kcowyo
Senior Member
A belated Christmas present of sorts for myself... a 45 quart Engel Fridge and Transit Bag
My FWC has an icebox and I have been debating switching it out for a 12v fridge. Unfortunately I just never felt the size would be worth the cost and effort of installing a stand-up fridge. Plus the icebox has its merits and makes for a good cupboard for additional dry storage.
So after 2 years of on & off looking at fridges, from various sources in various states of condition from new to used to refurbished, I finally found one for me. I have several friends who travel with and swear by the Engel fridge. Plus I have subscribed for several years to "Australian 4WD Monthly", and all of their editors swear by it. It is definitely a top of the line product.
While strong recommendations and a top of the line product appeals to me, there was no way I was going to pay almost $1K for a fridge and transit bag. I would just keeping dealing with ice and soggy sandwiches. However I was fortunate enough to get this 6 month old fridge with the bag for $400. That was a large chunk of the mod money I had saved but deals like that don't come up often. The unit still has 18 months of factory warranty and it has hardly been used. The seller was an acquaintance and I know he takes good care of his stuff, so I jumped on it.
My plan for now is to install it in the backseat of the truck. There it should be accessible to my passenger on the road and from the camper via the sliding glass windows. Unfortunately I don't have access cab doors on my extended cab truck, so it will be awkward at times but I'm sure it will be worth it in the long run. I know of one other guy who has installed a 45qt fridge in his T100, so I will be following his lead on the install. Fairly simple, remove half of the bottom rear seat, fasten, plug in and chill. This allows enough room for the lid to fully open. A pic of his final result -
This is a costly investment and a big unit. Sacrificing half my back seat was not a decision I made lightly. Even with the great deal I got, I still had some buyer's remorse when it showed up this week. I like to travel rather simply. My cooler has served me well and the fridge seems so extravagant. Especially when it's still below 10 degrees here right now. But I'm sure when the summer rolls around I'll be glad to have it. For now it will at least keep my beer from freezing, lol. And like some other creature comforts I've acquired over the last year, it's worth it for the comfort of my passenger. To her credit, she was more excited about it than I was.
I will update this thread with install info and pics when I can talk myself into going outside in the near zero degree temps to get it installed. I may have some questions for the wiring-minded folks on here once I start this project.
My FWC has an icebox and I have been debating switching it out for a 12v fridge. Unfortunately I just never felt the size would be worth the cost and effort of installing a stand-up fridge. Plus the icebox has its merits and makes for a good cupboard for additional dry storage.
So after 2 years of on & off looking at fridges, from various sources in various states of condition from new to used to refurbished, I finally found one for me. I have several friends who travel with and swear by the Engel fridge. Plus I have subscribed for several years to "Australian 4WD Monthly", and all of their editors swear by it. It is definitely a top of the line product.
While strong recommendations and a top of the line product appeals to me, there was no way I was going to pay almost $1K for a fridge and transit bag. I would just keeping dealing with ice and soggy sandwiches. However I was fortunate enough to get this 6 month old fridge with the bag for $400. That was a large chunk of the mod money I had saved but deals like that don't come up often. The unit still has 18 months of factory warranty and it has hardly been used. The seller was an acquaintance and I know he takes good care of his stuff, so I jumped on it.
My plan for now is to install it in the backseat of the truck. There it should be accessible to my passenger on the road and from the camper via the sliding glass windows. Unfortunately I don't have access cab doors on my extended cab truck, so it will be awkward at times but I'm sure it will be worth it in the long run. I know of one other guy who has installed a 45qt fridge in his T100, so I will be following his lead on the install. Fairly simple, remove half of the bottom rear seat, fasten, plug in and chill. This allows enough room for the lid to fully open. A pic of his final result -
This is a costly investment and a big unit. Sacrificing half my back seat was not a decision I made lightly. Even with the great deal I got, I still had some buyer's remorse when it showed up this week. I like to travel rather simply. My cooler has served me well and the fridge seems so extravagant. Especially when it's still below 10 degrees here right now. But I'm sure when the summer rolls around I'll be glad to have it. For now it will at least keep my beer from freezing, lol. And like some other creature comforts I've acquired over the last year, it's worth it for the comfort of my passenger. To her credit, she was more excited about it than I was.
I will update this thread with install info and pics when I can talk myself into going outside in the near zero degree temps to get it installed. I may have some questions for the wiring-minded folks on here once I start this project.
