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The Waeco car fridge is often portrayed as the cheaper alternative, the poor man’s Engel.
Brand loyalty is a funny thing. Just look at cars – Ford vs Holden. Four wheel drives – Toyota vs Nissan. Hang on, that’s not quite true – it’s actually Toyota vs every other brand ever made, according to Toyota owners! Anyhow…
Car fridges are no different. Waeco owners swear they are the best. Engel owners likewise. And neither camp will be swayed.
Engel (and other) fridge owners will tell you that Waeco are cheap plastic rubbish, the lids break, the compressors break down, they draw lots of power, the cigarette lighter plugs melt… the list of supposed ailments is a mile long.
So, What’s the truth?
Well, we’ve had a Waeco CF-50 fridge/freezer for well over 10 years now. So we’re qualified to give you an honest answer. I’ll attempt to remain impartial and just give you the facts.
Have We Used it Much?
Yes, lots. We bought our Waeco car fridge in 2007, with a Waeco fridge slide.
It was a promotional pack:
- fridge,
- insulating cover,
- tie down straps,
- a RAPS (Waeco 12V power unit with one Merritt socket and one cigarette lighter socket), and
- a portable 36Ah battery.
We installed the fridge slide into the back of our Pajero, tied the fridge down and did a 3 week trip from Wollongong to the Gulf and return. Ambient temperatures varied from around 5°C to well over 40°C.
We did a similar trip the following year, with a similar range of ambient temperatures.
Then in 2009 we did the Big Lap of Oz. Twelve months of travel with the fridge running the entire time. We encountered several consecutive weeks over 35°C in Western Australia, up to 47°C on the Nullarbor.
Of course, there were lots of other weekend and day trips. We even used the fridge as a drinks fridge for parties at home or as a second freezer at busy times like Christmas. As a freezer, it was set at -18°C and maintained this easily… even on hot days.
So yes, we’ve used our car fridge many times over the last ten years.
How Does it Handle the Heat?
This fridge has never had a problem maintaining temperature. Keep in mind 2 things:
- There were usually four of us – 2 adults and 2 kids. Being kids, they were constantly in and out of the fridge.
- On the road, we only used it as a fridge, not a freezer.
Normally, we’d set it to 2°C. It maintains this very closely, never varying by more than 1 degree either way.
Does it Use Much Power?
We’ve never measured actual current draw. However, it was connected to a 100Ah AGM battery. In hot conditions the battery would run the fridge for a couple of days, as a rough rule of thumb.
Of course, this depends on how full it is and how cool overnight temperatures are.
Any Problems?
We’ve had three issues. The first was the bane of pretty well every fridge on the market – the cigarette lighter plug. After two melted lighter plugs, I replaced it with an Anderson plug and an inline 10A fuse. Problem solved.
The second issue is a known problem with these fridges. The lid is reversible, ie it can hinge from either side. The hinges on the lid are in fact just a short stub of plastic – see photo below. These are known to break off.
Ours finally let go a couple of years ago. I wasn’t surprised.
After enduring years of kids dropping the lid from a great height, not closing it properly or just generally being rough, I had expected the hinges to snap off years ago. No big drama. We simply ordered another lid online.
The third issue happened after 14 years of faultless service. The thermistor finally decided it had done enough work and gave up the ghost.
What’s a thermistor? It measures temperature… so it’s pretty important! I decided to have a go at replacing it and have a full description on how to replace a Waeco fridge thermistor here.
Has it Lasted Well or Is It Worn Out?
This fridge has done at least 100,000 km on badly corrugated roads, probably more. It has been pounded, bounced and shaken for years. Our Waeco has endured -5°C temperatures in the Southern Tablelands and 45+°C in Western Australia. But it just keeps chugging along.
Of course, it has wear and tear. The inside has marks where containers have been slowly revolving due to mile after mile of bone-shaking corrugations. The outside has scratches and the cover is looking a little worse for wear. But it still works as well as the day we bought it.
Any Tips?
We have a few tips, not just for a Waeco car fridge but for any portable fridge. Go here for ideas on how to avoid problems with your car fridge.
Would We Buy Another One?
We wouldn’t hesitate to buy another one. This fridge has been so reliable. Yes it was bought as a mid-range model, but has exceeded our expectations.
I fully expect it to last many more years.
It has an easier life now, with our kids using it for occasional camping trips and the odd time when it’s pressed into service as a backup fridge or freezer.
I can see no reason why our Waeco car fridge won’t continue to keep chugging along, quietly doing its job. Hopefully, we’ll do a 20-year review!
The Dometic CFX3-55 fridge is a replacement for the CF-50, which is no longer available.
In Summary
Pros
- Competitively priced.
- Accurate control of temperature within a small range.
- Proven to maintain set temperature, even in extreme heat.
- Will comfortably maintain -18°C in hot conditions.
- 3 position battery monitor to prevent battery draining or battery damage.
- Easy to clean.
- Last-lasting and durable. Internal lighting is sufficient.
- Removable basket allows large items to be stored.
- Can stand up a 2 litre milk or juice bottle in the main compartment.
Cons
- The lid hinges are a known weak point.
- The supplied cigarette lighter plugs are not up to the job and should be replaced with an Anderson plug.
FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions About Waeco Fridges
✓ The CFX has a deep freeze function which is quite a bit colder (-22°C) than the minimum temperature of a CF model (-18°C).
✓ The CFX has Wi-Fi and an app on which you can adjust fridge temperature remotely, and check temperature plus power consumption. It also tells you if the lid isn’t closed properly.
✓ The CFX has USB ports for charging small devices like phones.
✓ The CFX has Waeco compressor while the CF has a Danfoss compressor.
✓ The CFX has thicker insulation than the CF, making it more energy efficient.
Yes. The Waeco brand was rolled into the parent Dometic brand a few years ago. So all new fridges are now sold under the Dometic name.
They use the same cooling cycle as your domestic fridge:
✓ A compressor to compress the gas.
✓ A condenser (where the gas becomes a liquid) to release the heat from inside the fridge to atmosphere.
✓ An evaporator to convert the liquid back to a gas. Then the cycle repeats.
No. They are splash resistant, like most portable fridges. A cover will help, however every fridge needs an air intake point and another air outlet point. If you immerse your fridge, this is where water will enter and likely damage electronic components.
Most Waeco fridges have a fuse in the 12/24V cord, usually inside the connection plug.
There’s also a 110/240V fuse, above (depending on model) where the power cord plugs into the fridge.
✓ For use as a fridge, start with 2°C and adjust to suit your preferences.
✓ For use as a freezer, set between -10°C and -18°C.
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Any errors or omissions are mine alone.
I have a waeco 190 12v fridge/freezer runs fine but keeps running all the time,is that normal?
Hi Dave,
Does it maintain the set temperature?
If not, check 1) if the ventilation inlet and outlet are uncovered (not up against a wall, etc), 2) if the input voltage is too low (caused by low battery or damaged/undersized power supply cable or damaged connector), it can run constantly. That’s where I’d start.
Hope this helps. Cheers, Andrew
I have a CF35 with the same control panel as you. It has a ‘turbo’ button rather than ‘set’. I assume you should just be able to set the temperature by pressing the temp +/- buttons but the display just continues to show the current temperature when i press the temperature buttons. Is this normal? How do you set your desired temperature?
Cheers
Dom
Hi Dom,
I’m not sure what you mean by the “Set” button. Ours also had a Turbo button, which cools the fridge more quickly when you first turn it on. See the photo above in the section, “How Does it Handle the Heat?”
You’re correct – pressing the “Temp+” and “Temp-” buttons should change the temperature on the display. If not, then it’s likely your control panel is malfunctioning in some way.
Cheers, Andrew
I have a waeco cf 40 and it works fine when its pluged into 120 volts but I am not sure why it does nothing when pluged into the 12 volt source. Fuse is good and there is 12 volts at the unit . I can not fond a manual for it and I’m not sure im doing it right .
Hi Mark. It’s difficult to know without seeing the fridge and 12V power supply. But there are a few simple checks you can do.
Starting with the simplest checks… Check the battery monitor switch. It has LOW, MED & HIGH. Set it to LOW. If set to HIGH, the fridge turns off at 11.8V and does not switch on until input voltage is at least 12.6V. If set to LOW, the fridge turns off at 10.1V and switches back on when input voltage is at least 11.1V.
Then check the polarity of the 12V supply cable. If it has been modified (by fitting a different plug for example), the cables could have accidentally been swapped over.
Then try “resetting” it. Some fridges don’t restart on 12V if the power was disconnected before turning the fridge off. Plug it into mains supply, turn fridge on. Then turn it off using the ON/OFF switch before disconnecting the mains power. Then plug the 12V power supply in and try switching on the fridge with the ON/OFF switch.
If none of the above work, then it’s most likely an issue with a circuit board. That’s probably a job for a refrigeration mechanic. But if you feel confident, the best way is to search online for something like “waeco fridge not working on 12v”. You should find forums that step you through the diagnosis. It’s impossible to diagnose here because there are many different types of circuit boards, depending on the exact model.
Hope this helps. Cheers, Andrew