Dometic Waeco TropiCool Series

Good Product - mixed reviews probably reflect a misunderstanding of the product – Brought one of these second hand for $100 but in new condition. Most likely the previous owner made the same mistakes some of the reviewers here seem to. This product is a thermoelectric cooler which uses whats known as the 'Peltier effect' to heat exchange. The main advantage of thermoelectric coolers over compressor based coolers is they are… Read more

cheaper, lighter and quieter and should last longer with less moving parts.

The main disadvantage is that they are more sensitive to external temperatures than compressor based coolers. The specification for this fridge says that it can cool to 27C below the ambient room temperature. So if its 27C you should be able to cool to 0C. The product did get pretty close to this after testing it on both 12V and 240V. So when it was empty at an ambient temperature of 16C and running on max it got down to -7C after an hour or so. While this was only a 23C temperature difference there is likely a lower limit as -7 is pretty cold!

So the performance will vary according to how warm it is outside and also how warm the items inside are (take longer to cool). Also whether there is anything obstructing the air vents as a free airflow is essential for the Peltier heat exchange to occur. I suspect people who find it works well use it in an air-conditioned car or cool place so the ambient temperature is much lower. People who say it doesn't work at all probably have it running where the air vents are obstructed or in a warm or hot environment. For example on a 40 degree day it cannot cool below 13C and in direct sunlight the product might be heated to 50C so only 23C maximum cooling in that case.

Other people say that it draws a lot of amps (power) but I tested this and it never drew more than 1.8 amps which is the same current you would use to charge a mobile phone and usually the max a 12V car socket will deliver. Other people say it flattens the car battery but it has a switch near the DC socket which you can use to prevent this as it automatically switches off when the battery voltage drops to low. Although even at 1.8 amps a fully charged 100 amp car battery (lead acid/AGM etc) will go flat in a day (50 amp hours / 1.8 amps = 27.77 hours). A 100 amp lithium battery will last about 2 days running this product at maximum cooling.

Hope this helps but I would give this product 10 out of 10 - it is well made, good brand and does pretty much what it should do!

Great "Dry Cooler" – Had the 14 tfl for about 10 years now. Running on 12v only, daily use in a delivery van. Perfect fit in passenger's side footwell of a forward control vehicle. Fits perfect on floor of Camry & Corolla too! Position behind driver's seat for quick access to beers on a long trip. Just be wary of using lighter plug to power the unit when switching… Read more ·  1

between vehicles if not using ice bricks to assist cooling. Increasing popularity of rear mounted lighter sockets in SUV's could be an issue. Refer to comments on this issue further down regarding alternative and safer power connection options. Controls are easy to use and self explanatory. Lifting handle is a great idea. Load the marge and dairy products in this during your lunchtime shop and margarine will not melt by the time you get home. You then disconnect from power and lift by the handle to take your shopping inside. If not taking the cooler inside nightly, remove the easily detatchable lid and allow cooler to dry. Won't smell if you follow this tip. Lid seals like a drum - suction and magnetic seal holds it down! Strong enough to make a handy seat for a trucky. Will not bend or distort. Does draw a lot of current. Not a problem for couriers and truck drivers. If stopped for extended periods, switch to 3 - 4 LED's. Fans (and power) will now cycle between standby and low. Will melt lighter plug. Mine did it and so did the driver's adjacent. He went and bought a Waeco fridge but that meant it will no longer fit in the front of the vehicle where it's easily accessible and takes up a larger amount of space in the cargo section of his Haiyundai. I just hardwired mine to some solid core household cabling running off the battery. No more issues! Great dry cooler if you don't like sandwiches that have fallen into iced water for lunch. Does build up a small amount of water in the bottom that must be dried daily. ( I have two ice bricks of frozen water bottles in there to assist cooling so I get condensation). Clean about once a year over the kitchen sink with nylon scourer and Jif. My tip is to freeze two 'pump' bottles of water overnight in the freezer then transfer to the cooler at the start of the day. Place them in front of the circulation fan. Cooler will initially run on high then cut back to low after about 40 mins. For truck drivers, buy the next size up. Do not purchase for camping. Power draw will kill batteries. If you travel with one wet esky (drinks) and one dry esky (food) these are ideal. Set power to low or off if leaving vehicle for extended periods or wire through a relay triggered by accessories circuit. Tip: install a digital voltmeter at the same time you fit the cooler, or at least have a plug-in voltmeter on the Waeco power lead if moving the cooler from car to car. Doesn't measure current draw but gives some idea of power consumption at various LED power settings. A 5-10 watt solar panel that you can prop up on the dash plugged into a lighter socket that is permanently connected can also save you batteries if you need leave the car for extended periods.

Fair Performer – Some facts: 1. Unit has 2 Fans, a centrifugal fan facing the chest and a vane-axial fan vented to ambient. Both fans start up together. The centrifugal fan circulates the air in the chest over the heat exchanger fins to which the Peltier Device is attached. There is a thermal cutout on the Peltier device side which breaks the current to the device… Read more

if there is an over temperature. A NTC thermistor is mounted between the heatsink and the vents of the frame to measure the chest air temperature. The vane-axial fan is mounted to removed heat from the heat exchanger on the other side of the Peltier device. So that is the air you feel coming from the vents at the front of the unit below the control panel. This fan basically stops once the set temperature is reached. You can hear it cycle during chest temperature maintenance. 2. AC/DC switching is done on a separately mounted power supply module and voltages are reworked to supply the integrated circuit card where 5V and 10V regulated supplies are maintained. 3. The internal electronics are of clean design with robust construction.

A. Minor Issues: 1. Physical pressure or leakage from chest contents could interfere with the chest temperature sensor as in is mounted on a plastic carrier which, with enough pressure can cause it to back out of the carrier and this could result in temperature control problems.

2. The lid of the unit needs to be firmly pressed down to click closed, otherwise the unit will not continue to heat or cool.

3. Switching between hot and cold modes with a low or high temperature already in the chest, may lead to a delayed operation.

4. The rate of temperature rise or fall is typically Peltier. So, the idea is to throw things that are already at the temperature you want and maintain that temperature rather than trying to heat things up or cool things down. If you are happy to wait a long time, the heating and cooling rate might be around 4 deg/hour.

5. Controls

The LED control has no units, but to give you an idea, 5 LED Dots on Cooling selector using the TEMP button gives about 6 degrees C on an empty chest on a 24 deg ambient day.

6. Heating

The chest can get quite hot on full heat and you have to watch your personal safety when you pick up containers of/or food. I think 65 degrees C is too hot, but if you want to keep it hot for a long trip or camp, be aware of the danger. Again, this unit will not heat up food quickly so hot food is maintained hot should be the trip philosophy.

7. Cooling

The chest can get quite cold but it is not a freezer. Put your cold things in to keep them cold. Frozen things will stay frozen longer but you cannot easily bring ambient temperature water to 2 or 3 degrees on high ambient temperatures quickly.

B. Overall

Well constructed and designed, requires a commonsense approach to expectations of performance.

Works quite well 2% – Power usage is fair gets cold works well I would suggest that if you have one and its not working properly that you may have an issue with your plug - I changed mine for some thing more heavy duty Show details

Seems reliable – Good value, I've been using non stop for 2 months now and works well. Doesn't cool as good as a fridge but you get what you pay for. Recommended product. Show details

Useful and durable car cooler/warmer – These units live up to their specifications: they cool down to 20C-25C below ambient and heat to about 65C. It is best to set the unit running on AC to precool or preheat and fill with cooled or heated food or drinks, however, this is not really necessary. Replacement of an AC socket was the only repair in over 10 years of regular use. The unit… Read more

can be used as a supplementary fridge but the fan is somewhat noisy in quiet situations such as a motel room.

Cooling food – Its ok if you put it inside the car with aircon on on your way to destenation. It work depend on temperature inside your car (thermal cooling system) the cooler your cabin the beter this cooler will be. Remeber to unplug it unless you have auxiliry battery Show details

What a lemon – Bought some time ago and it was kept in the box unopened until we needed it. Worked OK on 240V on trial and packed away. Used once on a road trip Brisbane-cairns where it lived on the back seat and used 12v DC. I would say it "cooled" things and never chilled. It never achieved the claims spruiked by Waeco/Dometic on the box. Went to use it on… Read more

second trip and now does now cool or heat on either voltage. And of course out of warranty and try getting assistant from Waeco. I have been on hold for the service centre twice for a half hour. A very expensive single use esky! I will check Engell i think

AC not working with clicking problem solved – I have solved the problem of the ac not working and giving a clicking sound. The three electro caps in the power supply (2 x 1000Micro farads at 25v and 1 x 1000microfarads at 16v) need to be replaced. Clicking is from the relay trying to work but not enough voltage. These are located under the metal cover and this will need prizing back to get to them. Fridge is still difficult to get cold like many of the reviews

SOME FACTS about these things – Good reviews, bad reviews, depend wholly on the folliwing factors -' 1. Ambient temp. If in an a/c vehicle of say 20°, they obviously work better than in a tent or ute tray of 30°. 2. Initially pre-cool EMPTY, and then put home- or shop-cooled food into them, rather than expecting them to cool 5kg of warm stuff down at 60watts of battery power.… Read more

3. When sitting in a turned off vehicle, cover with insulating blanket. Better still, sew up a thermal jacket. 4. Once cold, keep as close to full as possible (thermal mass is better than empty air).

Great little unit TC 32 model – Bought this unit from brand new, buyers should understand what you are buying first, do your home work, this unit has been trouble free, it does what I want keeps things cool, it’s not a Engle fridge, very happy with the fridge as it is a few years old, more than happy to recommend to anyone, but again, do your home work on what you want, I run… Read more

this fridge mainly on 240v but in summertime when wife goes shopping, we put it in back of car, keeping ice cream etc cold, just love it.

Great little cooler – Dont buy it if you want a fridge, this is effectively an iceless esky. If you try to cool something down it will suck, it just doesnt produce a low enough temperature to get a differential and it will be going flat out for very little return...hence i suspect, the negative reviews.... the cooler is just there to evacuate the heat that makes its… Read more

way past the insulation or comes in with warm air when you reach in for a drink.

if you use it to keep cold stuff cool, it's awesome. we load it full of cold items, and have it plugged in to only run when the car is on, cold drinks when we want them, refrigerated meat for weekend camping, no fear of flat batteries.

for longer trips back it up with a larger fridge or esky and keep that one shut to keep the heat out.

Power hungry, poor performance – I already have a car fridge and thought this might be a useful midpoint unit for when I dont have an esky at hand. However as a short term, short transit device it is useless. It takes many hours to get any useful temperature reduction and in that time draws a huge amount of power. If your vehicle is running no problem, but leave this on an haux… Read more

battery and it will eat all the amps for breakfast and still nothing will be cold.

If you want useful cold that doesn't chew your battery, get a proper fridge unit.

This thing is just a wildly overpriced esky with a noisy fan that doesn't stop.

its only a cooler! definitely not a fridge – I bought one of these hoping it would provide the functionality of a Waeco fridge. I WAS WRONG. the unit couldnt keep things cool enough - the unit was power hungry and the fan noisy - and it just didnt cool very well. these units use a device called a Peltier device - which is an amazing bit of technology, but it just doesnt… Read more

provide sufficienct cooling compared to a real fridge that uses a compressor. Take it from me - if you need a Waeco fridge - buy a proper Waeco fridge - this unit will not do the job of a fridge.

Chapter 4 – The 12 volt fault was traced to a poor fuse connection through the plug. A new 240 volt circuit board was supplied under warranty by Waeco. It is now working on both voltages like it should, running on 4 out of 7 lights with cabinet temperatures ranging from 1.8c to 4.0c in room temperatures in the range of 16c to 24c.  Show details

Great little cooler – I bought this cooler for my ute as I do a lot of travelling & love having a cold drink (& not paying $5 for a bottle of water on the Nullabor). I have it running off my second battery & has been on since Sept 16. It keeps my drinks & food cooler than I expected even on 40 degree days it keeps everything chilly. The only issue I've had with… Read more

mine was the internal fan was making a clicking noise & it was due to a bit of ice (lowered the temp & it thawed) so note, don't have it on the highest setting for 7 months straight.

not a good camping fridge on 12Volt but makes a good house drink fridge – My TC35FL cooler runs very poorly on 12volt battery - not really cold enough to put perishable food in but it will keep water cool. I found it totally useless on hot days where temp gets up into 30's. I had it out of car and kept it in the shade with a heavy duty cardboard box draped over the top to help insulate it At home it ran pretty good… Read more

on mains power and did keep my drinks nice and cold. Pretty disappointed in its efficiency as its supposed to be a camping fridge which you run from cigarette lighter. One thought i had on this is perhaps you need keep a 2lt bottle of frozen water in it and to keep it in the car on a very short lead as i believe the longer the lead the more power is lost.???

power pig! – This is a cooler, not a fridge. I plug it into the 240 mains the night before to use it the next day, cause it takes forever to cool. Worst thing about this product though is, its power draw. Its horrendous. don't think u can use it on trips away for a few days to a week, it will drain your battery in double quick time. It has its place though, a… Read more

cooler for a day or two for trips to beach or overnight or something. But don't go remote, or for long trips, no battery could feed it for long.

So in summary; needs pre-cooling, massive power draw, will only cool but has its limits based on ambient temperature. May suit some people, but if u want a fridge, don't think this is a cheap alternative - its not. Its totally different to a waeco cfx fridge or similar.

Wprks great – Keeps drinks nice and cool. Sits in the truck with me and cant complain. Kept my drinks cold today (was 39 degrees) Fites 6 water bottles and ny sangas nice and cool. Will recomend to all our friends. The boss is even buying some for the other trucks in the fleet.  Show details

Great little unit should have bought one sooner – Works great icey cold drinks when you need them couldn't do without it now sits on truck seat beside me forever ready cool suggested to friends and family to buy one nice and easy to handle and light too which helps in the truck even my sandwiches stay nice and cool on a hot day bonus.  Show details

Great little cooler for the cost – I have had the 14l in my truck for 3 years getting bashed around and beaten. Works great for keeping lunch and drinks cool. I think People expect too pay $200 for a cooler and want it too do the same job as a $1200 Engel. It's light weight, easy too carry and better than an esky with an iceblock

Better than expected – Temperature sits near 3 Celcius and large enough for a few drinks and containers of food. Light enough to lift easily into back of my 4x4. Can't fault this little TC-14FL, price was very good from BCF. Great on 240V excellent on 12V, big enough to hold a couple of longer bottles if needed.

Excellent Cooler – I purchased this unit as a cooler for a 4wd. It performs admirably it is light enough to be lifted easily and will hold 4 bottles of water and 2 sandwiches and 2 apples easily. The temperature is down to about 3 degrees on a 34 degree day. It is quiet and I cant fault it in any way.

Used for six years non stop – Despite what the stories say I have had it to minus one degree celsius. I regularly open the end cover to clean out fluff that accumulates on the cooling fins. It makes a big difference. Fan motors sometimes get noisy, then suddenly quiet again. 240 volt power board failed years ago, so I run it through a 12 volt power supply.  Show reply

Better than expected – Bought Waeco Cool Pro 14 litre and lent it to my truck driver son while his truck fridge was being repaid. He said apart from size was it was as good as his truck fridge/freezer. Kept drinks and food at a good temperature. Doesn't use much batter to keep it running.

Big Lemon – Bought 21/02/2015. Used once, fishing out of Port Lincoln for 4 days, temp 18 to 20 degrees. Result, a box of rotten fish. What attracted me to the "cooler" was the notes on the box, from "0" degrees. I doubt that this would get anywhere near zero. I sent it back in October to have it checked. I would have sent it back earlier except my friend,… Read more

who I left the fish with, did not inform me of the state of the fish until October. Result working ok. I explained that this would not suit the purpose I bought it for to no avail.

Told to use ice packs. It now turns out to be a very expensive esky, which I could have bought at Bunnings for less than $90.00.

NOT HAPPY.

Good performance and value for money – I have had the Waeco 35 litre model cooler for one year now and it has proven to be excellent. I purchased the fridge from Super Cheap Auto, Acacia Ridge, Brisbane. Summers in Queensland get very hot but the Waeco has not failed to keep drinks as cold as the household fridge. In fact, beer bottles stored closer to the inside fan unit get colder,… Read more

faster in the Waeco. The fridge runs off 12 volt, 24 volt, or 240 volt without the need of any external transformer, just plug in the cable, and turn it on.

The 35-litre space is adequate for storing drinks right up to the largest size bottle as well as food and fruit but it is not a freezer. A removable lattice-style plastic divider acts as a separator in the fridge. An external fan acts to draw away heat from the fridge while an internal fan blows the cold air around the contents inside. It is important NOT to block either of these fans. Allowing plenty of ventilation around the fridge is important and the internal fan needs space to spread the cold around evenly.

When the set temperature is reached, a thermostat turns the motor off to save electricity and prevent the contents from getting too cold. A fridge thermometer placed inside stayed at the lower end of the blue “safe” reading mark on the dial when the room temperature was 32 degrees centigrade in Brisbane. The fridge temperature was set to 5 lights out of the maximum of 7. I tried the 7 setting but it was too cold however, it is nice to have the extra available. I found butter, milk, cheese, meat, and drinks stored in the fridge have been the same as if stored in the household fridge as the fridge thermometer showed the temperature in the safe range. There are photographs of this but there does not seem to be any way to upload them into this review.

The TC-35L does not require being on a totally level surface, so as long as the fan vents are not blocked, they can be strapped onto the back seat of the car. An advantage of the thermo-electric fridges is weight. The TC-35L weighs in at 10 kg empty which is comparable to an icebox. The larger compressor fridges, or those with metal cabinets, are too heavy for me to lift, particularly when filled. I like the design and solid build of the Waeco. The lid and handles seem quite strong and the outside casing cleans with a damp cloth. The plastic construction has the advantage of preventing rust problems.

I bought a battery-powered, Coleman automatic fridge light attached to the inside of the cabinet below the door hinge. An infrared sensor turns five LED lights on automatically when opening the door. It is a great accessory for extra convenience and the light makes it look like house fridge lighting inside.

In the bottom of the fridge and around the door seal, a build-up of water occurs. This seems to be normal and requires wiping up with a paper towel to keep it dry, maintain peak efficiency, and prevent mould. Household fridges also have this problem but they have a method off drawing the water to a tray at the back near the motor where it evaporates.

When the fridge first arrived, it was stored on the floor. This resulted in excessive dust building up around the fan vent, but the vacuum cleaner and brush attachment removed it easily. When the fridge was stored on a folding fridge stand, this problem reduced greatly but a regular clean of the vents is recommended. The external fan blades can also build up dust, which needs cleaning by a qualified technician due to the electrical wiring inside. After disconnecting the power, access to the fan is by several screws to angle the cover back sufficiently to clean the fan blades. A qualified person would know this.

I have an older 7 litre Waeco purchased when Waeco first came to Australia. It is still working. A second non-Waeco I purchased 8 years ago. Both of these use a lot of power probably due to the lack of a thermostat so the motor stays running, as well as old technology. The new Waeco TC-35FL seems more economical using only 46 watts on 12 volt or 65 watts on 240 volt. Since my stereo uses 60 watts, laptop computer 65 watts, television 100 watts, vacuum cleaner 500 watts, and household fridge 1200 watts daily, I consider the TC-35L to be economical. Waeco have an optional accessory lead containing a safety circuit to shut off the power when a 12-volt battery reaches a standard that still allows the car to start. This is a worthwhile investment in my opinion.

I doubt whether any fridge would handle being in a closed car heated to nearly 40 degrees centigrade or higher, particularly when its power is shut off. If this is unavoidable, I place a large freezer pack on the top inside the fridge to act like an ice-box. The frozen pack keeps the contents cold and prevents the fridge from overworking when the power is back on. The freezer pack lasts for ages when the fridge is running.

When the fridge was first purchased, it took quite a long time to chill down properly, probably because the cabinet itself needs to chill. This might be one of the reasons for critical reviews. I would not take the fridge off the shelf, fill it with food, and then turn it on expecting everything to stay cold. It probably would not. Turning the fridge on and letting it chill overnight first would be a better course of action.

A justifiable criticism would be the noise. The external fan makes as much noise as any other fan. The plastic fan housing probably intensifies the noise. Fortunately, the fridge thermostat turns the motor on and off, just like household fridges, so it is not constantly noisy. Since the Waeco fridge is in another room of the house or tent, it is not a problem.

The Waeco TC-35L has been operating almost constantly for a year, only stopping for cleaning. It is my bar fridge and back up for when there is a power blackout from storms when a 12 volt x 100 amp caravan battery supplies plenty of power for at least 24 hours and when charged by a solar panel, can run the fridge indefinitely.

The fridge has worked perfectly from day one. Unless needing frozen items, the lower cost, economical power usage, and high quality of these Waeco fridges makes them good value for most users.

great little coolers – I own two waeco's a tc-35fl and a 12lt. all I can say are they are great and have never let me down. I bought them second hand on ebay. I do alot of camping mainly on moreton island. I use the 35 as a drinks fridge and the 12 as a day tripper when out and about. I also have a 90lt fridge/freezer in another brand to look after the food side of… Read more

things. for what they are and the price new, they do a great job and are well worth it. I have never noticed any great draw or load on my batteries from the waeco's

We would not be without it – We have had ours for two years and would not be without it. We plug this in the 240 power point the night before we want to use it, and it is always ready to use in the morning. It keeps our drinks cold for us the next day. When we put the thermometer in it we always get it to 0-5 degrees, have also kept butter, milk and meat in it and they have kept cold enough.

Garbage – absalute garbage, it takes at least 12hrs running to cool down. Don't waste your money and buy a fridge/freezer. Disappointed Waeco has created this rubbish.

Very good – We borrowed my sisters waeco from Newcastle on a Xmas trip from Brisbane to Perth about four years ago and encountered temps in the 40's in SW NSW. Ran flawlessly, kept food and drinks cold, as cold as a shop fridge. Do not know if it ran continuously as it was in the back of a packed Territory and we could not hear it. Held temp with the car not… Read more

running for hours including milk although when staying somewhere overnight we ran it on 240v to keep things cool. I am now looking at purchasing a unit of our own to take on a trip to Darwin mid year. Kept drinks to nice cold drinking temp. None

Save your Money - get a real fridge/freezer – This Waeco is a waste of space. It doesn't cool as much as stated and struggled to keep things even chilled in the back of a vehicle in winter. Save the money and spend it on a small fridge/freezer as even in winter if it doesn't chill to 4 degrees it is a health hazard for anything other than cans of drink. Didn't cope in the back of a car in winter.

Excellent product – I really wasn't sure to buy one because there's a lot of negative reviews on the net. I end up buying one of waeco seconds site for $120, best choice I made. It sits in my truck to keep drinks and lunch cold. I run it for about 14hrs a day. I put a thermometer inside and always reads between 0-5 degres cold. Recommend it to any one in a truck or tractor Very cheap $120 Could of have a digital temperature.

Waeco TC-14FL thermoelectric cooler – Does exactly what it is supposed to - cools food close to 30deg C below ambient temperature. I have tested it half-full at +22.5 deg C, and it pulled the temp down to +5 deg C. It will without a doubt struggle at an ambient temp upwards of +30. This test was conducted at maximum cooling setting. Great for keeping your beer cool, or sandwiches for… Read more

a picnic etc, but will not be suitable to use for camping for keeping milk/meat etc at a safe temp. Otherwise, a fantastic little cooler. Note also this will drain your car battery far more readily than a compressor portable fridge. Compact, cools effectively in moderate ambient temperatures, quality construction. Not effective in high ambient temperatures besides cooling beer/drink/sandwiches etc.