Not happy with my Engel!

[Silvertip47]

My Engel lasted two seasons then developed a bad "growl". I thought I had it narrowed down to the fan. I contacted Engel and they sent me a new fan for a nominal fee. Replaced the fan but something in there is still very noisy.

I didn't use it the next year, kept me awake. This year I decided to use it in my store room as an extra freezer. As the storeroom is next to my bedroom it kept waking me up from in the next room!!!

The only service center in Boise from Engel's website is an RV dealer who has never heard of Engel!!!!

It is going to cost too much to ship it somewhere to get fixed so I am looking at a Dometic from Camping World.

 

[camper357]

I'll take that noisy engel off your hands.


My Engel lasted two seasons then developed a bad "growl". I thought I had it narrowed down to the fan. I contacted Engel and they sent me a new fan for a nominal fee. Replaced the fan but something in there is still very noisy.

I didn't use it the next year, kept me awake. This year I decided to use it in my store room as an extra freezer. As the storeroom is next to my bedroom it kept waking me up from in the next room!!!

The only service center in Boise from Engel's website is an RV dealer who has never heard of Engel!!!!

It is going to cost too much to ship it somewhere to get fixed so I am looking at a Dometic from Camping World.

 

[Ted]

Silvertip,

When I first replaced my three way refrigerator with an electric, I installed an Engel I bought off of FWC. They removed it from a new camper because the owner complained about how loud it was. It vibrated so bad my pots and screen door rattled. I could feel the vibration while in bed. FWC was kind enough to refund my money. I then bought an electric fridge with a Danfoss compressor. A huge difference! Very quiet and , IMO, better built. There are several manufacturers that use Danfoss compressors. Best bang for the buck I found is Truckfridge. These are the refrigerators installed in XP campers.

Ted

 

[Silvertip47]

Thanks Ted. My RV Dealer is researching 12 volt built ins for me too. I'll be sure to have him look for a danfoss system!!!

 

[Silvertip47]

I'll take that noisy engel off your hands.


Send me 500 bucks and I'll ship it to you!!!

 

[pods8]

Ted do you have the built in one, what are the amp draw numbers like? The portable truck fridge units specifically say the danfoss unit. I don't see that listed on the built in ones specifically and it also says an average consumption of 24watts which is large. I hope/assume that was a rather conservative number.

 

[Ted]

Pods, I have the smaller built in with the front opening door. Fit into the existing location with very little modification. Have not put any kind of meter on it but the draw is similar to most, a little over two amps/hr. 24 Watts/hr converts to about 2.2 Amps/hr.

 

[pods8]

So over a 24hr period you're averaging 48ah of draw? I wouldn't say similar to most portable units (and I presume the truck fridge portable too?), those tend to pull in the .8-1ah average from what I've read and also experienced with my ARB, that's a big difference. I was assuming/hoping that 24watt number was conservative but maybe not. I just want to confirm I'm understand your post correctly. This would be something to seriously factor in when picking a portable unit verse front load if that is the case.

 

[craig333]

I need to purchase a new meter and check mine, but totally unscientific testing by ear says in normal conditions, it probably runs about 1/4 of the time? Could be more, its pretty quiet and I usually don't hear it at all.

 

[K6ON]

I need to purchase a new meter and check mine, but totally unscientific testing by ear says in normal conditions, it probably runs about 1/4 of the time? Could be more, its pretty quiet and I usually don't hear it at all.


That's just about what mine does, about 15 minutes per hour when it's full and everything is cold.
Give yours some time, if it's an Engel, it will get noisy. Since mine is out of warranty I plan on pulling it out and taking a look and see if I can find the reason for the noise and vibration. Might just be some rubber compressor mounts. It takes something just short of a nuclear blast to wake me up, so I sleep well with both the heater and Engel running.

 

[craig333]

Mines the truckfridge.

 

[Accrete]

Mines the truckfridge.

I just did some measuring in our Parkliner and it looks like the TruckFridge TF65 would be an exact replacement size-wise with the standard built in ice-cooler. I was wondering if your TF was the 65 or other? The use (1/4 run time) seems normal for these types of units from what i've read?

If i go this route it will be the only thing other than a hand full of LED lights, and the occasional water pump running off a 200ah battery bank that i will be charging with solar (my next project, then will install the fridge).

Thom

 

[craig333]

Exact replacement? No but its pretty dang close. I had to remove one piece of molding. It sits about a sixteenth of an inch higher. Not noticeable unless you look really close. Total install time was about 45 minutes. Its pretty easy.

 

[Ted]

Thom,

I run the 65 and have LED's in my light fixture and my 110ah will get me through a weekend without a problem. If the heater is running a lot that will drop me down to about a day and a half. So with 200ah, you should have absolutely no problems.

 

[Accrete]

thanks for the additional info Craig and Ted. It looks like i will put the TF65 in my wish list bookmarks. Once the solar is worked into the project the fridge will be next : )
Thom

my future home of the TF65...according the the manual, it should slip right in the galley of our Parkliner!