Educate me on Fridges (1 Viewer)

[Tahomatom]

Thinking of getting a fridge for the for the summer months and the occasional trip. Ok, ok, I want the fridge but mothers day is a good excuse and she could use the freedom of pickin up groceries while the kids are at school and not have to rush home to unload before heading home.

I figure I can also get bonus points if she can just leave the groceries in the car until I get home from work since we have a 3yr old and a 6 month old and it is about 200 yards from the car to the house.

Can I get a fridge and run it daily on a single battery or do I absolutely need a 2nd battery?

I dont want her to be left stranded due to a dead battery and I dont want to pay the expense of dual battery set up.

I am looking at a smaller fridge like a 25@ up to a 37Q ARB.

 

[e9999]

I have no problem running my fridge 24 hrs on my single battery truck with the engine off (from a fully charged battery).

 

[spressomon]

I've put some serious use on my now 6-year old Waeco 50 and its just been great. Even though it was tough to hand over that kind of coin for a tiny (compared to home refrigerators in the same $ range) fridge its been my favorite accessory just like everyone told me it would be!

The Waeco (and maybe others...not sure) has a low voltage cut-off that will give you some piece of mind with single battery...

 

[JMHAZ]

There's no reason you can't run a fridge off a single battery, especially on an intermittent basis. If you're worried about the vehicle getting stranded, just add a low-voltage cutoff switch to your system. It would help if you have a good-quality AGM battery that provides both starting and deep-cycle capability.

Once you use a fridge, you'll wonder how you did without it.

 

[Tahomatom]

Yes I have searched and read so many threads about fridges that it all gets mixed up.
I see threads where it was not problem on one battery. Others where they had an issue and installed a 2nd battery.

Guess I was just looking for that last piece of justification before the purchase.
Looking at Edgestar now due to price and a the fact I have some gift certificates from a specific site I can use.

 

[hicruise55]

YOUR CAR IS TWO FOOTBALL FIELDS FROM YOUR HOUSE!?!? Holy cow!!!


I have the newer ARB, it is simply amazing and figure I save as much in food a year as it cost me, in fact I am buying another one- one for frozen food and one for not frozen... and no not for drinks either, I run a jockey box to the keg when camping

 

[Corey]

I am one of the ones who has ran the ARB fridge with the stock FJ battery with no problems.
Battery is from July of 2006, and I have ran the fridge up to five days before I started the rig up.
A little sluggish when I cranked it, but it fired up.

I do have a dual battery setup, but have never in the past had to utilize it from running the fridge.

For the past two years though I now have a solar setup that charges the starting battery up, so no worries.
The Redtop in the second position is for an emergency only in case the stock one does die out.
Nothing is hooked up to the Redtop at all, except for the dual kit so the alternator keeps it charged when I use the switch to do so.

You will be fine on a good quality battery for at least a few days.
If you do not want to add a dual battery setup, look into at least a 60 watt solar and charge controller setup like I am running.
A 60 watt solar panel can also run your fridge during the day without even hooked up to your battery.
In good sunlight a 60 watt panel puts out around 3.4 amps, the fridge draws around 1.7 if I remember.

I forgot the wires for my solar panel last year on vacation, and the fridge did fine in 90° weather for a few days, and the rig started right up.

 

[OGBeno]

My recommendation: don't buy cheap on this purchase.

Buy good, buy once, be done.

 

[greentruck]

Nothing wrong with an Edgestar if you're on a budget. I know, I've got one. Ours gets use when we're camping and traveling, always have enough juice because we have two batteries for backup anyway.

I'm kind of with beno on this one, based on your anticipated use. Fact is that the Edgestar will draw about twice the juice that the ARB will, at least from the specs I remember seeing. If you want to avoid needing a backup battery for awhile, while using it almost daily, then you've got a better chance of doing that by going with the ARB.

As for whether or not you'll need a backup with a particular range of use can be roughly calculated. But every rig -- and its battery(s) -- is different. Once you have some experience, you can place more trust into pushing the usage, but satisfy yourself first about the reliability with any mobile refrigeration -- before you leave the 5 pounds of fat shrimp in it on a warm day

 

[e9999]

snip

I'm kind of with beno on this one, based on your anticipated use. Fact is that the Edgestar will draw about twice the juice that the ARB will, at least from the specs I remember seeing. If you want to avoid needing a backup battery for awhile, while using it almost daily, then you've got a better chance of doing that by going with the ARB.

snip )

I guess my recollection is different. You will see some really low numbers on ARBs in their literature but those are typically averaged over long periods of time including when the fridge is not running, IIANM. When I say that my Edgestar is pulling 4A, that's when it's running. Averaged out over time in steady state it'd be like 1.5A or so probably. When I looked at the numbers it seemed to me that the Edge and the others were pulling pretty similar power.

 

[Tahomatom]

I guess my recollection is different. You will see some really low numbers on ARBs in their literature but those are typically averaged over long periods of time including when the fridge is not running, IIANM. When I say that my Edgestar is pulling 4A, that's when it's running. Averaged out over time in steady state it'd be like 1.5A or so probably. When I looked at the numbers it seemed to me that the Edge and the others were pulling pretty similar power.

Still no issues with yoru Edgestar????

I read a few posts on Edgestar and it seems Beno was not to high on it. Rethinking that plan but $225 in gift certificates has me leaning toward the edgestar.

Seems with the ARB I get a better product but that puts me in the 700 range and then another 100-150 for the cover.

The edgestar would only put me about 200 out of pocket plus a cover if I can find one that fits.
Of course then I still need to mount it on a slide in the back.

 

[greentruck]

AFAIK, there is no cover available for the Edgestar. What I did was take one of those windshield sun shades that is thin foam covered in silver foil and cut it up to fit my 43l Edgestar. I used velcro to attached it to the fridge, along with the wrap-strap that came with the shade.

Also, no slide is available AFAIK. But I built a drawer/sleeper system that included a space with an open drawer on one side for the fridge. Then I used turnbuckles through the handles of the Edgestar to hold it down.

Pics here:
https://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-tech/412084-camper-conversion-drawer-system.html

 

[hoser]

I am looking at a smaller fridge like a 25@ up to a 37Q ARB.

I think 25 qt would be really small for a family of 4. It'll fit maybe one bag of groceries.

 

[Mxndrnks]

Overland Journal did a great write up/comparison for 4 different models. Might be worth it to see if you can get your hands on one. There are pros and cons to all the models..... a 25 qt. is really small. I took the plunge and picked up a NL fridge..... It is amazing.... I am sure you will be happy with whichever one you get.

 

[greentruck]

Yeah, our 43 liter Edgestar is about right for two adults for a week, so long as you don't need large quantities of on chill.

I wouldn't go smaller than that for 4 people for a weekend.

 

[mudking82]

I also have an Edgestar and have had no issues with it. It has held up great on multiple long vacations with wheeling every day on rough roads.

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

I've put some serious use on my now 6-year old Waeco 50 and its just been great. Even though it was tough to hand over that kind of coin for a tiny (compared to home refrigerators in the same $ range) fridge its been my favorite accessory just like everyone told me it would be!

The Waeco (and maybe others...not sure) has a low voltage cut-off that will give you some piece of mind with single battery...

Im with this guy, Waeco is the most overlooked frig with all the important features included, at a great price.

 

[JMHAZ]

I can summarize the review - the National Luna won, as well it should have given its high price. It not only performed best but was very efficient on power use as well.

The budget option, a Whynter, showed poor build quality and poor efficiency. The two mid-priced options, an Engel and an ARB, both performed very well. The ARB was judged the best buy.

The problem with the low-cost fridges is variable quality - some people have good luck, others very bad luck. I own an Engel and an ARB, and both have been perfectly reliable. It's not worth the gamble to me to save a couple hundred dollars on an iffy brand.

The Waeco fridges are very good buys, and quality products by all accounts.

 

[Black Op]

Just because something is more $$$ does not mean it is better however, it does seem to be the case a lot of time.

OP, you are doing the right thing of doing your homework. Mud is a great proving ground for stuff like this.

I personally went with the ARB. I weighed all the options and in the end went with this choice based on price vs quality.

Good Luck

 

[Tahomatom]

Thanks for the info on Whynter. Will probably stay away from that one.

Decisions decisions decisions......

1. By 43 Q Edgestar and only have to pay about $185.00 for fridge due to amazon gift certs. Feel a little buyers remorse /Jealous due to other fridges accessories .


2. By 50Q ARB, have to spend almost $400.00 more just for the fridge and then start saving for the slide and bag. ( The ARB is almost 75.00 more on Amazaon than other places)


3. totally dismiss the and buy sliders. , me