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Originally Posted by Bill
Engel makes several models. You can see the lineup at
http://www.bigfrogmountain.com/engel_products.htm
Get a firm grip on your checkbook, make sure your heart pills are handy, then go to the Order Here page to see the prices.
There is no doubt that they work better than thermoelectrics and draw less than half the power from your battery. But anyone on a fixed income has gotta say WOW! at the price.
Bill |
Just put in an order for a 22 Qt Engel.
Yeah, a tad pricey but they have an excellent reputation for longevity. Did some Googling and found that
AhoyCaptain.com was only slightly higher on price than Frogmountain and had more Engel accessories (including a digital thermometer that plugs right into the unit's internal circuit). Plus the ability to do order tracking (a biggie for me).
Thanks for the tip, Bill! Wasn't even aware these true refrigerator type portable units were even made...and that you could get a portable freezer capability. My biggest frustration with the refer in my TM is the teeny freezer compartment as I greatly prefer to use frozen foods (especially vegetables and frozen meats/entrees) when traveling. Usually can only cram in about a 3 day supply of frozen food and on my longer expeditions that means switching to canned veggies/preserved meats. Blech. Resupply during my trips is not easy as true grocery stores are often an hour or two long round trip from my campsites.
Plus I can now prepare the trailer for a trip far more quickly since I don't have to wait for the refer to cool down before I can finish loading my foodstuffs (especially the frozen items like ice cream that should never be allowed to thaw). I can now do a quick load of my clothing & gear, turn on the TM refer empty (or with chilled food...like soft drinks...that can stand being temporarily warmed up), hook-up and go! Frozen food will travel in the truck cab in the Engel; regular chilled food (e.g. milk) in another cooler (either thermoelectic or ice cooled). Upon arrival at the campsite,
then I can load the TM refer which will have had time to become fully cooled down while running on DC enroute.
And with my solar panels and dual batteries, I probably could even keep this unit running on DC for a couple of days while boondocking since it uses so little current (.9 to 3.1 amps).
Apparently these Engels are very popular in the Australian outback and I can see why!
For me, the ability to carry a whole lot more frozen food
and to cut hours off my pre-trip prep is well worth the price. This is gonna be a really good thing.
