Engel vs ARB, battle of the frig
- Thread starter Power Wagon Family
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DaveInDenver
Middle Income Semi-Redneck
My Engel MT45 is 11 years old and hasn't stopped running, I don't remember anything in the owner's manual about such a thing.
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67cj5
Man On a Mission
Well when I went to buy the MT 45 they came out with that so I decided not to buy one, I had never heard of it either so I put off buying one for about 4 years,
I went with the ARB because I could not get the Engel - National Luna people to return my calls.
DaveInDenver
Middle Income Semi-Redneck
I guess I'm confused, the MT45 doesn't have an internal battery. I wasn't aware any fridge has an internal battery, but I don't know all the different models out there now. Maybe the very newest ones have a back up battery for the low voltage cutoff or something? The MT-series is pretty simple, a thermostat knob you dial from 1 to 5 or whatever (I forget, mine's almost always 1.5).
Also Engel and National Luna are completely different companies. Engel is the name the Japanese company Sawafuji Electric uses for their swing line compressor fridges and has been for decades. Their US office is in Florida.
National Luna is a South African company that uses Danfoss compressors, which is what most non-Engel fridges use. I don't know if they have a US office but Paul May and his crew at Equipt in Utah handle U.S. distribution of them. I would be very surprised if you have any customer service issues with Equipt.
Also Engel and National Luna are completely different companies. Engel is the name the Japanese company Sawafuji Electric uses for their swing line compressor fridges and has been for decades. Their US office is in Florida.
National Luna is a South African company that uses Danfoss compressors, which is what most non-Engel fridges use. I don't know if they have a US office but Paul May and his crew at Equipt in Utah handle U.S. distribution of them. I would be very surprised if you have any customer service issues with Equipt.
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67cj5
Man On a Mission
I am not in the US or SA, and not all dealers have the same objective.
DaveInDenver
Middle Income Semi-Redneck
67cj5
Man On a Mission
Being an Aussie I Actually wanted the MT-45 because I grew up around them and they were always the GO TO fridge,@67cj5, I see that now. My apologies.
I tried to get the dealer on the phone in 2012 but they never rang back and again in 2014 with still no luck I put it on hold and then I found a 4x4 Accessory Company in 2016 who not only willing to put in the effort so would know what I was getting in to but they also done me a real good deal and now I will only buy the things I need from them and no where else. And so I ended up buying the ARB 47L/50QT.
ebrabaek
Adventurer
What would it have an internal battery for??
67cj5
Man On a Mission
They said it was for memory back up.
It turns out that they only told me that to get me to buy another brand,
ebrabaek
Adventurer
ArkansasDon
Observer
IMO 12v. portable fridg\freez's are a personal preference. I love both my Engel's, I current bought & own MR040 Eclipse 40qt I gave my Engel MT27F to my son. When I was shopping for another Engel 12v. fridg\freez I knew what I wanted, MR 040 Eclipse. What sold me on my 1st Engel was this video I like the fact that Engel has been in business for over 50 yrs building portable fridg\freez's for the overlanding communities & hold one of the lowest power consuming portable fridg\freez's on the market
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highdesertranger
Adventurer
I have 3 Engels oldest one is 9 years old. they all work flawlessly. they run 24/7, never off. I use 2 as refers and one as a freezer. having said the I think the ARB's are good choices even though I am not a big fan of the digital controls that's why I chose Engel. highdesertranger
Why?