ARB On-Board Twin High Performance Air Compressor - 12V or 24v?

[Hollymav]

Hey everyone. Planning to add the ARB dual compressor to my JLU. Also planning to upgrade to the dual battery system. However, I wasn't planning on the battery upgrade for a little while longer and would really like to pull the trigger on the compressor now. So if I buy the compressor now, it'll have to be the 12V whereas if I wait until the battery upgrade I could do a 12v or 24v. So question is...should I wait until post-battery and then get the 24V version or just pickup the 12v version now? Are there benefits to the 24v version? Regrets I may have in not getting it if I pickup the 12V version?

If it helps....I'm building an overlander here but it'll take a while given the costs

Thanks for you suggestions!

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[rustyshakelford]

Hey everyone. Planning to add the ARB dual compressor to my JLU. Also planning to upgrade to the dual battery system. However, I wasn't planning on the battery upgrade for a little while longer and would really like to pull the trigger on the compressor now. So if I buy the compressor now, it'll have to be the 12V whereas if I wait until the battery upgrade I could do a 12v or 24v. So question is...should I wait until post-battery and then get the 24V version or just pickup the 12v version now? Are there benefits to the 24v version? Regrets I may have in not getting it if I pickup the 12V version?

If it helps....I'm building an overlander here but it'll take a while given the costs

Thanks for you suggestions!

adding dual batteries in the Jeep with a system like the genesis doesn’t give you 24v unless you incorrectly wire them in series. What they do is give you double capacity at 12v. The genesis system goes one step further and isolates a battery to ensure you have the power to start the engine.

you will need a 12v compressor.

brett

 

[Hollymav]

adding dual batteries in the Jeep with a system like the genesis doesn’t give you 24v unless you incorrectly wire them in series. What they do is give you double capacity at 12v. The genesis system goes one step further and isolates a battery to ensure you have the power to start the engine.

you will need a 12v compressor.

brett

Feel stupid for asking now. Didn't realize the Genesis was just 12v being ran as a backup system. Assumed they were wired in series. Good know! And makes absolute sense.

Thanks!

 

[word302]

Feel stupid for asking now. Didn't realize the Genesis was just 12v being ran as a backup system. Assumed they were wired in series. Good know! And makes absolute sense.

Thanks!

Yeah every component in the vehicle would have to be converted to 24 volts in that case.

 

[MCJA]

If you're interested, I did a write-up of my ARB twin OBA installation here.

A few photos:

 

[Hollymav]

If you're interested, I did a write-up of my ARB twin OBA installation here.

A few photos:

Awesome! Thanks!!

 

[Jeepsk8]

FWIW, I mounted mine in the back floor cubby. It works great there but...always a but...that sucker gets hot. So, I run mine with the floor hatch opened up so it can breathe and stay somewhat cool. That will not work for a dedicated overlander without modification to the floor hatch. Now I'm considering some kind of ventilated metal panel and removing the floor cover entirely. Just a heads up.

The pump is the real deal though. Very glad I have it.

 

[MCJA]

FWIW, I mounted mine in the back floor cubby. It works great there but...always a but...that sucker gets hot. So, I run mine with the floor hatch opened up so it can breathe and stay somewhat cool. That will not work for a dedicated overlander without modification to the floor hatch. Now I'm considering some kind of ventilated metal panel and removing the floor cover entirely. Just a heads up.

The pump is the real deal though. Very glad I have it.

I looked at rear bin options as well, and decided against it for exactly the reason you stated. Heat was a real concern, especially for extended use. Also, with the lid shut the compressors have to work harder to draw in air through any of the gaps, which makes them run even hotter. You're basically suffocating them, unless you make some kind of air intake opening. It's like running a marathon in a winter parka and a plastic bag over your head.

Plus, one other reason I didn't put mine in there was the wiring. To pull 40 amps to the back of the vehicle you really should upgrade the ARB wiring harness from 10 ga to 8 ga (for each compressor). It just didn't seem worth it to me.

I think it's an ideal location for overland rigs *IF* you replace the OEM lid with some kind of ventilated. With all the stuff you'd have installed in the back of an overlander, that cubby becomes inaccessible without a lot of deconstruction. Best to use that space for something permanently mounted that you don't need access to - like an air compressor or spare battery. (Or both, using the American Adventure Lab kit.) But if you do, you've gotta let it breathe!!

Edit:

The more I think about it... If I were building an overlander, that cubby is exactly where I'd install my compressor. I would modify the OEM lid to include a pair of 120mm computer fans. (Roughly 4-3/4" diameter)

Computer components typically run at 12V or 5V DC. (The one I linked on Amazon run at 12V.) So adding them in your compressor wiring would be very simple - they can connect directly to your 12V electrical system. They pull minimal amperage and are pretty quiet. Inexpensive, abundant, easy to find a replacement... what's not to love?

I would install one as an intake pulling air into the cubby - to cool the compressors and give them something to compress, and the other as an exhaust - to move the heat out. Or, you could do it with just one fan, either as an intake or exhaust, as long as you have a second opening for exhaust or intake, respectively. Just keep in mind that the ARB dual compressor kit has a very high flow rate - which means it "consumes" a lot of air to compress. You need to have enough air flow to both feed the compressors and cool them.

Install a grille to keep them protected.

Seems like it would be a pretty simple installation - I'd love to see one of the overlander guys do it! Any takers?

 

[Hollymav]

FWIW, I mounted mine in the back floor cubby. It works great there but...always a but...that sucker gets hot. So, I run mine with the floor hatch opened up so it can breathe and stay somewhat cool. That will not work for a dedicated overlander without modification to the floor hatch. Now I'm considering some kind of ventilated metal panel and removing the floor cover entirely. Just a heads up.

The pump is the real deal though. Very glad I have it.

That was my plan but ended up deciding to mount under the seat...for now.

If you haven't seen it yet, American Adventure Labs makes a "remote bracket" that basically relocates the access/intake outside the cubby. Pricey but removes the heat issues so you could leave the compressor mounted with cargo loaded in the rear and not have to worry about overheating.

https://americanadventurelab.com/product/jeep-jl-arb-compressor-remote-kit/

 

[Jeepsk8]

That was my plan but ended up deciding to mount under the seat...for now.

If you haven't seen it yet, American Adventure Labs makes a "remote bracket" that basically relocates the access/intake outside the cubby. Pricey but removes the heat issues so you could leave the compressor mounted with cargo loaded in the rear and not have to worry about overheating.

https://americanadventurelab.com/product/jeep-jl-arb-compressor-remote-kit/

I have seen that, and I like it a lot but it is pretty expensive. The heat issue is that the compressors and the outlet fitting especially get super hot, remoting the outlet and air filters won't stop that. All compressors produce heat. For now I just need to open the hatch and call it good, I don't carry much back there anyway...for now, lol.

 

[Jeepsk8]

@MCJA I agree with all of that. The stock hatch cover doesn't have enough clearance to actually sit back into it's locked in position because of the wiring. Even before I wired it in, there were clearance issues with the height of the outlet fitting, it would actually touch the fitting when closed. As far as the wire itself, I had to add almost 8' to get to the battery. I could not locate any 8 gauge locally to extend the ground so I ran 2 10 gauge ground wires instead. So i have 4 10 gauge wires run up front. It was a chore for sure.

 

[BCalvin]

If you're interested, I did a write-up of my ARB twin OBA installation here.

A few photos:

That's the nicest location and install I have seen.

 

[MCJA]

That's the nicest location and install I have seen.

Thanks!

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