ARB 50 QT -- Buyer's Remorse?

[NatersXJ6]

Hi,

I've got a 2014 JKUR that is well on it's way to consuming most of my mid-life crisis $$. Next on the list is a fridge. I've never owned one, but we live in the heat, and I can definitely see the appeal.

I have a family of 4, no pets along, and plan to do trips of up to 5 days, maybe the occasional true week, although more often than not, they will be the 3-day weekend variety, and not always outside of the support of civilization.

So, as I was looking at cargo arrangements, I realized that both coolers/ice chests and fridges take up a huge chunk of real estate in the back. That real estate is probably of great value when looking at my goal of not hauling a trailer, and maintaining a happy-wife and happy-family while camping.

I've done extensive searches of the forum, and not found anyone addressing this topic, please feel free to correct me and point in the right direction if someone has...

Have any of you put an ARB 50 QT in the back of your JKU and then had a little buyers remorse at how many cubic inches you just ate up? I know that comparing the 50 and 37 qt, it is really easy to say $50 gets you almost 25% more volume, jump on it!

However, I just paid Fiat $211 for the trim panel to replace the dumbest speaker placement on planet earth... so that was about 21 square inches, premium real-estate pricing even in California!

It seems like the taller unit might restrict my options for an upper-level shelf to hold other gear. The main reason I can see for the taller unit, is that it appears my wife's white wine bottle won't stand up in the lower one!

Any and all thoughts or pictures of your units are appreciated. I've been following the cargo area build thread, but don't see much focus on the fridge aspect. I'm guessing that I'll be about $1500 into the complete fridge, cover, and mounting / slides, plus whatever $600 -700 goes into building the rest of an organization system, so I would prefer to get this right in the first 4 or 5 tries :Wow1:

Thanks!

Nate

 

[pdxfrogdog]

I went with the 50QT ARB for my JKU, even though it's just the wife and I. As you mentioned, the footprint is the same as the 37, it's just taller. IMO, the 50 is luxurious in size for 2 people, but for 4 I think it would be fully utilized. I wouldn't be too concerned about limiting your shelf options. I haven't purchased one yet, but the ones I've looked at (AT & Frontrunner) will accommodate a 50 on a slide with no problems. Also, don't forget while you are committing a big chunk of available storage for the fridge... you won't have the cooler(s) to worry about. Best purchase I've made for camping. Oh yeah and white wine and bubbly fit standing up with no problems

 

[MagicMtnDan]

Good post. I've got a 2015 JKUR and I too have been contemplating a fridge (for long before I got the Jeep). I'm still using a Coleman Extreme Cooler and ice and it's cost me a LOT, LOT less than a fridge. The longer I go without one the longer I think about IF I should buy.

I absolutely agree with you on the awful subwoofer panel. I've been looking to swap/sell/scrap it and buy the non-subwoofer panel (and the seat belt trim piece that's needed with it). I'm happy to report that I've found pricing a lot less than the $211 you mentioned.

I'll be watching your thread for more developments :Wow1:

 

[jeepovich]

I love my 50Qt ARB. In comparison to a cooler you have consider that you'll need a 100 QT cooler to have 50 QT of actual food storage since 50% will be used up by ice. Also at $5 for a bag of ice, 160 bags = $800. Another advantage is that you can bring ice cream (or make ice) to a desert camping trips. Kids love it :wings:. I have my ARB on a home made shelf at about 6" above trunk floor. Under the shelf I store chairs and table with plenty room for more stuff. I found that table and chairs use up the most space in the Jeep and the best way to deal with it is by keeping them flat on the floor. I don't have sliders but if I were to have them, I can easily install a rear rollbar shelf above the fridge for things like duffel bags.

 

[bobwohlers]

I too have a JKU Rubicon; but a 2013 so I don't have the rear speaker problem. I could not Overland without my ARB Fridge. (Well, I could, but it would not be as easy. I hate nursing ice when on a long backcountry excursion.) My ARB makes ice when I turn the temp down; have to be careful with my lettuce so I don't freeze it. I use to have my fridge in my off-road trailer, but that was way too inconvenient - opening the trailer lid to reach the fridge; especially a problem with the RTT in place.

To mount my ARB in the back of my Jeep, I cut a piece of 1/2" inch quality plywood to match the shape of the rear rubber pad. I varnished it and mounted my ARB fridge slide to the plywood base. I drilled two holes in the back of the plywood, near the rear seat - one on the left, the other on the right. These holes in the plywood matched the stock "hold-down" metal loops. I removed the loops and the bolts holding them, giving me a frame mounted threaded nut in which to use a bolt and large washers to hold down the plywood AND the fridge (by way of the ARB slide).

No matter what, get the ARB slide so you can pull out the fridge and open it while camping/cooking. I can take photos of this later. Cheers, Bob Wohlers!

 

[NatersXJ6]

Space getting tight...

Hey all...

Thank you for the responses! It will probably be several weeks before I make the call on what direction to go. I'm thinking I might actually invest in a sheet of foam to do mockups before I commit the cash to a fridge.

I like the input about the table and chairs. Right now, I have a Gobi Rack and two Tepui Ayer tents. I'm (somewhat) patiently waiting on a couple of sets of 500 lb drawer slides that I will use on a subframe to mount the tents and slide them back and forth to store bulky stuff under them. The current plan is that the roof gets the canvas camp chairs, folding plastic table, and my Bass-Pro outdoor kitchen unit. I might also put the stove up there, just to separate fuel from the inside of the Jeep... still back and forth on that one too.

Inside, I've gotten a lot of the little "everyday" wheelin' and travel stuff stashed under the rear seats in "Really Useful" boxes. I might recommend that they rename those "really brittle" and "quite expensive to replace"... that system might change in the future. I have 2 car seats, so the rears never get folded down, until I need to accidentally break one of those plastic boxes...

In the back, I'm planning for the fridge on a slide, a kitchen stuff box, and personal gear for 4 people. I'm hoping to come up with some sort of water storage system as well.

Keep the feedback coming, I'm trying to pile up as any ideas as possible.

BTW: My trim panel doesn't seem to require anything else to go around the seatbelt. Maybe I'm mistaken, I haven't installed it yet.

Thanks!

Nate

 

[DEFENDERBEAM]

I have the BEAST.

To me the 50qt. looks perfect for a JKU.

Also, I think you're supposed to store wine on it's side.

Assuming the 37qt. is long enough, you're good with the wife's wine storage. haha.

I have 5 people and dual usage in our van, so I opted for the 82qt.

 

[wADVr]

Any thoughts on the 63qt? I know the OP is debating between the 37/50 but I wonder if the lower height of the 63 would meet the preferred height dimension for adding a shelf as mentioned and accommodate 4 people for a week. 37qt seems way small IMO.

 

[adelatoa]

Any one have two fridges? I'm contemplating of dedicating one for food and the other for drinks. I have one on my Range Rover (not a Jeep ducking stones from Jeep enthusiasts) and contemplating the idea of a second one for my trailer.

 

[rlynch356]

Here's a 50qt in a JK..No sub..
there is about 25" from the drivers side left.. as measured with a wolf box. I can still get my cave diving gear in there as well(no Wolfs) with the fridge..
Edit... Rear seat is UP as well

 

[roamingaz]

Over the last 10 years or so I have built up several different off road/expo type rigs, Landcruisers, truck with 4wheel camper, Toyota pick up and now working on my Jeep. Each of my past project rigs had a fridge, the old metal ARB and the new style but when I sold my last project I sold the fridge with it and decided I would try ice chest again for simplicity. I bought a soft sided cooler and a Yeti cooler, almost as much money as a fridge but I wanted to try it. I learned a few tricks like pre chilling the cooler and adding rock salt to the ice would almost freeze my drinks, everything seemed ok at first but then summer got here and well... ice chest suck.
I was so determined to go back to a fridge that I built a custom cargo extension on my Jeep just so it would fit, the cargo space in a JK is massive compared to what I have in my YJ. Once you use a fridge you will never be able to go back to an ice chest.

.
Try bringing sushi on a camping trip using an ice chest :drool:

 

[Finatic Angler]

I have a 14 JKUR with a 37qt. Thought about the 50 but it is only two of us.

 

[jeepovich]

Over the last 10 years or so I have built up several different off road/expo type rigs, Landcruisers, truck with 4wheel camper, Toyota pick up and now working on my Jeep. Each of my past project rigs had a fridge, the old metal ARB and the new style but when I sold my last project I sold the fridge with it and decided I would try ice chest again for simplicity. I bought a soft sided cooler and a Yeti cooler, almost as much money as a fridge but I wanted to try it. I learned a few tricks like pre chilling the cooler and adding rock salt to the ice would almost freeze my drinks, everything seemed ok at first but then summer got here and well... ice chest suck.
I was so determined to go back to a fridge that I built a custom cargo extension on my Jeep just so it would fit, the cargo space in a JK is massive compared to what I have in my YJ. Once you use a fridge you will never be able to go back to an ice chest.

.
Try bringing sushi on a camping trip using an ice chest :drool:

That is absolutely true! I had many occasions when after a long day of wheeling,I set up camp and get ready to make some stakes or burgers only to find out that most of my food is swimming in a meat blood contaminated water/ice mixture

 

[dlh62c]

.....most of my food is swimming in a meat blood contaminated water/ice mixture

Not knowing the size of your ice chest, have you tried putting your ice into a bucket or other container that's sized to fit within the ice chest?

In the photo, two bags of ice will fill the plastic bucket. I drain the water off prior to topping off with a fresh bag. I might drop in a couple of drinks into the bucket as well.

 

[kojackJKU]

Im going with the 50qt this year. I have a coleman electo cooler. It works awesome actually. But I cannot keep it running as it is a power hog. But when driving my drinks have ice in them, My food stays cold and that's the main thing.