Engel Installed

[Wandering Sagebrush]

My daughter and I are going to do a little desert walkabout mid month, so I finally got off my duff and pulled the Engel MT45 out of storage and installed in the Cougar. Pre-cooled it to 33° on AC, then switched to DC. With the refer empty, the batteries drop from 13.7 to 13.1 as it runs, then bounces back to 13.7 as soon as the cooling cycle stops. I suspect it will do better when there is a load of groceries (including cold, carbonated barley soup) taking up the air space.

I have two Group 24 AGMs in parallel.

Hopefully no more stops for ice.

 

[Occidental]

Nice work, you won't miss the ice stops and the ruined food. Do you have a shell? I'm just wondering about where you put the Engel or how it fits into the floor plan. Bonus points for a photo.

 

[ski3pin]

"Bonus points for a photo."

Well said!

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

One for the bonus points… as this is mostly a shell, I put it on the shelf near the furnace and stove. Using footman loops and a strap to hold it in place while traveling. Could move to the floor, but want to retain floor space for Fritz the Wonder Dog.

 

[Occidental]

Very nice, so plenty of room. Thanks for the visual. I hereby award you points in the amount of your choosing.

 

[Tom n N]

FYI, the voltage readings shouldn’t be different from what you’re seeing now whether chest is empty or full. When full of fully cooled food it should cycle less though.

I’ve had an Engle in my Eagle Shell for 20 years now. Even though it was way too expensive, it’s some of the best money I’ve ever spent, never a bit of problems in all these years.

Also think those top loaders are the best choice in a camper. You can stuff more food and beer into them, and at the end of a long day on the trail the contents aren’t booby trapped when you open the door

I sure don’t miss ice!

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

We’re had our Engel for 10+ years, first used on our boat when cruising Lake Powell. I agree about top loaders, they are my first choice.

 

[Defulmmt]

One for the bonus points… as this is mostly a shell, I put it on the shelf near the furnace and stove. Using footman loops and a strap to hold it in place while traveling. Could move to the floor, but want to retain floor space for Fritz the Wonder Dog.View attachment 110461

I’ve been pondering how to ditch my ice cooler too. Do you have the Engel plugged into the 12volt receiver that ATC installed during the build? The setup looks similar to my Panther. Is hard wiring through the fuse panel an option? Have you monitored the amp hour usage in a 24 hour period.

BTW, I have the same folding saw, highly recommended!

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

At this point, I am just using the 12VDC socket that Marty installed, and don’t have a reason to hardwire it (yet). There should be no problem going to the fuse bus. I will add another set of USB and 12 VDC sockets at the front of the camper so I don’t have the cord dangling all over.

The camper doesn’t have a shunt based monitor like a Victron, so don’t have an accurate measurement of power usage. Just based on voltage drop over night, it’s pretty minimal. My first overnight test showed 12.7 VDC early the next morning.

Edit: here are the specs on current draw. “Variable from 0.54-2.35 Amps (12V DC)”

Yes, that Silky Big Boy saw is awesome.

 

[Vic Harder]

The voltage drop is normal when the battery is seeing a load. A shunt would be pretty easy to add and the added peace of mind is invaluable.