Noncompliance: Fridges

This is topic Fridges in forum Offroad Discussion at Noncompliance.

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Posted by Klaus (Member # 66) on :

So who is going to be the first to drop the cash on a fridge??? I have been looking for a deal on an ARB now for some time, but you know that "ARB" & "deal" shouldn't be in the same sentence [Smile]

The ARB fridge is a rebranded Engel fridge, Engel makes some smaller versions that are around $375 - but I guess if I am going to spend that much on a fridge I want a lot of capacity. I have recently come across a guy that sells the ARB fridges for:
33quart $549
48quart $599
63quart $799
Cheapest prices I have found.
There is talk of a group purchase from ARB on the FJ-80 newgroup - but I doubt they will do much better then $599 for the 48 quart.

Summer is almost over, guess I will wait until next year...... [Razz]

Note: The ARB/Engel fridges are real fridges that operate from 40 degrees to 0 degrees. They will freeze ice faster then a home fridge and have a low amp draw on a battery. They are not the Coloman/Thermos Peltier type warmer/coolers that are sold at Target or Walmart. These type of coolers require a fan to run continuously and blow air over the Peltier element making a huge amp draw. The ARB/Engel style fridge can be left on for 8 hours or more without killing a battery.

[ 08-07-2002, 12:47: Message edited by: Klaus ]

Posted by P_McCracken (Member # 20) on :

The ARB fridges are very nice. But, at 1/10th the cost you could afford an Igloo or Coleman electric cooler and an extra battery. The crappy Igloo that I have will keep food at 35 degrees in the brown van for 5-6 hours without worrying about the batteries going dead (if the 12v outlet keeps working - fucking ford! [finger]

.) One trick that I've tried is to cool the cooler down at home on 120v first and only put cold items into it. Then it doesn't have to cool the items down - just keep them at temperature.

Of course the Igloo just died after the last trip to the cabin. It only works with the 120v adapter now and cycles on and off with the 12v plug.

I bet you could get some decent solar panels and run your cooler on solar power. That would be funny and ironic. [beer]

Posted by Jomama (Member # 56) on :

I have a large Igloo style and used it almost continuosly for an entire summer and its still going strong. If you go to their website you can by a plug-in that incorperates a auto-switch that turns the cooler off if it draws the battery down to 12amps or something like that. Works great!!! I've left it for about 1.5 days in my truck (2 batteries) before it shut off. It doesn't keep stuff frozen, but I had milk and stuff in it for a week at a time in hot-ass weather when I lived in Idaho. If you put pre-frozen meat and stuff in it it lasts a while too!!!

[beer]

Posted by Klaus (Member # 66) on :

Yes, I have been tempted to spend $100 on a warmer/cooler... pretty much every time I goto Scam's Club. Prof seems to like his although it isn't very big - good for one person. Maybe he will split the cost of the ARB with me for the cabin??? [Wink]

j/k

Wouldn't it be cool to freeze ice while on the trail or at the cabin??? [beer]

I just hate playing the ice game all the time, it sucks! At least Minnesota is only hot for 4 months a year.

Posted by Chadwick (Member # 45) on :

Speaking of which, are you going to your cabin over laborday weekend? If you do (and i am invited) i would like to come. It's been to long, and i really enjoy it up there. I probably wont bring the samurai though if you guys decide its a biking weekend. But, i will buy 500 or so rounds for my hand gun(s) and i have a ton of clay pigeons left and a thrower.

Posted by Klaus (Member # 66) on :

Yes, we are going to the cabin over Labor Day. I was planning on it being a biking/quad weekend but my bike still needs fixin so who knows. All are invited. I am taking the Friday before off and will return on Monday. I will probably bring the 4runner. As usual there is plenty to do without getting crazy with vehicles/bikes/quads.

Posted by Klaus (Member # 66) on :

The decision was made last night to get rid of our 1950's style propane fidge at the cabin. So, I have again been looking into getting an ARB/Engel fridge/freezer for use in my truck and at the cabin. I would like to get one before I leave on May 16th for a week at the cabin. My extensive research hasn't turned up an super-deals yet. The best I have found is $620 for the 42Quart model with free shipping.

Rockstar have you seen any deals out there on these??

Posted by Jomama (Member # 56) on :

This was discussed in another forum a while back. Another area to check out Klaus are marine/sailboat stores. This brand, Kooltron, has primarily made electric coolers for sailboats, and I would assume there may be some other brands out there as well. The prices are varied, but some are less than the ARB, but I don't think they can make ice. I know of a person living on a sailboat for years, and this thing was running a lot, so these are well built units.
http://store.yahoo.net/koolatrononline/temconun.html
Id check out some sailboat goods type retailers online as well.

[beer]

Posted by Jomama (Member # 56) on :

You don't have electricity at your cabin do you??? Are you just gonna run it off the truck constantly???

I'd rig a deep cycle/solar setup at the cabin if this is gonna be permanent use up there.

Posted by Klaus (Member # 66) on :

Kooltron is Engels main competition - I have found for the same size fridge/freezer kooltron is a bit more. Kooltrons do have digital temp settings and some other cool features but they do use more amps.

The cabin has a generator (small for now will be upgrading soon) and the fridge would run off a seperate car battery. Cramer suggests some large CAT deep cycles - I might go that route. Nice thing about the cabin is it never really gets too hot there so a battery would last for a long time.

Posted by Mikey (Member # 42) on :

Has anyone ever researched what it would cost for a solar trickle charger. I know there isn't much sunlight around the cabin but the charger would have several weeks at a time to recharge a couple of big deep cycles. I have no idea what a solar 12v trickle charge panel would cost just a thought.

Posted by Klaus (Member # 66) on :

Actually, the solar panels are pretty cheap. The wiring and voltage shit is what I don't understand. Chad do you know anything about this stuff?

Posted by Jomama (Member # 56) on :

Just search online, theres tons of stuff on this topic, and I know its a very basic schematic to follow to rig it up, and just a few parts needed beyond the panels.

[beer]

Posted by rokstar (Member # 70) on :

http://www.boatersworld.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&catalogId=10051&l angId=-1&productId=13087918
Is this what you are looking for?
boatus price $505

Posted by rokstar (Member # 70) on :

highlight the entire link to get to the fridge

Posted by Klaus (Member # 66) on :

Yeah, that's a good deal. Too bad I have an ARB freezing ice in my living room as of last night [Smile]

Best I found was $540 on the 45Quart.

(any status on those Rino's?)

Posted by rokstar (Member # 70) on :

Rino's arrived yesterday (WED)give me a call 651 260-2999 I was in gun training Wed or I would have posted sooner [gun1]

Posted by Klaus (Member # 66) on :

Hey Martin are you going to get a permit to carry/take the class?

Posted by Klaus (Member # 66) on :

Here is another review.....

I like the ARB fridge a lot - makes life simplier (except writing the check to Visa last night was not fun). Power consumption was pretty good. After I added a new deep cycle battery it ran in the cabin for almost 3 days without needing to be charged. I tried to keep the food around 40F, used setting 1-2. Any setting higher than 2 and it will start to freeze eveything.

The 45 model was large enough for everyones food that needed to be on ice and it was nice to throw full 12 packs of pop/beer in there and know they would cool down in no time.

I don't think a deep cycle battery/generator system was the way to go. The generator just doesn't put out enough power to recharge a big battery in a reasonable time. Solar power is probably the way to go. I am going to try some tests with different setting and the battery to see how long it will last with a full charge.

For a long weekend it would be perfect - anything longer then that and leaving it in a truck that gets driven or maybe a solar system would be better.