Portable Fridge Freezers

Shock horror !

You've just broken one of the site's 10 Commandments - "Thou shalt not speak disparagingly about Engel". Don't you know they last forever and NEVER break down. Shame on you.

Regards

Good one gramps, PMSL.

Macca.

Sorry guys, please forgive me for my blaspheme.

I spent about 4 weeks trying to get it going, even bypassed the power supply but no joy.

Sold it on Gumtree for $150 which went to buying a replacement . I can buy nearly three of these for what I paid for the Engel and cover.

Kazza055
Engel, I have one, have poor insulation and are very slow to cool compared to a compressor/motor fridge. My small Waeco will freeze something 5 times faster than the Engel will.
How did you "bypass" the power supply?????. Unless you had a alternate switching 22v AC supply at approximately the same frequency which the Engels use you wouldn't be able to run it's reciprocating piston compressor. Just applying some AC or DC to the comp would do nothing.

I purchased a 9V - 24V, 60VA, 5A Multi-Tapped Dual Output Type 2167 Transformer from Jaycar which will give 24VAC and connected this directly to the motor. The normal power supply gives 24V square wave so this transformer will allow you to test the motor.

I ran it for about 20 minutes continuously and the only temperature change was that the motor got hot but absolutely no cooling.

Perhaps SECOP? German! Secorp is a UK water treatment company.

My mum was looking through some old papers and stuff a few weeks ago and she found the warranty registration card filled out by my late father when he bought his Engel in December 1980.

He never posted it!

Lucky the the thing is still going strong!

Cheers

My Engel is a 1972 model and still going strong. I always wonder when is it going to die. I am too scared to buy a new fridge as the engel might just get upset. Yes it consumes power. Cost a bomb in 1972. (I think +$650). Would I buy another Engel? Not sure as there are a lot around and a lot cheaper. Also I think I have less than 48 years left on this planet. Looking at the specs of this Kickass fridge I note from the it can only handle angles of less than 5% for long periods, and 45% for very short periods. That would worry me as often my 4WD is parked on funny angles and I want a fridge that works in the heat and on angles. That why after owning Finch, Electrolux, Sheen and many other cheap units in the late 60's and early 70's I bit the bullet and paid the "Engel" premium. I have not been disappointed. If you plan to do 4WDing, I would be checking the specs to make sure the fridge suits your requirements.

How often do you have your car parked on an angle anywhere near 45 degrees ?

I think even 5 degrees would be very uncomfortable.

I have seen this same statement made in just about every thread about portable fridges, it is a bit like the handgrenade comments and the Patrol.

5% uncomfortable? For what? I dont sleep in my car, but often just park the car where ever. When parking my car I dont look for a flat surface. My issue is that 5% is not much and I would think from reading the specs it should not be left for long period. So I camp for 3 days and my car is on an angle greater than 5%. What happens to the fridge? Yes 45% is extreeme. I do not see those angles mentioned on my fridge specs.

My guess is that the fridge would still work at 5%, I think these specs are based one older fridges, just a hangover from years gone by.

I just had a look at 5 degrees, and then compared it to 10,( 10 is fair slope) I would imagine if a fridge would be ok at 45 for a short periods, it’d be fine at up to 10 for a fair while.
I googled “what does 10 degree slope look like”
Cheers
Shane

Strange who would use old specs for a new fridge or for anything not good for marketing. 5 deg is not a big angle it would pay to ask the manufacturer the real truth as to why instead of guessing so you don't effect it's opperation especially if you want to keep it for a few years.

Lyncol.
If in England and want sticky tape for an envelope, just ask for Durex as an Aussie used to call it. Observe the reaction.

May be so in England( yes I do understand the durex brand) but go to any Toyota dealer in Australia and some other countries and ask for a pardos ? Observe the reaction. Just saying everyone can make a spelling mistake or get terminology not quite right but we all have a fair idea what the person is asking.

For heaven's sakes, it's a typo!!!

Don't sweat the small stuff!

I have to agree with you Macca.

Two Engels, one 25 years old the other 18.

Both are strapped to the tray, the only thing I have had go wrong was, the younger of two would run but not cool, so I turned it off, turned it upside down for a few hours, uprighted it, waited half an hour, turned it back on & it hasn't missed a beat since.

Regards

TrevorDavid

Just trying to point out the facts. Most times you get what you pay for. I would not buy a fridge that says it cannot handle an angle of +5% for any length of time. Ok 45% is extreme and I would be probably jumping out of my car as well on that angle. But horses for courses.

They’re a bit like landrover’s and Toyota’s aren’t they!

Now I’m ducking for cover too!

But I do own 2 Engels, had one die before that, next fridge might be something else.
Cheers
Shane

And those that “poo poo” them Craig, don’t generally own one.

Macca.

I poopoo them because mine died at 9 years and I can't justify paying twice the price of the Brass Monkey just to say I have an Engel.

They may be good but they are heavy and overpriced like a lot of other brands out there.

As far as I can tell the 75L duel door fridge the OP is talking about is made by Evakool so should be reasonably good quality, obviously no where near the unbelievable quality of an Engel but fit for purpose and has a couple of really good features.
Im not sure where the 5% angle info is coming from? and I don't believe I have done any "poo poo"ing of Engel at all? I've made an observation of the people who use Engel (on this forum) not the quality of the product, seems valid IMO.

.
The OP's fridge (Kickass) is not made by Evakool. It is a direct import from China.
This same fridge is imported and marketed under various names by a number of companies...... Kickass, Brass Monkey, Jaycar, and other names. Evakool brand theirs as Travelmate.
Although I do not own one, they are certainly well priced and seem quite well made. Certainly as good as Waeco, which I do own.

As for Engel, well they do have a good reputation for longevity, and can take the knocks. But they also have their negative aspects.... high price, high power consumption, and high noise. Yes, yes, yes, I have actually used one for several years. And there are even 'better' fridges, much better, at higher prices, MUCH higher!

But for the average punter, the Brass Monkey fridge looks to be good value. And I would buy it from Jaycar because of their good backup and response to any problem.

Kickass fridges were made by evakool up until the end of 2018 , you may now be right where they are made, sorry for the confusion but did that job about 2 years ago.

Only compressor portable fridge when I bought mine in 1972 was Engel. If your Waco lasts 48 years with no repairs then fine. Survived 3 rollovers,, and so much neglect I am amazed it still fires up. Hence my raving about Engel. All metal no fancy lights or split innards either a freezer or a fridge and fits my 2 slabs a day requirements!,

Ha ha

Actually it only has to last 24 years (given half the price) LOL

Regards

David I1
Two slabs a day eh? No wonder you keep on having rollovers. Over an over and over and so it goes. The fridge lasted ok but the vehicles didn't!

Is the priice of broken latches taken into account in that waeco equation?....lol

.
Agreed Rumpig. I have rebuilt my Waeco latch twice. It is now aluminium and won't break again!

Rumpig & Allan B,

Happy to advise I'm still on the original latches. You blokes were obviously in some sort of desperation to consume whatever medicinal fluids you had stored in your Waecos at the time.

Regards

.
LOL Gramps. Or maybe it depends on product model and age?...... Fridge age, not mine... lol
Flimsy plastic arrangement...... not a simple solid metal clasp as on Engel...... There, I've said it!

.
How do you compare Kickass at $500 with Snomaster at $1500+?

Yes and I have heard of Engels failing in exactly the same situation - my $450 15yo ebay fridge is still running fine after being bounced around in the back of my truck all that time. With side by side testing, it uses no more power, has better insulation, is quieter and cools quicker.

At the time Engels were 3 times as more expensive, but definitely not 3 times more reliable or 3 times better.

Back in 2018 I did a trip across the desert and ended up in Alice Springs.
Bought a heap of supplies to keep us going for another couple of weeks.
On the second day out from Alice Springs, we observed our "40 Ltr ENGEL", which was only purchased in 2006, had failed to function at all.
So 500k back to Alice Springs to buy another fridge, threw away kilos of assorted meats and other stuff that could be frozen. The outside temp was up in the high 30's
Changed leads, power sources and did all the cross checking I could think of, even plugging it in to 240v once we were back at Alice.
So I thought I would try a ARB 47 Ltr, which is just as expensive as an Engel.
I have owned 3 Wacoes before, 2 used I in work utes and 1 for personal use.
I was not real fond of them.
Now days at the age of 66 and tied to a gas bottle, I have to reevaluate how long I want something to last as compared to cost.
I work out things on the cost of a can of coke. If I paid $1400 for the fridge and it lasted 12 years that's a cost of about $10.00's a month, break down further and it is around $1.42 a day, roughly half the price of a can of coke a day.
I have looked at those Kickass fridges and if I ever needed another one I would not hesitate to try one. China must be able to make some good stuff over there, surely.

Engels do fail, much to popular belief that they don't, and thing is reliable until it fails.
Cheers

Hi Blue M,

Did you get the engel checked in Alice, or just buy another fridge? My engel stopped cooling when it was about 3 or 4 years old. Had it checked out by a refrigeration mechanic, turned out to be the thermostat. Thermostat replaced at a total cost of about $150 including labour. Fridge is still going strong, it is now 16 years old, and lives permanently in the back of the wagon.

One of the best things (IMHO) about engel fridges is that they are repairable at a reasonable price, in most cases that I have heard about, less than the price of a new one of a similar size, even the “cheap” ones. From reading on this forum and others that I am a member of, a lot of people (not suggesting you are one) just replace items when they stop working without investigating the cause, and wether it is repairable at a reasonable cost. Unfortunately, we seem to live in a “disposable” society these days.

Macca.

Macca, I did not get it checked out while I was in Alice Springs. I did ask around and got, maybe in 3 weeks I might be able to have a look at it.
I did manage to re-arrange things and I bought it home with me.
It sat in the shed for around 3-4 months and every now and then after kicking it a few times, I would plug it in to 12v and 240v just to check it out. Nothing, not even a murmur came out of it.
One day I was going to Roma, which is roughly 200k's away and is the nearest repair place around me.
I left it there on a Friday and the guy said he would have a look at it and let me know if it was fixable.
The following Friday he rang me and said I could come by and pick up my fridge.
So on the Monday I went to Roma to get it. The chap bought it out and put it near the door, I asked him what the damage was and he laughed and said, I can't charge you for something I haven't done.
He said he plugged it into the 240v and turned it down to freeze before he shut up for the week-end.
On the Monday it was down to -18 and stayed there for a couple of days, so then he unplugged it, let it warm up and tried it on 12v and got the same result.
He used the leads that I had left inside the fridge, so I know it was not them.
It now sits in the shed as a drink fridge, happily running off a 160w solar panel hooked to a 120ah Ritar battery, which I bought in 2011.

So the moral of the story is,
Did it fail, YES
Did it cost me a new one at the time, YES
How much did it cost me to get it fixed, NOTHING,
Do I trust it to cool my drinks down, Yes
Will I trust it again with two weeks worth of tucker out in the middle of no where, MAY BE NOT.
Cheers

.
Hi Blue,

That sounds very much like an intermittent connection fault to me. Intermittents are like mice, they 'come and go' and the technique to deal with them is to kick it as you did. But the secret is to know just where to kick it! This can take many years of practice and even now I sometimes don't get it right. But obviously your Roma serviceman kicked the right spot on this occasion.

I never charge for fixing an appliance for simply kicking it either, but I never reveal just where I kicked it..... that is a professional secret.

Does the name, 'Kickass', also double as the service manual?

Why should you have to spend time & effort to repair something that should not have been necessary in the first place. I would be worried about the quality.

BTW, about 5 years or so ago I was employed as the sales Manager of a roof rack importer. the boss was very entrepreneurial so thought he would offer a "group Buy " of these Chinese fridges.
We advertised in 4x4 Australia and sat back. No orders came.
The deal was AFAIR the landed cost was about $250 and the supplier threw in a couple of fridges per container for warranty.
In general the higher priced fridges have a longer warranty than cheaper ones even though they may be the same fridge..
For this reason I would buy an Evakool one as they are a reputable company who will be around if there is a problem later unlike my boss who went broke. They may be more expensive but there is a reason for that.

Yes they look like a good product but bulky.
I helped a bloke with one on a joint trip I was on.
No cooling.
I always carry a multimeter and found 12 volts right to the fridge.
We opened up the compressor cover and I found lots of push on connectors and nothing obviously wrong.
So I pulled each one off in turn and then reconnected them with a wiggle.
It started right up and kept going.
So to me the only Achilles heel was the use of push on blade connectors where maybe they should have been screw on.
Regards PhilipA

I've never had trouble with the push on connectors on the fridge though there is several of them butI have had issues with them on spotlights though. Good to see it was an easy fix yes a screw connection would be more secure or soldiering the wire to the post would also be secure fix.

The Rf fibreglass models like mine can be considered as bulky or ugly with the compressor etc hanging off one end but you get good storage depth without a shelf robbing the space and it keeps the heat further away. They are white which helps reflact heat with a fibregass body not metal to reduce heat soak and have thicker walls than some so good for insulation so no insulation bag required like some others need. So bulky or ugly can also be very practical if it suits. They do sell models with the compressor etc mounted underneath like other brands do.