ARB Fridge - What size for wife and I?

[vision-quest]

Hey all, I'm planning on buying an ARB fridge/freezer for the 4Runner. What size is best to store at least 3 days of food for my wife and I (vegetables/eggs/milk/fish etc)? I was thinking the 50 qt, but tempted by the 63..

 

[Kcdude]

Might want to measure it. ARB50 pretty much fills half your storage area and is plenty for myself and two boys for 3 days assuming we just keep replenishing our drinks. I would also give some thought to battery power. A 50 leaves you a little space for an ArkPak second battery if needed.

 

[vision-quest]

Might want to measure it. ARB50 pretty much fills half your storage area and is plenty for myself and two boys for 3 days assuming we just keep replenishing our drinks. I would also give some thought to battery power. A 50 leaves you a little space for an ArkPak second battery if needed.

Thanks a lot, sounds like the 50 may be best. I do plan on adding a second battery set up for the fridge. I have to do some research to find the best solution for this.

 

[Finlay]

I have a 63qt.

For my wife and I, it's basically too large for short trips, and I wish it was a bit smaller. For a weekend trip, I end up stuffing the fridge half full of ice or bringing a lot of extra water or beer. It cycles a lot more when it is half full, so having a good deal of thermal mass cuts down on how much it runs and conserves battery power - but that is extra weight and whatnot.

For longer trip, the extra size is nice to have, because you can fit more in. But really - a fridge is almost never too small. You can take warm things and make them cold - so if you can't fit that extra box of wine or that cube of Natty Light in there when you leave town, it's not a big deal - you can stuff them in as you consume whatever does need to be kept cold.

Point is - if you can afford the larger size and don't mind dealing with the extra size, weight, and power draw and whatnot, then go for it. But if your budget or planned space is limited, it's not that big of an issue to go with a smaller fridge.

 

[NC06LJ]

My wife and I use the 37qt for trips lasting 3 to 5 days and we eat well! It takes a bit of "tetris packing" and planning, but all of our perishables fit nicely. Consider "pre making" your meals and freezing them in advance, saves on interior space and the amount of power pulled to keep it chilled. We travel out of a Jeep LJ so space is at a premium!

Good Luck!

 

[98roamer]

We have the 50qt and my wife and I just did an 8 day trip last month. We used it strictly as a freezer but most of our meals were frozen as already mentioned for preplanning meals. It was plenty of room for the two of us. I would not go larger for just two people, IMHO.

 

[Herbie]

We've used a 43qt for 3-4 days with our family of 3 with plenty of room for beer and wine.

 

[JLee]

I have a 63qt.

For my wife and I, it's basically too large for short trips, and I wish it was a bit smaller. For a weekend trip, I end up stuffing the fridge half full of ice or bringing a lot of extra water or beer. It cycles a lot more when it is half full, so having a good deal of thermal mass cuts down on how much it runs and conserves battery power - but that is extra weight and whatnot.

For longer trip, the extra size is nice to have, because you can fit more in. But really - a fridge is almost never too small. You can take warm things and make them cold - so if you can't fit that extra box of wine or that cube of Natty Light in there when you leave town, it's not a big deal - you can stuff them in as you consume whatever does need to be kept cold.

Point is - if you can afford the larger size and don't mind dealing with the extra size, weight, and power draw and whatnot, then go for it. But if your budget or planned space is limited, it's not that big of an issue to go with a smaller fridge.

Other than extra work (if you have air space), don't they generally run the same compressor (i.e. use the same amount of power) as you go up in size?

 

[1Louder]

I have a 37 and want to upgrade to a 50. It really depends on how many beverages you want in the thing. If your answer is none then you can pack a lot of food into the 37 QT. As soon as you want to put milk, juice, beer, or whatever in it the capacity for food shrinks a great deal. I am going to upgrade to a 50 when I can afford to. 37 still works for 3 day trips but a 50 would give you a lot more flexibility for mixed trips.

 

[Mass_Mopar]

I have a 45 qt whynter and it's perfect for the 2 of us for 3-5 days. It's also massive on the outside, I'm definitely glad I didn't go any bigger. A group 31 deep cycle, a 40W solar panel and a small charge controller easily keep up with it in the summer for a few days (I keep it at 37-42F).

 

[tarditi]

Family of 4 here - ARB50 holds plenty for us for 3 days cooking all meals and having enough drinks and snacks for 2 kids under 10.

Packing it efficiently is key, but you can fit a lot of chow in there.

 

[DaveNay]

It would also depend if your eating habits are more like Gandhi or Henry VIII

 

[vision-quest]

Thanks a lot guys, appreciate all the advice! Sounds like the 50 will do fine.

 

[phillyd2]

Might want to measure it. ARB50 pretty much fills half your storage area and is plenty for myself and two boys for 3 days assuming we just keep replenishing our drinks. I would also give some thought to battery power. A 50 leaves you a little space for an ArkPak second battery if needed.

Do you have permission to use that picture?

50 for the win!

 

[Kcdude]

Do you have permission to use that picture?

50 for the win!

That is my "wanna be" pic! Nice drawers dude!