How would you guys use a fridge in bear country? Do you disconnect from the car battery and hook up to a standalone battery overnight? Fridge seems like a very good thing to have on a long trip.
I have an ARB 50 and have kept it in my van for two years, running pretty much non-stop, powered by deep cycle batteries in the trailer most of the time, and by the van when away from the trailer. I keep a couple heavy gauge 12v extension cords if I want more distance between van and trailer for any reason when in camp. I'll have deep cycles in my van at some point, but don't now.
I keep my fridge clean and as odor free as I can, meaning I regularly pull the baskets and wipe the inside walls with vinegar and sometimes a bleach solution as well as clean the baskets themselves. I make sure everything I have in there for fresh food is wrapped and sealed well and that any containers such as condiments or dressings, etc are clean on the outside with lids on tight. I also set it to run colder than many might, to the point stuff way deep or near the walls gets frosty. I believe that allows for less odor. The fridge has a heavy rubber seal between lid and body.
i've had bears come through camp and be far more interested in what was cooked in a firepit by the last campers or where they dumped their waste water or food scraps than they were in even remotely checking out my van or trailer.
Having camped and been backcountry all over North America going back about fifty years, the only time I have had animals mess with my vehicle is when a door was open and a squirrel or raccoon got inside. I believe the problem most have is when they have not been as clean as they could have been. Meaning, the clothes you cooked in, the pots you used, the trash and scraps you generated and what they came in contact with, the towels you used in cleaning up, etc.
I have a buddy who is usually scrupulously clean about his gear and cooking, who was woken one full-moon night by a Black Bear's head stuck all the way into his tent. He had no food or cosmetics in there, no dish towels or trash. Then he remembered he'd wiped his hands on his jeans while cooking breakfast that morning and meant to wash them, but never got around to it.
Bears have eyesight approximating humans, it is said, so don't always venture about as much at night unless there's a good reason. Their sense of smell, however, is far greater than ours and will give them the reason to venture into careless camps even on a dark night. I read somewhere recently they can smell food, one of their primary motivations every day, up to kilometer away.
It pays to be even more conscientious, of course, about keeping our gear clean and organized and doors closed when in bear country.
