Anyone use an extension cord for their ARB fridge? I'd like to put my fridge in a bear-box while camping and run an extension cord from the back of the cruiser to the bear box for a couple days. I have the arb 10900027 fridge power cable from the battery to the fridge.
ARB Fridge Extension Cord?
- Thread starter surfingpl
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FWIW, I cut the 12V power port end off mine and put a two-pin connector on it for a more secure connection to the truck house system. You could do the same and make an extension that you splice in. Keeping in mind that it's only 12V so you'll have some line loss if you get too far out. If bears are prevalent, consider that cord to be scrap and keep a few full assemblies as spares.
Markuson
SILVER Star
This is a good point.
I don’t know about the ARB, but my National Luna has various voltage-drop safety settings...where it will turn off in order to save your battery from total depletion. Long 12V power wire runs drop voltage big time, and might trick your fridge into thinking your battery is depleted when it’s not...and then thaw your fridge as a result.
You might simplify and just check to see if ARB offers an extension... Heck, if all else fails you could even connect a fused fridge plug to jumper cables and run a separate line direct off the battery with its huge wire...but that would be pretty hokey...
- Thread starter
- #5
Thanks for the feedback guys. @Markuson - I did check with ARB first, and they have replacement cords, but just same length as original. I think I'll buy one of those, and cut the connectors off like @OregonLC did and splice in a length of cable (larger gauge as @TonyP suggested). I'll test it out at home before hitting the road with it.
Taco2Cruiser
Crazy American Off Road
If you look in your ARB fridge owners manual. It gives wire gauge requirements based on length. Might help take some guess work out of the equation.
Is putting a fridge in a bear box something that's commonly done? I've just never thought of it. It's secure inside the truck.
Taco2Cruiser
Crazy American Off Road
Well... a bear is going to win, and a 200 will lose. Big time.
I don’t do it. But I don’t stay in many established camp sites. I mostly primitive camp, and have a portable bear fence that pumps out 2 joules. So bears are not a problem.
Honestly, the few times I have stayed in established camp site. There was plenty of other uneducated people that bears went a destroyed their cars instead. As long as you put dry food and anything tasty in the box. Clean your area well at night. It will greatly takes down the attractive smell for roaming bears.
I don’t do it. But I don’t stay in many established camp sites. I mostly primitive camp, and have a portable bear fence that pumps out 2 joules. So bears are not a problem.
Honestly, the few times I have stayed in established camp site. There was plenty of other uneducated people that bears went a destroyed their cars instead. As long as you put dry food and anything tasty in the box. Clean your area well at night. It will greatly takes down the attractive smell for roaming bears.
- Thread starter
- #9
I honestly don't know? If I had my food in a cooler with ice, and that cooler fit in the bear box, I would put my cooler in the box instead of in my car. I have heard stories about bears ripping doors off cars to get a tube of cherry chap-stick - that would suck.
I don't disagree, we just don't have much of a bear problem up here.
Might be an easier and better solution to build an ammo can power supply like this guy. Then you can get everything 100 yards away from camp and not worry about the cordage.
Bears and ARB fridges - Toyota 4Runner Forum - Largest 4Runner Forum
Might be an easier and better solution to build an ammo can power supply like this guy. Then you can get everything 100 yards away from camp and not worry about the cordage.
Bears and ARB fridges - Toyota 4Runner Forum - Largest 4Runner Forum
Markuson
SILVER Star
A fridge needs ventilation or the coolant compressor will heat up. If the bear box is WELL ventilated (most are definitely not), then putting a fridge into one will not work well at all.
As it re-compresses the coolant the heat that produces travels through basically a radiator that a fan blows to help cool it before sending it back into the fridge for decompression again where it cools even more. If the enclosed space doesn’t allow cooling prior to reentry, than its working against itself just like if an LC radiator had a completely covered grill.
If your bear box is a cage style, then ok. If an enclosed space...don’t do it. Good way to fry a fridge, or at best, run your battery down from a constant on state (or frequently on).
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What variation of ARB plug end do you have? All are easy to make extension cords for/with but some are done easier than others.
What if you just got a Goal Zero and ran the fridge off of that for the overnight hours? No need for an extending the cable and you could charge other items off of it as well?
I just cut the 12v cigarette lighter end off my ARB 12v cord and soldered on one of these. Other end is on the line coming from the rear 12v fuse block.
- Thread starter
- #16
- Good point @Markuson , I don't know what the box is made of yet, will check.
- @cruiseroutfit - it's the newer one with 2 prongs - MANUFACTURER PART # 10910076
- @weaselox - thanks, that is another idea - just would rather do a $25 solve vs a $500 solve. Haven't really had a need for a goal zero yet.
I just came back from a Mammoth Lakes fishing trip with my kid. Their campsites all have the bear boxes and I have a 12ft DIY cable and no issues with the fridge heating up...
EdgeStar fridge btw...
EdgeStar fridge btw...
RET2
SILVER Star
Just leave it in your vehicle and after dark visit adjoining campsites with a jar of peanut butter, just say'n 
Make your own
The Orange and Blue store sell heavy duty low voltage landscaping cable by the foot up to 8 gauge. Always fuse as close to the power source as possible.
The Orange and Blue store sell heavy duty low voltage landscaping cable by the foot up to 8 gauge. Always fuse as close to the power source as possible.
Markuson
SILVER Star
Your issue is more related to resistance and voltage drop that might trigger your fridge’s auto shutoff. Resistance increases over distance and increases with smaller gauge wire. If you can run a THICK gauge set of wires directly from your battery (preferably with a fuse in-line), you’ll suffer significantly less voltage drop.
It would be a bummer to find thawed food...not because of a dead battery, but because your fridge thought your battery was lower than it really was.
Basically, the longer wire run you have, the heavier gauge it needs to be.
PS. Inverters run into the same issue and similarly benefit from heavy gauge wire to reduce voltage drop that causes most high power inverters to shut down...being fooled into “protecting your battery” from its erroneous reading of voltage levels lower than they really are due to resistance.
It would be a bummer to find thawed food...not because of a dead battery, but because your fridge thought your battery was lower than it really was.
Basically, the longer wire run you have, the heavier gauge it needs to be.
PS. Inverters run into the same issue and similarly benefit from heavy gauge wire to reduce voltage drop that causes most high power inverters to shut down...being fooled into “protecting your battery” from its erroneous reading of voltage levels lower than they really are due to resistance.
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