Engel Transit Bag Question

[D'Animal]

So I now have an Engel MT35 with the Metal housing.

Are the Transit Bags worth the money? Do they really help insulate and keep the fridge cold? $160 is a lot of $ if it is just a cloth cover. If it keeps the fridge from running all day, it may be worth it.





Yes Woody, I will be sending/selling my Norcold back to the Smithsonian.

 

[Southeast Overland]

I run an ARB fridge and haven't felt like I had to have an insulated cover but we do sell a good many of them and have not had anyone with a negative report. I have a couple on the way to the shop an am going to try one out and I'll report back. I realize it is not the same model but is the same principle.

 

[BMThiker]

I don't have the same fridge (WAECO CF-50), but I got the bag for mine ($65). I think it does help keep the fridge insulated by the fact that the inside of the bag feels cool to the touch. Mine is a fabric (nylon?) outer shell with some sort of insulation material in the middle and then a metallized surface on the inside.

The downside is that the bag has picked up smudges over the last several years and is difficult to clean versus the plastic siding of the fridge itself. Often times we have placed packed luggage or an extra pillow on top during travel and these items always feel cold on the bottom, so there is some inefficiency in the lid.

 

[e9999]

it has got to help some. But you're really paying for esthetics and convenience cuz making your own with a moving pad isn't that difficult.
What I did is cut a piece of aluminized fabric to size. That does help a lot when the sun is shining through the windows onto the fridge. Not much when the sun is overhead though.

 

[D'Animal]

The cover for the Engel MT35 is $170.

That is a chunk of money to spend if it is only going to keep the scratches off the metal.

Sent from my iPhone using IH8MUD

 

[titanpat57]

I agree with the make your own theory....during the day when your in and out of it 20 times I think the zipper would be a pita to do and undo.

But during the night' once you hit the hay, cover that baby up till breakfast, then it has to help.....or also during travel times.

 

[e9999]

pretty much anything you put around the fridge will help as additional insulation and so will decrease power used. Assuming the vents are not blocked, of course. So yes, it will help with heat loss. How much is hard to gauge without testing it. Without that info, whether it's worth that many $$ is subjective. I think it's clear you can achieve the same -or better- insulating effect with a DIY cover, but it probably won't look as good.