ARB fridge/freezer vent question (1 Viewer)

[bucketman]

I have searched all over Mud and can't find where this has been discussed so I thought I would ask.

I am very close to purchasing an ARB 63 QT fridge/freezer. I am planning on mounting it floor level behind the passenger seat with the LH side directly against the fender well, but I am concerned that the LH vent on the side of the unit will be blocked by the fender well and affect the performance.

I am mounting the fridge there so it can be accessed from inside the front of the vehicle and by opening the rear passenger door.

I have seen many pics of these mounted in 80's. Some have all kinds of room around them and some have camping gear on all sides of the fridge obviously blocking both vents. I assume most people using these while on camping trips are driving around with stuff stacked around the fridge.

I would like to hear the experiences of the guys with these ARB fridges (any model) that have used them with either one vent blocked or both vents blocked. I plan on having one vent pretty much completely blocked all the time by the fender well and I plan on leaving the carpet on the fender. The vent on the RH side will be unobstructed most of the time.

Has any damage been done to surrounding items from heat?
Has the fridge worked without problems?
Has efficiency been reduced?

I also can't find anything on ARB's site that says whether or not the vents can be blocked. The only statement about the vents is: Ventilation grills allow operation even in the most confined cargo areas-user friendly. I don't know what this means.

Thank you for your help MUD!

 

[cruiserdan]

You are going to want at lease 3 inches of clearance for the vents. If the airflow is poor the fridge will not be able to cool properly. Even when the vents are clear a hot enclosed cabin will make the fridge suffer. I sometimes use a temporary external fan to move more air across the coils in very hot operating conditions.


Oh, this topic would get more play in the camping section. Let's move it over there.

 

[bug616]

I'll second cruiserdan. The vents do need airflow. I installed a Waeco fridge in a very tight space in my truck - it was clearly struggling to cool itself down and power consumption was much higher than when it had good airflow.

 

[pandasfj]

I have an arb 63 that I've used about three times. One thing about all refrigs is that you need to keep the inlet air flow and the outlet air flow vents unblocked to the condenser. It's basically like covering the air flow thru your radiator,which will over heat your motor and your motor will conk out. Over heating your refrig compressor will cause it to run poorly and shorten the life of your unit. Basically your trying to remove the heat from inside the cooler to the outside,so you need cool flowing air going across the condenser. Keep a few inches of open space in front of vents. The ambient air entering the condenser should always be cooler than the exiting air. hth.