Fridge Recommendation Poll Included

[Rumblefish]

True, if I pay full price for the ARB. There are sales, though. I've already found it for 750. I'll add the cover and monitor later, although I may decide I don't need the monitor. Right now, the difference would be 350 bucks. I've got time to find a deal. Maybe Snomaster will have a sale or discount between now and then. I don't have to purchase until probably mid September. I could wait longer, but I want to try it out a little bit before we leave on October 18, just to understand how it works and identify the temperature that works best for my needs. Who knows, they may do a deal. I'm going to email them to see. I can always ask!

As someone stated in another thread, regarding the 12v outlet in the rear. I also discovered that it tends to pull from the small starting battery rather than the large battery. I have not run it on a long trip quite yet, but I think the ARB wiring kit might be the way to go, so it pulls directly from the battery. But having the fridge in the back of the JL is nice when we go shopping, there is something to not having to rush home to put perishables into the fridge at home. I know that you will love whichever fridge you choose. Its kind of like when satellite radio came into the market. "I am not going to pay for radio," but when I was making overnight drives every month, I discovered how awesome it was. Now I use Spotify Premium which is even better than XM radio.

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[Grimmjpr]

I have had an ARB 50 for about 8-9 years and a good friend has had his ARB 50 for about 10 years, he uses his 24/7 in the garage as a beer fridge and then uses it to go on wheeling/camping trips. Neither of us have had any problems. I was able to run the fridge off the rear power outlet in both my 12 JKR and my 15 JKUR with no issue. It won't run on the rear power outlet in my WK2 Trailhawk though. So I ran the ARB wiring kit.

I also have a small Dometic/Waeco 17 qt ish size if I remember correctly. Its not as nice as the ARB but I got it for use in a car or its used for trips where I'm staying in a hotel and just want cold drinks/sandwiches for the road and trail lunch. Where I can resupply every day.

I have fit enough cold food in the ARB to supply my girlfriend and I food for trips that were 5 to 6 days without resupply and sill had some food left at the end of the trip. We have even made fresh ice cream out in the Maze District of Canyonlands NP.....Fridges are awesome. I had put off buying one for a long time, always had something else I wanted to do to the Jeep, but once i got one I'd say that it should be at the top of everyone's list of must have gear.

 

[DanW]

I have had an ARB 50 for about 8-9 years and a good friend has had his ARB 50 for about 10 years, he uses his 24/7 in the garage as a beer fridge and then uses it to go on wheeling/camping trips. Neither of us have had any problems. I was able to run the fridge off the rear power outlet in both my 12 JKR and my 15 JKUR with no issue. It won't run on the rear power outlet in my WK2 Trailhawk though. So I ran the ARB wiring kit.

I also have a small Dometic/Waeco 17 qt ish size if I remember correctly. Its not as nice as the ARB but I got it for use in a car or its used for trips where I'm staying in a hotel and just want cold drinks/sandwiches for the road and trail lunch. Where I can resupply every day.

I have fit enough cold food in the ARB to supply my girlfriend and I food for trips that were 5 to 6 days without resupply and sill had some food left at the end of the trip. We have even made fresh ice cream out in the Maze District of Canyonlands NP.....Fridges are awesome. I had put off buying one for a long time, always had something else I wanted to do to the Jeep, but once i got one I'd say that it should be at the top of everyone's list of must have gear.

Right now, I think the ARB 37 is leading the pack, depending on the deal I can get. Thanks for sharing! These things appear to easily outlast house refrigerators!

 

[Martindfletcher]

Dan,

Here is an ARB 50 on a leather Rubi with rubber mopar mats, and a mopar tailgate table and it JUST fits. Maybe it will keep the table from rattling. LOL.

I took this picture with SoCal sun so the quality is not stellar.

I will use the d clamps with tie downs so I need to move it around that out dent from the tailgate anyway. I will take it off road tomorrow.

Mine holds temp in 90 degree sun without driving the car for at least 24-32 hours have not tested longer yet.

 

[DanW]

Dan,

Here is an ARB 50 on a leather Rubi with rubber mopar mats, and a mopar tailgate table and it JUST fits. Maybe it will keep the table from rattling. LOL.

I took this picture with SoCal sun so the quality is not stellar.

I will use the d clamps with tie downs so I need to move it around that out dent from the tailgate anyway. I will take it off road tomorrow.

Mine holds temp in 90 degree sun without driving the car for at least 24-32 hours have not tested longer yet.

The pic didn't make it....dying to see it!

I just had Snomaster offer me a deal on their Leisure Series LS35 that puts it a little cheaper than the ARB 37. I'm really considering it. It has a 7 year warranty on the compressor and uses the same 66 watt compressor from their larger units, which means it won't work very hard. I also like that it has an alarm that warns you if the lid isn't closed tightly. My kids are terrible about properly closing cooler lids.

Every time I think I know what I want, I learn something that throws me off the tracks. Uggh!

Can't wait to see that pic. I have thought about the Mopar table.

 

[DanW]

Interesting....On Overlandbound.com forums, I read that Dometic actually manufactures the ARB refrigerators for ARB. I'm kind of surprised at that. Hmm.

 

[Martindfletcher]

The pic didn't make it....dying to see it!

I just had Snomaster offer me a deal on their Leisure Series LS35 that puts it a little cheaper than the ARB 37. I'm really considering it. It has a 7 year warranty on the compressor and uses the same 66 watt compressor from their larger units, which means it won't work very hard. I also like that it has an alarm that warns you if the lid isn't closed tightly. My kids are terrible about properly closing cooler lids.

Every time I think I know what I want, I learn something that throws me off the tracks. Uggh!

Can't wait to see that pic. I have thought about the Mopar table.

Reloaded then I was in the driveway installing a belly pan WiFi sucked from there.

Problem with lifted jeep is raising it in Southern California garage with storage above..

 

[Martindfletcher]

Dan,

Here is an ARB 50 on a leather Rubi with rubber mopar mats, and a mopar tailgate table and it JUST fits. Maybe it will keep the table from rattling. LOL.

I took this picture with SoCal sun so the quality is not stellar.

I will use the d clamps with tie downs so I need to move it around that out dent from the tailgate anyway. I will take it off road tomorrow.

Mine holds temp in 90 degree sun without driving the car for at least 24-32 hours have not tested longer yet.

With this distance on passenger can’t use the length of the 60/40 seat down.

 

[Martindfletcher]

The pic didn't make it....dying to see it!

I just had Snomaster offer me a deal on their Leisure Series LS35 that puts it a little cheaper than the ARB 37. I'm really considering it. It has a 7 year warranty on the compressor and uses the same 66 watt compressor from their larger units, which means it won't work very hard. I also like that it has an alarm that warns you if the lid isn't closed tightly. My kids are terrible about properly closing cooler lids.

Every time I think I know what I want, I learn something that throws me off the tracks. Uggh!

Can't wait to see that pic. I have thought about the Mopar table.

Lol my wife didn’t close the lid today, it was still fine.

 

[KDB]

Right now, I think the ARB 37 is leading the pack, depending on the deal I can get. Thanks for sharing! These things appear to easily outlast house refrigerators!

I voted ARB as well as my 37 is only 3 years old I have used it rather extensively for anything from 2 day trips to 2 week trips out west. Last October while doing a rim to rim hike in the Grand Canyon I left it plugged into my 2 door JK, with a Costco 5 year battery that was on over 48 months old, and when I returned to the Jeep 2.5 days later I had cold drinks and my Jeep started. Never had to worry about killing the battery with the low amp draw and sensor that turns the fridge off (never had to use that feature) if/when the battery drops below a certaian amperage.

Good luck on your quest, I know that at times too much research can drive you nuts!

 

[Johnhinesaz]

So maybe this is crazy, but here's what i did for power:
1. Ran wires back for both the aux 1 and aux 3 to under the rear passenger seat
2. Rigged up a 35ah agm battery in a box (fits under rear seat)
3. Connected aux 1 to the 35 ah battery. Set the switch to power on when Engine is on
4. Connected the aux 3 to a relay that switches on power from the 35ah battery when i turn on the switch. Programmed it so it's on whether the engine is running or not.

So... when the engine is running, power flows to the 35ah battery as long as aux 1 is turned on (i will just leave it like that). When the engine is not running, the fridge draws power from the battery under the seat. The fridge is turned on/off by the aux 3 switch (the ARB fridge remembers whether it was on or off when power is supplied/cut via the cord). A basic sort of VSR isolated setup, i think.

The engine can charge the under seat battery, but the fridge cannot drain the truck batteries. Am hoping the truck will charge the batttery ok since the stock batteries are AGM (hoping charging setup will provide needed voltage).

Does anyone see any problem with this? It seems to work ok, but maybe there are reasons this would be bad?

 

[ULTRA JL]

Engel MT-45 with a Black Forest Slide ($199) and Engle quick lock hold down.
Line-X Plywood. Still looking at cutting a lid into the plywood for cubby access

 

[DanW]

Engel MT-45 with a Black Forest Slide ($199) and Engle quick lock hold down.
Line-X Plywood. Still looking at cutting a lid into the plywood for cubby access

VERY nice setup!

 

[American Adventurist]

Anyone had good experience with customer service from ARB, Dometic, Engel, or Snoman? Heck, even Smittybilt? It looks like Smittybilt's fridge is badged as a Costaway on Amazon and is 415 bucks and is identical, including a Danfoss compressor. It is a distant 4th or 5th place, but man, 400 bucks? The Costaway gets as good a rating on Amazon as any other, including Engel. WTH??

I stay FAR away from anything that says Shittybilt on it. Their brand and entire product line is consumer grade garbage.

 

[baggio16]

Engel MT-45 with a Black Forest Slide ($199) and Engle quick lock hold down.
Line-X Plywood. Still looking at cutting a lid into the plywood for cubby access

This is exactly what I'm looking to do! Do you mind sharing your dimensions on the plywood? Looks awesome and fits perfect.

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