Product test: Twozone box fridge

Using the Twozone box to add 21 litres to the top of my old 40-litre Engel fridge seemed cheaper than forking out for a new fridge. The bonus was that the Twozone created two separate cooling zones – a fridge at the top and freezer at the bottom.

This simple plastic box now allows me to take a larger variety of food without overcooling or destroying it – have you seen what happens to a tomato when it gets too cold or ends up under cans or bottles... it’s not pretty!

Floor space isn’t encroached on, as the new section of fridge is on top of the existing fridge. Now, this may not suit everyone or all vehicle set-ups, but quite often the area above a fridge is wasted.

For some, the overall height issue may be a concern; trying to stand on tippy-toes to see into the top of the unit may be impossible for the vertically challenged. And the overall height may also not fit into some vehicles, so be sure to measure-up before committing.

The Twozone doesn’t have working parts (other than hinges and a latch) and it’s constructed from a heavy-duty polyethylene plastic, with high-density refrigeration foam inside, so it should be pretty much indestructible.

A downside is that tilting the Twozone section fully open can cause food inside to slide to one end. Plus, the roof of your 4WD may hinder the fully open option – check your measurements first and consider a fridge slide, which will allow full opening of the lid.

Accessing the rear-mounted temperature control on the Engel was also very difficult. This is more a design problem with the fridge than the Twozone, but, nevertheless, you can’t see the dials at the rear with the Twozone in place. A Waeco fridge (the other type of fridge a Twozone can attach to) is designed differently, so viewing dials in those isn’t a problem.

The standard Engel-fridge travel cover doesn’t fit with the Twozone in place, which means you lose a little insulation performance. Twozone does offer a cover that attaches to the standard Engel cover, but we didn’t opt for one.

On the subject of whether or not the Twozone causes the fridge to work harder, here’s what the company has to say on its website: “No, but it will run a little longer due to the increased capacity. When it first starts up, it will take longer to cool down, but once it reaches the temperature that you have set, it will only increase your power consumption by less than 10 per cent.

“Cold air is dense, so it sinks. Once your fridge-freezer reaches the temperature that you have set, the fridge turns itself off. It doesn’t try to pull the Twozone down to the same temperature; therefore it doesn’t over load or over work your fridge-freezer.”

All up, I’ll give the Twozone the big thumbs up. It’s enabled me to take all the food needed for a family without having to outlay for a larger fridge. It doesn’t use much more power than the 39-litre fridge we already had and it doesn’t impinge on our storage set-up.

If it’s not needed, it’s easily unclipped and left at home. The main drawback is that the old transit cover (which helps with insulation) doesn’t fit with the Twozone in place… oh, and the family now expect even more yummy food to be taken out bush.

Rated

Models: The Twozone is available to fit most Engel models, from the old 29 and 39 models right up to the current range of 32, 40, 60 and 80-litre units, as well as the Waeco 50 and 60-litre CF range.
Info: www.twozone.com.au

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