Adding an Engel portable fridge

[rbryan4]

I know many have talked about getting a portable fridge - the top loading ice chest type. I had a chance to see the Engel MR 40 in person today and I was impressed. 40 qt capacity, and very low power requirements -- only 3 amps/hr when running non-stop with an ambient air temp of 45c! (That's a balmy 113F for us Southerners)

I'm seriously coveting one right now. It could be plugged in to the exterior 120v or 12v outlet on the trailer or the one in the tow vehicle. It would help out the performance of the interior fridge too, because frequently used items or drinks could be kept in the portable, and the main fridge door would be opened less often.

Engel MR040F-U1 Fridge/Freezer

Here is a link to it's performance spec sheet as well:

http://www.engel-usa.com/images/stor...ance_curve.pdf

[dave1]

I had an engel 45 fridge/freezer in a teardrop and it would run for days without needing a charge on a small deep cycle battery. Sure miss those days of worry free refrigeration. They are very popular in Austria for expedition use and many will install a second battery charged from their vehicle to keep them going.

Dave

[Greggo]

What a coincidence, I bought one on Amazon yesterday. Built well, fast cool down, low power draw, 110/12v and can be used as a refrig or freezer by adjusting the thermostat! I'm hooking mine up to solar and batteries with an inverter.

The marine refrig is similar but built into a moulded case for corrosion resistance.

Greg

[Ron in BC]

As I've mentioned before, I've had top loading units on two previous boats as well as conventional (Engel) door units.

My experience is that a top loading unit is so much more tolerant of opening and closing. If I could have finished my trailer myself I would have installed a unit under the curb side dinette seat.

If the current issues aren't resolved before I start spending more time in really hot areas my next step will be to install a top loading unit.

Ron

[Fox hunt]

My step father is a sailer uses a top load doesn't think much of frount loads. Lucky my small fridge in the 17 seems to be plenty big for a single person and works well. I think having one of those top load units seems smart but I will just bring an ice chest for now and try to limet door opening on my little fridge.

[Greggo]

They're built for the off the grid crowd. Looks like they'll run forever on 100w panel and a 75 amp/h battery. People claim to leave them plugged into the 12v on a car for a 2 or 3 days with plenty of juice left to start the car.

[rbryan4]

Originally Posted by Greggo

What a coincidence, I bought one on Amazon yesterday. Built well, fast cool down, low power draw, 110/12v and can be used as a refrig or freezer by adjusting the thermostat! I'm hooking mine up to solar and batteries with an inverter.

The marine refrig is similar but built into a moulded case for corrosion resistance.

Greg

Yeah Greg, the one I saw has the composite case - corrosion free. Engel uses a very interesting compressor motor on these that they call the "swing motor". It uses less amps at startup because it doesn't rotate - but goes up and down like a piston. It doesn't have to move as far as a rotary and gradually gets up to speed without the normal battery demand.

Congrats on your purchase. Did I mention I want one?

[lefttee]

Just kills me to spend $900 for another ice chest when I already have one (useless as it is) in the trailer. I can buy a lot of ice for $900. Color me cheap...even though I did spend $30 K for the trailer.

[Greggo]

Robert, I just ordered the MR-040. I was thinking its too big but compared the dimensions against my Igloo Xtreme cooler and was surprised to see it's the same size. I like the idea of durable plastic that won't rust. A few pound lighter too.

The accessories are amazing. Several attachment systems, a stand, cooler bags, and even an expansion unit that increases the size by about 30%. I ordered it with a couple 12v extension cords, first time I've ever see them. Let the cooling begin!

Camping and travel were minor considerations, I have other uses for it which helps justify the "ouch". Competitively priced through an Amazon retailer with free shipping.

Greg

[Fox hunt]

They make really nice ice chests too

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by Greggo

and even an expansion unit that increases the size by about 30%.

Greg

Everyone will know who you are, you'll be the person handing out ice cubes at gatherings

I know I'm blind sometimes but I didn't see the expansion unit on their web site. How does it work?

Ron

[rbryan4]

Originally Posted by lefttee

Just kills me to spend $900 for another ice chest when I already have one (useless as it is) in the trailer. I can buy a lot of ice for $900. Color me cheap...even though I did spend $30 K for the trailer.

Greg makes a good point here -- If we got the Engel we would use it for a lot more than just camping -- tailgating, parties, reunions, summer BBQs, outdoor bar, road trips in the car, you name it. Anytime and anywhere you would use an ice chest you could use this instead and no more trips to the store for bag ice. The portability helps justify the cost. But, there's nothing wrong with being cheap.

[Greggo]

I found a couple other makers, ARN and Edgestar. Engel seems the best. Buddy has one and loves it.

BTW, I was wrong about the expansion unit. I misunderstood the compressor drop in unit.

Greg

[Greggo]

OOPS, that was ARB and Edgestar.

[hotfishtacos]

Originally Posted by Greggo

OOPS, that was ARB and Edgestar.

Back away!...and put that beer down!...

[Greggo]

Originally Posted by hotfishtacos

Back away!...and put that beer down!...

Ah ha ha you eSCAB! Haven't touched a drop in at least 10 minutes!

[ddevin]

Have been admiring the Engel for awhile now. We use a little Igloo brand ac/dc cooler from Costco, which does a great job, but draws more power. It was just under $100.00. The solar can keep it going in direct sun, but not in clouds, so we turn it on and off when off the grid.

[Bcdonaher]

Originally Posted by rbryan4

Greg makes a good point here -- If we got the Engel we would use it for a lot more than just camping -- tailgating, parties, reunions, summer BBQs, outdoor bar, road trips in the car, you name it. Anytime and anywhere you would use an ice chest you could use this instead and no more trips to the store for bag ice. The portability helps justify the cost. But, there's nothing wrong with being cheap.

We have a Yeti, keeps ice for at least 3 days, the most expensive cooler out there but still 1/3 the cost of an Engel. We use it on the first day of a trip, as our 4.3 fridge takes 12 hours to reach acceptable temps, after which we eat ice cream every night, maybe we got lucky with our fridge.

[Greggo]

Try running a fan on the coils when you cool down your refrig. Bet you can cut that 12 hours down to a couple.

Honestly, an Engel/ARB/Edgestar/Novacool might not be the most practical and easy to justify for camping. Heavy and sort of redundant to a working refrig. It will certainly have it's place but I have other plans for my Engel but they are truly amazing pieces of machinery. Cool down in a couple hours and run at less than 30 amps/24 hours! Mine's going into a shed to team up with a solar panel, a couple batteries and work forever! Should come in handy here in LaLa Land when the big one comes too!

[hotfishtacos]

Originally Posted by Greggo

Try running a fan on the coils when you cool down your refrig. Bet you can cut that 12 hours down to a couple.

Honestly, an Engel/ARB/Edgestar/Novacool might not be the most practical and easy to justify for camping. Heavy and sort of redundant to a working refrig. It will certainly have it's place but I have other plans for my Engel but they are truly amazing pieces of machinery. Cool down in a couple hours and run at less than 30 amps/24 hours! Mine's going into a shed to team up with a solar panel, a couple batteries and work forever! Should come in handy here in LaLa Land when the big one comes too!

...and it's coming next month!...