Cooler vs Fridge: Which is right for you?

[Scott]

I have an arb 50 qt and would never go back to a cooler. The in8tial investment ain't cheap but honestly, totally with it. Heck I had a connection come loose on the main board of the arb during our Mojave road trip. I stopped at target bought ice and turned the arb into a cooler for that trip. Then I fixed it myself when I got home. We have used my fridge in the house to store extra prepped foods for thanksgiving and Christmas dinners that we had.. That alone made it worth it to have a fridge.

 

[Docbg]

I have an 80 series LC and have four boys, so third row stays in. Does anyone know of a fridge that would fit behind third row?
Thanks

 

[Truckee]

Fridge is worth the money. I now have two, a medium and a large. Has more uses than just camping/overlanding.

 

[pheenx9]

They should come standard in every vehicle....

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[Utilityman]

I told myself a few years ago I was going to get a fridge and it never happened LOL. Last year I got an RTIC 45qt and its been amazing. One day I'll get a fridge for the rig but for now my cooler setup does the trick.
I also have a yeti Hopper 30. The hopper fits perfectly behind the seat for drinks and snacks for the kids.

 

[carlospalooza]

I eventually chose to go the ARB fridge route a short while ago. The initial investment hurt however Im happy to have the option of being "ice free", although there isnt anything better than an ice cold beer covered in ice. Im running it with a CTEK D250S dual battery "charger" that sits between my stock start battery, and two-22ahr batteries wired in parallel, I had laying around in the garage. I eventually want to replace the 44ahr with something better, mounted under the bed. The current 44ahr batteries run my fridge, 12v water pump, and a few other usb and 12v outlets behind the seat of my '12 Tundra Crewmax. What I like about the CTEK (or similar product), is it not only isolates and refines the charging of a dual battery set up, but it also has the option of connecting a solar panel, giving you another option to charge both your batteries when the vehicle isnt running. Ive actually left the fridge in the truck for several days with no solar panel connected. It maintained temp, and never turned off (CA mild weather).View attachment 51659View attachment 51661

 

[SpikeMD]

12v fridge is a game changer and the single best upgrade for camping. My ARB 50qt has been running continuously for 10 years, either in my truck or in my home cooling beers or fridge overflow.

As mentioned, no more soggy or wasted food. Beer and drinks stay cold. Most new 12v fridges have automatic shutoff for low voltage to help from keeping u stranded.

One thing to watch for is that the 12v plugs can become loose and your wiring needs to be able to handle the draw. Most rear 12v sockets aren't up to the task and are switched on with ignition. I have added Anderson plugs and a fuse box to the rear to ensure a good connection that won't bounce loose.

Even with the voltage protection, I recommend everyone carry a lithium jumpstart battery. Very small but can jump you if you are stuck. I jave actually used mine a few times to help others. Much easier than maneuvering vehicles and using jumpee cables.

 

[AZBubs]

100% fridge. No more ice, no more soggy stuff. My fridge is used just about every day. We use it for camping, road trips, Costco :-/ you name it. It keeps my lunch cold on my 1+ hr drive to work. In the valley of the sun (Phoenix AZ) it’s changed how and what we do in the summer [emoji106]

I have a Dometic CFX 35. I got it for $535 on Amazon after watching the price fluctuate over 6 months. They have a newer one that is bluetooth and you can monitor the fridge via tablet or phone. I got the older one and saved a few bucks.

There are plenty of brands out there that aren’t going to break the bank. I’ve seen people with Whynter in their vehicle they have had for years.


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[Kent R]

I ike my ARB 50 even though the cost is high it is worth it to me.

 

[trailhunter]

I eventually chose to go the ARB fridge route a short while ago. The initial investment hurt however Im happy to have the option of being "ice free", although there isnt anything better than an ice cold beer covered in ice. Im running it with a CTEK D250S dual battery "charger" that sits between my stock start battery, and two-22ahr batteries wired in parallel, I had laying around in the garage. I eventually want to replace the 44ahr with something better, mounted under the bed. The current 44ahr batteries run my fridge, 12v water pump, and a few other usb and 12v outlets behind the seat of my '12 Tundra Crewmax. What I like about the CTEK (or similar product), is it not only isolates and refines the charging of a dual battery set up, but it also has the option of connecting a solar panel, giving you another option to charge both your batteries when the vehicle isnt running. Ive actually left the fridge in the truck for several days with no solar panel connected. It maintained temp, and never turned off (CA mild weather).View attachment 51659View attachment 51661

I need to talk to you! Your the only one I've found so far that has the setup I've been trying to configure, can I pm ya?

 

[carlospalooza]

I need to talk to you! Your the only one I've found so far that has the setup I've been trying to configure, can I pm ya?

Sure. Feel free to PM. Do you have a Tundra? Or just interested in the set up. My set up works but is by no means completed. I’d like to go through it s manage wires and connections better. But for now it works great.


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[MNC]

I would go with the fridge setup. I'm looking at putting solar panels on the roof rack for constant voltage. I have a dual battery system already. Anyone familiar with doing this kind of setup?

yes i run a 12v truck frig freezer on a 160 watt solar in my trailer 24/7 runs year round on a deep cycle from Walmart yellow marine use a Trace charge controller yep love that ice cream on the trail

 

[Road]

ARB 50 all the way. I used a variety of cooler set-ups for decades and now that I have a 12v fridge, I can't imagine using anything else, even for short weekend jaunts. I keep my fridge in my vehicle, not trailer, so I always have food and drinks with me. Fits perfectly into my kitchen work flow when camping, too.

Much much easier to use, super easy to keep powered, and more than pays for itself in the long run. Can't vouch for all the other 12v fridge/freezers, but the ARB has a 12v plug and outlet you can get that screw together, so no chance of it vibrating out on the trail. Even though I have deep cycles in my trailer, I regularly run my 12v fridge just from the starting battery system on my van.

** One thing a lot of people don't consider when thinking about getting a 12v fridge is that the ARB has (and I suspect most other 12v fridges have) an integrated battery protection system that senses when your battery is getting low, so reduces power to the fridge. Makes it much easier to use your vehicle battery and not get an auxiliary battery right away if you don't want. I've never had a problem yet, with over 10,000 miles of travel on the fridge, of it draining my battery or of the fridge temp getting too warm. I forgot it had the battery protection at first and would unplug it after it got to temp.

Only pulls around 1.2 amp when it is running, though it is so efficient that it really doesn't have to run constantly to stay at temp.

** Another thing SO many users overlook with 12v fridges is allowing your unit to have enough space around it for the vents to work properly. If you stuff it into a drawer, cabinet, or storage system with tight sides, it will have to cycle more to stay at temp and will be fighting higher surrounding temps and less air circulation, eventually leading to premature wear.


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