We have a chescold,bloody old,It's lined on the outside with coloured tin(brown).Says on the side Model CR41,production number 781.Apart from the seals it runs fantastic and chilled beer is all ya get.

We pick up the new waeco 35 3/way tomorrow,hence my concern on that brand.We also have an old Electralux c/van fridge/freezer,when on gas/240 it's really cold.

                               Glenn.

Hi Mick,

you know my feelings on this one. Engel all the way. If you do a search on explorer oz there is a Waeco salesman who says "I am a waeco salesman but own a an Engel, enough said"

You really need to consider what you will be doing & how you camp. I mean if you are mobile a lot and you need to move the unit about then the trailblazer is just too big, a great unit but just too big. If it stays in the trailer then OK.

If you want a 3 way forget about 12v they are just too hungry and will flatten a car battery in less than two or three hours. If your staying put then on gas they are brilliant but you cannot run on gas whilst travelling in the vehicle or trailer. These units can be made a lot more efficient by opening the back panel and jamming some glass roof insulation around the heating element tube to insulate it from the wind or cold (I have done this) with super results.

I have witnessed too many Waeco failures personally, only two weekends ago the mate was leaving for an inland trip and the night before the Waeco failed and delayed the trip for a few days. I might add that it was not a refrigeration problem but a failure with the electronics. I am not trying to cause any dramas but I personally would not buy a Waeco at this stage.

I have 3 Engels a 60l and 2x 40 litre the 60 is 25 years old and I have not had a single failure with any of them (not one) thge 40litre is the most commonly purchased Engel and rightly so they are perfect for travelling the 60 & 40 litre will make ice all day on freeze. Remember all units will use more power on freeze than refrigerate.
The 40 litre will use between 2.5 & 4 amps dependant on use.
A common way to use the Engel is to run directly from a 120watt solar panel during the day and reverting to refrigeration mode at night which will keep meat frozen. I personally never freeze meat for trips but prefer to have meat vacuum packed which will last for 4 weeks with refrigeration only without freezing.
A 40 litre Engle should last 3 to 4 days from a fully charged battery in good condition without charging, again depending on how often it is opened.
Engel has released a plastic version, exactly the same as the metal one but saves some $300.00 of the price.

At the end of the day Mick it's up to you but ask around and you will soon get to know where the reliability issue is.

Good luck with the purchase

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