ice or engel

Do you want peace of mind? Buy an Engel ( or some other reputable fridge). And take an icebox as well maybe.

If budget is an issue get one second hand and sell it when you get back. You would be unlucky to lose money.

Enjoy the trip.

Got to have an Engel....and the extra dollars are worth it for reliability and peace of mind compared to other brands (IMHO)

John,
It does depend on what you want to keep cold and how perishable the contents are.
The logic of only using the fridge is puzzling. When I bought my Engel it was exactly for that, a couple of times a year, back in 1989. Always has been used only a few times a year since. Never saw any value in ice, mine always seemed to melt in early days, I presume it does the same in 2019.

Ice is good for drinks and things you want cold NOW, but for everything else it has serious drawbacks.

It moves and melts, so everything you had wedged in there tightly shuffles around and your sausages and steak ends up in the soup in the bottom, it leaks into your butter and everything ends up tasting of the bag of prawns you didn't even know was in there.

With a fridge your 50L is available for stuff you want to keep cold, rather than 1/2 having to be given over to solid water that doesn't stay that way for long.

Admittedly you could buy a shed load of ice for the cost of a fridge and the gear to make it go, but its the far superior option.

Between trips mine gets run as a drinks fridge, its around 25 years old and going strong.

Engel, without further thought. Don't see many farmer's utes bouncing around the paddocks with an esky in the back.

I suspect once you have one, you will find a lot more times to use it per year.

Iza

Engel...no brainer. I would allow about $2000 for new engel 40 litre and a 12 volt 2nd battery /charging system. Engel will use about 40amps per day in FNQ....MORE IF YOUR CONSTANTLY OPENING IT. Ice is a waste of money. Even a 130 amp/hr AGM battery connected to a 150watt fold up blanket will keep the engel going.

Engel will last for decades and a worthwhile camping investment.

Hi John

You will have a great time in the Cape, but do not rush your trip.

If you want to see what it is like, I have recently added our Blog of out Cape trip last year.

Now back to your question, not unless your icebox is a dedicated tropical icebox that will keep solid ice solid for up to 10 days, you normal cheap esky will be a complete waste of space and we have been using an Engel for over 26 years and you would never be without it, once you have had one.

The further north that you head up the Cape, the warmer it will become. Count on day temperatures of between 30 to 33 degrees and then only dropping down to around 24 in the morning before sun up.

To be very honest we did not see one single vehicle up there with an esky, only true dedicated car fridges, and for that reason, we never looked for ice. There are limited supplies in the Cape, but if you had to get ice, once you leave Cooktown, you would be very limited, with only places like Laura, Coen, Weipa, perhaps Bramwell Junction and then at the very top at Seisia or Bamaga.

Buy yourself an Engel and you will be set for decades of travelling.



Cheers


Stephen

Dont lock yourself into an Engel though - there are moire cost effective fridges - I have had a $500 ebay fridge (1/3 the price of an Engel) for 10 years and runs great - thicker insulation, uses the same power and very rugged.

Engel is grossly overpriced for what you get.

But yes get a fridge over an ice box.

We have never regretted buying our Engel 20 years ago! It serves us well as an extra fridge for drinks or food at home when needed - especially at Christmas! It has never missed a beat. However it is heavy, even when empty. This is something to check. As well as solar backup for your battery you may need a fridge slide for your vehicle. If you do not plan to use it often and may have to lift it out of the vehicle to access it check out lighter versions. They may not be as efficient or long living but may do the job for you. The least of them will be better than ice! John and Lynne

Back when I started out I used ice, but after several disasters, gave that away.

I bought an Evakool at least 10 years ago and it has been fabulous, freezes very well and seems to be quite efficient.

Best advice i can provide is to sign up for Evakool's newsletter. It always has specials on 2nd's and ex demo stuff, $100's off RRP.

If you are smart enough to buy Engel, seriously look at the MT45FCP 39Litre. Dedicated freezer section and fridge section. Yes, steel body and more cost than the plastic body, BUT, Rum and coke over proper ice is outstanding at the end of the day. If you are going to spend the money on a fridge, make sure you get one you will be very happy with.

Iza

Don't buy bigger than you REALLY need.
It will simply cost more and use more power.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

I've got an Engel I bought new in 1977, and it still purrs away happily and effectively, 42 years on.
However, I do have it sitting on a sprung base, and I do have the fully-enclosed insulated cover on it.

I've rarely bothered with ice, it doesn't last long in hot conditions, and unless you place it in a secure and tough bag, the water from the melt will get into everything.

You do need a second battery to power an Engel, though.

Cheers, Ron.

Howdy All

Just a heads up on a bit of a minor issue with the new engels fridge. There can be a gap between the lid and actual fridge part - at night with the lid latched closed you can see light from in the fridge from outside the fridge - so if light can get out then I'm guessing heat can get in. Engels fix for this is to remove the plastic/rubber seal on the lid and place some thin electrical wire in the groove before replacing the seal.

Cheers

Gazz

John.
I have 2 Engels one is 28 years old and the newer one is 10 years old and both have not missed a beat.
They are expensive for a reason.
My refrigeration mechanic brother in law would give me heaps if I brought anything other brand.
Also after a bit of research I brought 2 new Fullriver batteries.

Cheers

My advice is Engel for sure however, save your pennies and consider buying used off Gumtree..... I occasionally browse and nearly cry at some of the ridiculous low prices some people want for good units.... I saw a late model 80 litre combo posted yesterday for $400..... As you could imagine it was sold in less than 20 minutes after being posted..... I have a 11 yo 40 litre 40 year anniversary model (bought new) that I have been very happy with as well as a 39 litre 1982 model and 15 litre of the same era..... If you decide going for used, and if power to run is abundant, try find an older model (cream body/olive green lid) as they really do cool down and perform better than the new ones, just heavier on power....

Good luck on what you choose

My engel (1.5 cubic foot or 2 slabs of can size) has been with me since 1971.Flattens the biggest battery overnight but has NEVER let me down.Been in 3 roll overs, fallen off the back of the truck and generally abused since day 1. Cost a bomb at the time ($1000+) but I just cannot bear to get rid of it. Every time I see the Aldi product on sale I am tempted, but I love her too much and I am sure she would turn up her toes if I bought anything else. I am the best (and worst) advertisement for Engel, as I am not a return customer for now over 47 years. Unlike a car manufacturer that trades on past "reliability", with their now new unreliable vehicles, Engel is the No 1 go to brand for a very good reason. I have never heard anybody say they were unreliable or broke or got thrown away as rubbish. I understand people saying they are not worth the money etc. All I can say is my older brother went through 5 brands of fridges before realizing he should have bought an engel. Luckily I saw his mistakes and have bought only one portable fridge. Buy the best and forget the rest!

If you are going to use a 12v compressor fridge a few times of the year...then you could opt for another manufacturer...ARB, Bushman, Companion, Evercool...the list goes on and on...for a competent 12v compresor fridge...$800 to $1200 is generally the price bracket.