Waeco and Evakool Fridges - IDENTICAL

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wardies_LUX

New Member
Hey guys.

Ive just purchased one of the new model EvaKool fridges, the 45L one as thats all ive got for room wise in my toolbox. I can safetly say, they are near identical. The size is the same, the looks are also the same.

Im confused though, the Waeco 50L fridge has a smaller basket then the EvaKool 45L fridge. The waeco basket fits easily into the evakool fridge, except the evacool fridge basket cant fit in the waeco? I dont understand...

Price for value is perfect, $800 gets you a 45L fridge + bag + wiring kit (for a car charger as well) compared to the waeco for $1300 - You do get a bag, and 2 hand held UHF's but most people have them in cars already, so its just money sitting in the shed.

Ill test it in a few weekends time and let everyone know how they go. Because the new design has only been at TJM for just over 2 weeks now, there is no real feedback on them, and ignoring the looks of the old evakool fridges, they are brilliant.
 
yoot

yoot

New Member
wardies_LUX said:
Hey guys.

Ive just purchased one of the new model EvaKool fridges, the 45L one as thats all ive got for room wise in my toolbox. I can safetly say, they are near identical. The size is the same, the looks are also the same.

Im confused though, the Waeco 50L fridge has a smaller basket then the EvaKool 45L fridge. The waeco basket fits easily into the evakool fridge, except the evacool fridge basket cant fit in the waeco? I dont understand...

Price for value is perfect, $800 gets you a 45L fridge + bag + wiring kit (for a car charger as well) compared to the waeco for $1300 - You do get a bag, and 2 hand held UHF's but most people have them in cars already, so its just money sitting in the shed.

Ill test it in a few weekends time and let everyone know how they go. Because the new design has only been at TJM for just over 2 weeks now, there is no real feedback on them, and ignoring the looks of the old evakool fridges, they are brilliant.
Click to expand...

Depends on where you shop, I got my CF-60 for the same price you got your 45L and I got a bag. Pays to shop around!
 
M

Madrock

New Member
Mate they are not the same fridge. Yes they look the same but they are not.
I believe the fridge that evakool use is the same fridge that arb used for their original fridge/freezer.
I can't think of the name or where it is made.
 
Plastered

Plastered

Active Member
Madrock said:
Mate they are not the same fridge. Yes they look the same but they are not.
I believe the fridge that evakool use is the same fridge that arb used for their original fridge/freezer.
I can't think of the name or where it is made.
Click to expand...

China/Malaysia
Only aussie made evakool is the white fibreglass
 
jack doff

jack doff

New Member
I bought one of the yellow jobs made by the mob that makes the white ones. $1200 70 ltr fridge freezer. had probs with the thing leaking like a sieve the first time i used it. I took it back to the bodgy camping and fishing place, where i was met by the rep and told if i wanted my money back "i could talk to my f#$%ing solicitor" and he threw his lawyers business card at me. I still have the card as proof and give him hell at every trade show i see him. I now have a worthless pretty yellow coffee table in the shed. consumer affairs were a waste of time to me, they are a toothless tiger most of the time.
 
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Swaggie

Swaggie

Moderator
I just bought one of these for my Evakool...
EDTM-Wireless.jpg
Evakool Store - Evakool Wireless Thermometer

It works a treat,as my Evakool is in the canopy on my last trip i decided to put my single swag in the back instead of on the roof rack...All the moving about the Swag hit the switch and moved it to 10 meaning up to minus -18 for a few hours...Everything froze including,Salads,Eggs,Tomatoes etc etc...

Now i can moniter the temp in the Cabin, and it moniters up to a distance of 100 metres.....
 
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Davidman

Davidman

5th Annual Victorian Gathering member
Like someone said, shop around, I just bought a Waeco 40 litre (think it is actually 37), for under $700 from BCF at Narre Warren, they have them on special and I am using this as a dedicated freezer for the longer trips.

Tried it out over Easter at Deni for 5 nights / 6 days running of 12 Volts and what I didnt use was still as hard as a rock and went straight back into the freezer when I got home, even the ice cream.

Only issue with the Waeco, as opposed to the Engel 40 litre I use as the fridge, is that it has no temperature guage set into the unit and probably not important, but no light either (it's amazing how handy that little light come in when you are fishing around for beers at 1 in the morning.) Also, the Waeco doesn's seem as solid, but hey, it works and comes with a free insulating cover etc.
 
David4B4

David4B4

New Member
I have been looking for a fridge for a week now. and will be going with waeco. australia warenty, and I just dont want it to die when i need it most. Just need to find a good price, and away I go...
 
A

alcatrav

New Member
EvaKool and Waeco look-alikes

Yeah, I've come across the same issue. I've been into the stores and looked at the Waeco's and EvaKools side-by-side, and they look almost the bloody the same. There are definately some differences, but it does need close inspection. The guys at the big camping stores don't seem to know the ins-and-outs of them, but I Googled it for ages. There is a good breakdown at EvaKool Fridges and EvaKool Fridge/Freezers Australia Portable Fridges Camping Fridges - it explains the differences between the Evakool fibreglass units (white ones) which are 100% australian made, the Evakool yellow ones which are 50/50 chinese/aussie, and the other Evakool units - the KoolMate/IB and the TravelMate which are the Waeco look-alikes and are fully imported using danfoss and the chinese ripoff "domus" respectively for their compressors.

I had a look on eBay too, which seem to have very similar waeco look-alikes which are cheaper again - even than the EvaKool Koolmate or TravelMate. BUT... the big benefit with the Evakools are that they're backed up by the EvaKool service network. I can understand why Evakool do this - they're losing sales to people who want the dirt cheap units - so it's easy for them to import a few containers - but I reckon it devalues their brand quite a bit. What do they actually stand for? I always thought EvaKool stood for great quality, but now I only believe this applies to the white and yellow fridges, as the others are purely based on price.

I eventually bought the EvaKool RF47 white fibreglass 47 litre unit. Main reason being that the insulation is the best on the market, which means less power draw. Second reason is that it doesn't need a bag, which is a big benefit in accessing the fridge. I bought it from the site above for less than $1100 delivered, including a wireless thermometer and power adaptor - which I thought was a blody good deal. Loving it so far!! Hope this helps someone trying to work out the differences.

Cheers
 
scodon

scodon

New Member
I just bought the Evacool travel mate BCD60 (60 litre) for $630 brand new with insulated bag and AC adaptor. It looks very much like a waeco.

While its not a Waeco or Engel, it will do me. Also 2 year warranty on the whole unit including domus compressor. I suppose time will tell if it's any good.:)
 
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