!
, but camping last summer (as wdric said, partly in the shade) the deep cycle wasn't getting long enough to charge and it couldn't keep up. Had to connect it up to the vehicle aux for a while.
Keep It Simple Stupid
Buy yourself a better esky and the leftover $2000+ dollars will buy you a lifetime of ice!!!
The esky won't get stolen and your car will always start.
We've found in the Territory that Explorer or Trailblazer fridges work better in the heat. They are a bit more baulky than Engel/Waeco but have a lot more insulation which helps when the ambient temp is high. The Explorer is the go if you want a fridge/freezer combo or the Trailblazer for a straight fridge or freezer. The cases are also a lot stronger if they are going to get knocked around (like in the back off a ute).
I have a 50 litre Trailblazer that stays in the back of the Toyota and never gets turned off. It runs off a second battery with a 110 watt solar panel on the roof. You get used to parking where it gets enough sun to charge.
I have travelled around Australia twice and go away every second weekend, often with my 3 year old. I have three 1.5 litre water bottles and one 2 litre cordial bottle. All are sealed with the normal plastic screw caps and contain 90% water. They are in the freezer in the shed.
Before I take off I put them all in the bottom of the esky.
Perfect fit.
Then I (read wife) put all the food and beer in. The esky stays cold and dry for a few days and the spare water in the bottles can possibly be used in the unlikely event of a breakdown in the middle of nowhere?
If I'm planning to drink more than 4 beers a night or want super cold beer I buy a small bag of ice and put it on top.
I have a dual cab ute with a liner. I never leave the esky bung in and simply let any excess icey water drip out and away. The ribs in the liner are 10 mm high so the water drains away and no other bags get wet. If I had a wagon or car I would be inclined to attach a hose to the bung and direct it outside, or not buy ice and rely on the bottles, or simply leave the bung in until we reached the destination.
When I get home it takes about 12 seconds to hose the esky down, turn it upsidedown to dry and to put the bottles in the back freezer.
On longer journeys we grab ice during one of the many daily stops or put the bottles in the camp kitchen freezer at the caravan park overnight to re-freeze. And then I am able to offer a jump start to anyone who requires it in the morning 
before leaving for another day of discovery.
