Educate me on Fridges (1 Viewer)

[MANUCHAO]

So, Im looking at this fridges and I know I want one..
Im looking at the ARB 82QT fridge and the National Luna 80 liter fridge... (which are similar in volume space).
But is the performace of the Luna fridge that much better ?

why such a big difference in price...... Im looking at the cheaper aluminum luna fridge as supposed to the SS model.... and there is still a $500 price difference.

I have read some of the write ups on EP and other sites.....
Is this one of those deals of "you get what you paid for" type things..... ???

I would love to hear from the ARB's owners and the Luna owners if they care tho chime in..
I would really be appreciated !!!

 

[Cobound]

Wow, an 82qt...I simply couldn't fit that into the rigs I plan on using. I went w/ the 50qt and just received it. It appears to have room for what I need to pack for a few days but I have to test it.

Right now I am in the testing phase of getting it to cool down in the house, empty, to the desired temp...no luck yet. I have a thread of my own started here

Anyway, hoping I can get this figured out soon...I have a trip in less than three weeks!

B

 

[JMHAZ]

National Luna definitely makes the best portable fridges on the market. They won both the fridge reviews we did when I was with Overland Journal, and for good reason. NL combines very high-quality construction and fast cooling times with exceptional efficiency.

With that said, the NL fridge is like any other product at the top of its heap, whether it's a sports car or a watch. That last ten percent of excellence usually costs more than ten percent extra. Only you can decide if it's worth it.

On the other hand, the ARB fridge is a solid, reliable piece of gear at a good price. The redesign a few years ago fixed all the niggling vices of the original ARB/Engel clone. We have an ARB fridge in our FJ60 and it performs well.

Be sure you really need that huge one! Remember that a fridge doesn't waste space on ice, and you can cycle in your drinks each day to chill rather than having to have them all on ice. Our 47-quart model has all the capacity we need for a two-week trip with no resupply.

 

[zornff]

We have had the arb 43 qt.for about 4 years. Its a great unit, but it has its drawbacks imo. Ours, unlike the new ones, has a dial for the temp settings. The dial has accidentaly gotten bumped numerous times, mostly to a colder setting, which sucks because we always have eggs, fruit, and veggies on board which would get frozen. It also does not have an interior light. The 12 volt plug they use is a pos, and broke before we hit the trail on the rubicon, which sucked.
So as i started building my mega-cab cummins into an overland/camping/tow rig i started shopping for a new fridge. I did not need more capacity, but wanted a freezer, and a fridge. I ended up buying a national luna 50 split ss. It has a 10 ltr freezer, 40 ltr fridge, and interior light. It has digital controls and a battery monitoring system. The plug is way more secure (different than a normal 12 volt plug), and the turbo mode cools it down stupid quick. It seem to have a very low amp draw, and will sound an alarm if the battery gets low.
All in all i am very happy with it, and would highly recommend, although it is pricey. Hth.
I will still use the arb for more storage if needed, and know it will work well.

 

[JMHAZ]

The current ARB fridges have:

Digital temperature control - no dial (as you mentioned)
Interior light
A right-angle plug much less vulnerable to damage

ARB really listened to the complaints about the original model.


That dual-zone National Luna is an awesome bit of kit though.

 

[MANUCHAO]

Thanks guys... is good to hear from actual owners experiences...

 

[B-RAD]

I have the ARB fridge and am happy with it. No complaints

 

[Jacket]

The ARB digital temp settings are often off by several degrees, and you need to set it colder than "normal" to get your desired results. Not a big deal, just takes time to dial it in. And the 12V socket plugs suck - if they aren't vibrating out of the hole, they're dropping volts and causing the fridge to cycle and/or shut down. I think upgrading the plugs or changing to a different solution is almost a necessity.

Besides what has been mentioned, the drain plug in the ARB is a great feature for cleaning the unit out.

 

[RobRed]

I'm working on my 2nd battery system right now and I plan to hardwire the ARB plug to the truck and buy a second for travel use in another vehicle. Why even fuss with 12v sockets?

 

[Cobound]

Wow, had my 50QT ARB out for ten days, worked great! Loved not buying ice while everyone else was out nearly daily getting some. It was high 90s, even a day in the hundo range, heavy humidity...all my goodies stayed nice and cool!

I did bring along some warm drinks, tossed them in as I took the colds out. Wasn't inconvenient, used my steel Coleman for dry/warm storage. I had mostly drinks as we bought our food along the way, but the food I did put in there and the food I put in as we journeyed fit well and I didn't find that the 50QT was too small by any means. I can't imagine running that 82QT.

My only complaint, and has been since I received it, is that that temp is not quite on. I mean, I have to set it at 23*F to get it to avg out to mid 30*F and I found that as I emptied it and didn't put anything back into it my drinks would freeze. My concern was for the glass bottles I had in there, what a sticky mess that would have been if I hadn't caught it in time.

Anyway, I'm pretty happy with it. I do need to look into a way to power it up when I'm out on the trails in the Jeep tho. I won't always have access to power or my vehicle plug so I'll need to get that figured out. This trip I was able to plug it into my Jeep during our road travels (2,500 miles) and when on the trail I had access at camp to a plug in. When I hit the mountains next spring/summer/fall I won't have anything but the Jeep. I'd like to leave the ARB at camp when we're on the trail or it just gets to be more weight to haul and a storage inconvenience.

But, with that, good day,

B

 

[titanpat57]

I use my Engel45, either in my garage, basement, or back of the 4Runner, 12v and 120v, nonstop all spring, summer and fall.

I also take it to picnics and family outings, and it's always a big hit because of the job it does.

I picked it up for 3 bills off CL two years ago...very, very happy.

 

[Woodsman]

I got the Edgestar from compact appliances. It was a scratched unit and $290 shipped. It cools great, the draw is not bad (2 days in Baja heat did not deplete the aux battery) and it held up fine on the worst washboard roads ever.

It's no ARB or Engel, but it works fine and is cheap. If I get a year or 2 of use out of it, I am fine with it. And for the price I can scratch it, dent it...
Jan

I just snagged a 43qt Edgestar from Compact Appliance for $331 shipped a few weeks ago. It was also in clearance as an open box unit with one small dent. Works fine so far.

 

[greentruck]

Our Edgestar also came to us -- inexpensively -- via the closeout page at Compact Appliances. Keep checking it regularly and you'll see a good deal on a 43 qt or larger fridge come up in short order. These units carry the warranty just like new.

 

[Land Shark]

I keep hearing good things about those edgestars. I think I may pick one up for the Cant really justify a second ARB since she would not be using it as I do.