Off-Road Ranger I
Are refrigerator/freezer covers worth it?
- Thread starter bear_den_overland
- Start date
Creator III
They probably help a little bit. They are made out of an insulating material. I got my ARB fridge cover through a promotional offer for free. I also have vents in the sides of my platform cabinets to let the hot air move away on the sides. My setup probably isn't ideal though since the heat can still build up under there. If you can insulate the fridge but get the heat away from the vents, that is best.
Enthusiast III
I have a fridge in two vehicles. One covered and one not since they aren't the same say I can't definitively say it provides insulation & reduces power consumption. Some covers are very well insulated and others are just fabric to prevent scratches so it greatly depends on the cover. I would say the biggest factor is where the fridge is. Is it in an unair-conditioned truck bed or trailer or in an SUV that has AC when driving. Does direct sunlight hit it or not? When parked are you able to open something to vent hot air build up?
I will say that when parked the one in the SUV has to work much harder because it gets hotter inside than inside my truck bed that has an At Overland topper and the front slider is open year round. For the one I have in my SUV I made an insulated flap myself. It is basically that silver bubble window cover that is covered with that shiney silver ironing board fabric. This covers the top and front display where the sun comes in. I aready have my cargo area windows blocked in a similar fashion.
If there is any direct exposure to the sun, some kind of insulated cover is essential.
I will say that when parked the one in the SUV has to work much harder because it gets hotter inside than inside my truck bed that has an At Overland topper and the front slider is open year round. For the one I have in my SUV I made an insulated flap myself. It is basically that silver bubble window cover that is covered with that shiney silver ironing board fabric. This covers the top and front display where the sun comes in. I aready have my cargo area windows blocked in a similar fashion.
If there is any direct exposure to the sun, some kind of insulated cover is essential.
Off-Road Ranger I
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We used our ARB for a couple of trips before getting the insulation. Surprisingly it made a noticeable difference in the amount of amp hour usage. As stated though, open airways is a major factor as well. I see a lot of systems that IMO pack the fridge in tight, not leaving enough space for fresh air exchange.
For sure you'll notice an improvement especially on hot days. Our cover came with a mesh that covered the vents...immediately cut that out. Also I keep our 30L fridge outside on hot days and that reduces the cycles as well.
We supply power with 2 x 50w and 2 x 100w solar panels using an MPPT controller...and if the day is hot and overcast we just make with a 100ah lithium battery.
We supply power with 2 x 50w and 2 x 100w solar panels using an MPPT controller...and if the day is hot and overcast we just make with a 100ah lithium battery.
Advocate I
I sometimes have fridge airflow issues during hot weather and the vehicle is parked. Those reflective window shades on the 3 rear windows have helped tremendously though. The compressor location on my ARB (blue/gray) fridge is not in a great spot for my set-up. I'd like to switch to one with the condenser coils on the "front" like the ARB Zero. The rear of the fridge can then have zero clearance... which equals more storage space.
Enthusiast I
This guy from Australia did a great video on just this thing. I thought they would help but after watching this now I wonder. I’ll have to do some testing myself.
Off-Road Ranger I
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If you have it inside a vehicle having some vent shades on the windows with the windows slightly lowered will keep the interior 20 to 30 degrees cooler and help the fridge also.
Traveler III
From his video, I would say the cost of the cover does not save you money in the long run. It would be interesting to see if a cover from the manufacturer made specifically for that frig with the proper opening for ventilation would make improvements in insulating.
I bought my Engel MT45 naked, took it home, and then realized I'd have less scarring and dents on the sheet metal if I had the cover, and then went back and got one. I have no idea how much the thermal in insulation might help.
Enthusiast III
Same here. I’ve been running sans cover up to now but a little insulation and protection for the MT45 can’t be a bad thing.
Influencer I
