Engel MT45

This fridge was bought for work ute, but gets used camping as well. Over ten years has had hard life in back of ute, keeps working. Has been underwater in two floods. Cleaned up and plugged in, away it goes. I cannot praise this fridge enough. Absolute beauty and will get another when time comes Show details

Wondering – Invested in the ENGEL MT45F have only had running in my new house truck for 4 weeks as a freezer only packed full of meat and veges, I noticed today that it wasn't running but the fuse still good and power to the unit still, (12v) unplugged and plugged back in started back up fine, has this been an issue with any one else? I do hope this is not a continuing issue Show details

Outstanding fridge – Great quality fridge, I have it since 2019 and still good and very happy about it Engel MT45 is a very useful product. Highly recommended! Show details

Stays on 24/7 – Having had a second hand Engel 45L that’s about 18 years old and still running and impressed before I sold it because have bought a new 45L from a camping show in Adelaide in 2016 has been in my wagon, commercial van even the camper 24/7 that never lets me down since day 1. Show details

Old Dependable – After years of messing about with large coolers and huge bags of ice which rarely lasted 2 days with above 38*C days it was time to step up into the big boys club of refridgeration. After many off road trips with many clubs one thing became very clear, the Brand most 4bies used, the 45lt Engel. I must confess the entry fee seems rich but comes… Read more

with a lot of confidence. My unit travels on a steel tray exposed to the full sun while on the road with temps well north of 40*C. Even after an 8 hour drive in full blazing sun everything inside the box is icy chilled (3*C) If you run dual batteries you'll never have to worry about anything going flat or food going off. I run a Genset so always have loads of power. The 45lt is ideal sized for single person lifts. Larger models will require 2 people if fully filled. For festive seasons the unit is excellent for keeping extra drinks cold or even as a backup freezer, holds minus 18*C with ease. Anyone worried about the unit killing their single car battery Engel have that covered also with their voltage kill switch. Should this happen, just start the car for half an our and that will boost the battery with 40 plus amps. Engel have always remained with the steel casing and for good reasons, no matter how hot the outside gets, steel will never warp or degrade. I've seen units 30 years old and still in good shape. Lid still seals like new. Even if you only trek once or twice a year and use it around the house for parties, this unit will reward you for years to come. ps, don't worry about its small beer capacity after you've packed the fridge full of food. I only keep 3 beers at a time in it and the rule is one out one in. In way under an hour these fridges will chill Kimberley cold beers to frosties.

A disappointing waste of money – Purchased new Engel , cooling unit failed 12 months after warranty expired, was quoted $690 to repair by agent. Engel won’t respond. Not the reliable fridge they were in the past! Show details

Colin55 – I have had my Englel mt 45f-s for at least 10 maybe 11 years,in that time it has run all its life, on 240 volts and 12 volt, when on battery with solar blanket 120watt as I don't have a dual battery system.I do run it off the car whilst traveling but as soon as I make camp it goes on to a battery with a 120 watt solar blanket and seems to be… Read more

happy doing that almost indefinitely while ever it is getting a bit of sun .So it has run continuously for some 11 years without any problems at all, over all sorts of roads and temperature variants,in very hot temperatures where it has been locked in the back seat of my dual cab with the windows up and doors locked (for fear of it getting knocked off) it probably does have a higher current draw as it does not have a cover,but that would have to be expected I suppose So overall I would have to say it has proven to be a very reliable piece of my camp and travel gear. A true legend in reliability in my opinion.

Impressive gear - very functional with the separate fridge / freezer – I have run 3 way (gas) fridge freezers (Chescold) & the Engel MT 45FCP Combi 40 litre 2 way. There are pros & cons with both, but as for the Engel its a very impressive set up. Pro's: Very well built , very sturdy - I run it on a recent trip up through the Cape, perfect. The temperature gauge is a nice accurate function , I set the Freezer to… Read more

about -12 & within a couple of hours its there (-12) . The Chescold takes a couple of days to work up to its capacity. Low power usage, 12v draws about 1-2 amps per hour. Naturally having a separate freezer & fridge is really convenient for obvious reasons. Freezing food & bait when on longer trips. If required you can remove the divider and use it as a fridge or a freezer. Having a internal light is also good, very handy at night. Another thing I really like is if need be you just take out the whole basket(s) if you need to relocate the fridge by yourself ( drops the weight) or just checking what's in it & where instead of digging through the unit. But the main thing that I like about the unit is its reliability & quality of the unit. Con's: not really a con or down side , but if your running a 12v fridge you need to have a dual battery set up or a 2nd power source. Don't run it off your main (starting battery) if you do it'll only be a matter of time before some thing goes wrong. Most people touring these days have a dual or back up system. I have a solar blanket (120w) that I use to top up the 2nd battery if I'm camped in the one spot for more than a day or so. I also bought a extra ( non genuine ) 12v lead that connects to a Anderson plug, if you do this make sure its fused - I've seen some online that aren't. Price - shop around, I found one on eBay where I offered to pick it up ( also saving delivery) I saved about $100 doing that. But prices change from day to day. Any questions pls feel free to ask, happy touring !!….;-) Cheers

Shane.

Superb Fridge – I’ve have had my Engel close on 19 years now and it’s really been the best investment I have made for camping. It has never failed me except for a trip to Cape York which was a fuse failure after a dunking in one of the rivers. New fuse and a dry out and away it went. This fridge has has survived some of the worst roads in Australia. Many times I… Read more

have seen other popular brands fail on corrugations but this thing just powers through. If I had one gripe with this fridge, it would be that the handles are a little weak for tying down. Worlds best camping fridge without doubt.

ENGEL ON WAY OUT – Engel fridges since made in Thailand are half the fridge they used to be much better value elsewhere Limited repair options at great expense Had a few but most recent Engel died whilst 30yo version still going Show details

Love my Engel fridge – My Engel fridge never gets turned off. I use it in the house as a spare fridge, plus on fourwheel drive and camping trips. You can set the temperature and forget about it. It is convenient to put perishable items in it when shopping too. Never going back to an icebox again. The only small thing i don't like is that it is a little loud when the compressor cycles on when sleeping nearby.  Show details

still works like new – in my 4wd 83 Nissan patrol for 9 years on dirt roads not tied down, in qld,had fire wood on top of it in dust, and in floods & exposed to salt water close to the ocean every day, the 4wd rusted out but the fridge is a bit dinted and damaged bit of surface rust around the lid where the paint chipped off but still snap freezes and cold as new!… Read more

just the battery went flat for the temp gauge after a year other wise it works really well draws 2.5 amps on max turbo freeze and idles about .03 of a amp after every things cold depending on how many times you open the lid

Excellent Fridge, Well worth the money but shop around – I've not long purchased my third Engel and the latest model is a ripper. With it's inbuilt LED light, Digital Temperature display and inbuilt low voltage cutoff it represent great value in price and design. If I have one grip it is the quality of the outside cover. It is not made with heavy duty canvas as the older models used to be and I question… Read more

its durability especially if left outside on the back of a ute in the sunshine. The big positive is it uses less power to achieve a better result, 2.5amps an hour on freeze. Still a good fridge with a large backup and worth buying!

The best camping fridge – The best camping fridge on the market. Yes, it it expensive - but you pay for what you get. I have had my Engel for years now, and there has never been any problems of any kind. It is a solid as a brick. Freezes stuff even in sweltering heat. There is a reason they are so popular. I can carry my myself (to load into the trailer) when it is empty,… Read more

but need a second person to help carry it when it is full of food/drinks. Easily accessible handles let you tie it down easily in your vehicle.

Without a fault when you need it the most. Priceless – I have had my engel for 4 years it's been all over Australia in that time, into the dusty deserts of Western Australia mostly, and it has never skipped a beat, I even get to have ice cream in the middle of the desert, keeps drinks ice cold, meats stay perfectly cold, and milk and dairy has never gone bad. They have easy access and a light inside so you can see what your doing at night time. Thanks engel best fridges ever made.  Show details

cant beat it – brought in 2004 been across the simpson flinders top end plus to many camping trips to name. only advice is once its turned on for the first time don't turn it off except to move from the house to the car. they dont like being used then turned off and put away till next time.  Show details

New Compressor – My Engel worked well for about 4 years then suddenly stopped cooling. Took it in to an authorised service centre and was told the "compressor wasn't working efficiently" and a replacement would cost over $600! The fridge has only ever been used in my house, from the back of a normal passenger station wagon or carried inside accommodation during… Read more ·  1

trips. It has never been mistreated, dropped or bashed.

Sure you see them in all types of condition on the back of utes etc but since asking around there are more compressor failures than I expected, especially considering Engel make a big deal of the reliability of their fridges.

Good unit ...hasnt missed a beat – Purchased in 2011 (to replace an earlier model that I fried the power board on with a quick charger and needed a quick replacement) The unit has run continuously in the back of the Cruiser ever since. These are great reliable units that are generally bullet proof and can take a few knocks . Temperature control is precise and the beer is always… Read more ·  3

at the set temp of 0.3 C deg . By the way the original MT45F purchased in 2001 still works perfectly today after a $400 repair that was my fault anyway not the units. Thanks Engel

Good thing – Brought the mt45 a year ago and it has been faultless so far have done numerous weekend hunting trips and day trips also a 5 week trip throughout the gulf and nt without missing a beat. Had a waeco cf50 which had an extremely hard life and died after 9 years my in laws got it fixed for $80 and are currently 6 months travelling oz without a… Read more

fault!!! I have noticed the engel appears to use a lot less power than the waeco and cools quicker I also top the batteries with a solar panel and get many days out of the 100ah battery.Im hoping to get a long life out of this one fingers crossed as friends have had theirs for 20 odd years

New cooling system! – The fridge worked well when it was working but after owning it for 4 years and only doing 3 trips away with it it stopped cooling and now I'm told it needs the cooling system replaced! The cooling system has a blockage and it can't be fixed. The fridge was always run on 240v when not in the car as per the manual. I contacted Engel but got no response.  Show details

are these reviews genuine – Fridge just out of warranty had to be repaired. It required a whole new cooling system at a cost of half the original purchase price. Had it back for a month and now has to be repaired again. Am I unlucky or are there others out there. I would like to know?

Great when working – I've had my engel for 8 years and have bad to replace the cooling system twice at a cost of $625 each time due to a blockage in the cooling unit which they tell me is a sealed unit. Not happy i could have bought 2 fridges for what I've spent

Cooling Unit Failure at 7 years – I have used it off and on for seven years now with relatively little usage. In fact you could say it has had a very easy life. Turned it on the other day to stick some drinks in it only to discover that it doesn't cool. Authorised servicing agent has advised me that the cooling unit has failed due to a 'blockage' ~$625 AUD to repair and replace entire unit. So, not so bullet proof.

Excellent but way too money – Three years ago I traveled to South Africa to buy a 4X4 and travel around southern Africa. I purchased a Engel MT45FP with digital readout and inerior light for $500 Au dollars from Makro. The fridge came with an Australian box, power plug and paper work. I see that today the same fridge is $700 in South Africa and $1400 in Australia. I had no… Read more

problems with the fridge and love the power consumption but not the price of the Australian importer. looking at importing one from South Africa. Low power usage Price

Wouldn't leave home without it – Had it for coming up on 6 years now without any drama's, Dad's is coming up on 25 years old with no drama's, Been on plenty of trips with other people with Waeco's and similar and all have had faults at some point in time, sure they are extremely expensive for what they are but they should last a life time. reliability, simplicity, expensive

How good are engel fringes!! – I looked at the cheapies, the no names, the waeco, and settled on just forking out the coin to get the real deal. Glad I did, it is great. Doesn't seem to draw a lot of power, never flattened my batteries, and I run it all the time when I'm away. Sturdiness, good travel cover, cold cold rum. Lacks factory fitted tie down points bar the handles and they will bend?

Nothing beats it – Purchased 4 years ago ,absolute bullet proof ,reliable,cant fault it.Use at as second fridge at home has been drowed on one occasion,thought that was the end of it.Left it for a day to dry out pluged it back in and it works like new.Been in 4wd over some pretty bad conditions and has never failed.You buy this fridge as an investment as it just keeps going Ultra reliable,tough as they come. Cant fault it in 4 years  Show reply

It was good for a few years – We purchased fridge in 2003 from anaconda penrith It has worked fine and still is working ok, BUT, over the last couple of years a bubble has developed in the evaporater (thats the part inside the fridge with pipes running through it). The bubble is on the bottom of evaporater and is about 6cms wide x 2cms high, I phoned Engel and they said "it… Read more

would cost more to repair than the cost of a new fridge."

It looks like the powder coating has seperated from aluminium of evaporater. The fridge has been looked after, not immersed or damaged internally,it is just a poorly made part. Hopefully it will hang on for a few more years! Fridge has done the job so far, transport cover is good value, elect. cords good. Expensive, should come with tie down brackets included. I brought brackets last week and screws in kit had been changed to bigger size. I have been using straps before that.

Very happy with my Engel – Very reliable fridge. Have not had any trouble at all. A good size for short camping trips or day trips into the bush. On a long camping trip would be better to have a larger fridge. Uses very little power once down to temperature. Temperature control is very good. Cools down very quickly. Not cheap but definately worth paying a little extra for… Read more

this sort of quality. The canvas cover help insulate the fridge and protects it too. Easilly detachable lid. Very low power consumption. Handy led light inside. Good temperature control.

Best fridge/freezer around – Cant fault it, never misses a beat. Have used it from the Outback to the Snowies, would never leave home without it