Fridge/Freezer 101

[northwest1]

I have heard alot about the diff brands of freezers but I could not find a thread that everyone has posted all the info and experiences with their freezer/fridge. Is there a such thing as a model that has a propane or battery back up system so they dont have to be plugged in all the time? I am really looking for feedback on the Engle vs. National Luna vs. ARB new one.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

The common 3 you mention (Engle/NL/ARB) do not have models with a backup battery. There were some military spec units widely discussed here on ExPo this past year that had built in battery backups. They were quite large and heavy though, limiting their functionality for most.

Rather than take the random opinions of others that may or may not have needs similar to yours, why don't you take a minute and describe the type of uses you envision your fridge seeing? Where will it be used? Hard mounted or not? Using it as a fridge or a true freezer? What is your primary power source? Dual batteries? 120V?

From that we can tailor our experiences to help answer your questions.

My use using a frdige as a decidcate fridge only for 7-10 days at a time is very different then someone that uses it as a freezer for 3+ months at a time. I can leave mine un-plugged for several hours or more as the unit still acts as a cooler, any longer than that (depending on ambient conditions of course) and the compartment does start to heat up.

 

[TexasTJ]

Not to high jack but how long would you let a fridge run off a single battery on a low power draw? Could you over night it, run the motor every couple of hours to recharge? I just ordered one of the new ARB because i like hoe the new controls work.

 

[Corey]

I have ran my ARB old school one for around 4 days at 35 degrees, and the rig started right up.
No starts in between.

1.7 amp draw in fridge mode.

 

[northwest1]

Kurt, again great reply. Sandy and Twin Falls are pretty close in temps and conditions. I will add that I will hard mount it in my truck but take it out at times to plug in out back for BBQ's and such. My truck is my daily driver so the fridge will be off most of the time but still be in the truck. I plan on building a custom cover for the bed but first need to see what fridge I go with. How tall the fridge is with slides and mounts will be an issue I will have to take into consideration. I will only use the freezer part of the time but would like the ability to make ice on the trail ( margarita's anyone ). I will take it with "if" for some reason I take a friends rig on a trip too. My rig does see some hard punishment though so I need a fridge that can handle being jared back and forth and sudden slams of rock crawling. I want my tacoma to see the rubicon before the end of summer. If you dont mind please PM me ur phone number and I will call you. Cheers, Matt

 

[northwest1]

3-way fridge?

I just got done looking over some threads from down under. Now im leaning towards the Primus 55L 3-way. Not sure about how cold it will keep everything and dont know how to feel about the power consumption on 12vdc. 7.5 amps could take out a battery pretty quick. Also looked at Mobicool's website. Pretty cool (no pun intended) but think I like the Primus better. Any body have any IMO's on the 3-way fridges?

 

[go4aryd]

In my experience, 3-way fridges are similar is basic design to the hardside RV fridges. They need to be level to operate properly. Jarring and stuff is fine if the fridges are shut off, but can induce internal vapor lock (ugly) which makes it difficult (sometimes impossible) to restart once level again. For continually operation, they still need to be roughly level.

If you are going to take it rock crawling, I would cross any 3-way fridge off the list as you do not want a propane leak to ruin your weekend (and possibly your life).

 

[SWbySWesty]

If you get the DC fridges, just remember to get a nice battery for your car or a dedicated one. Many run their fridges right from the car; however, I like the added insurance of not draining my starting battery.

From my research, those brands are great, but the Edgestar from Compact Appliance - well, you can read that thread yourself. You'll be happy with ARB, Engel, National Luna.

Also - try to keep it packed full most of the time. I bring extra soda to replace a cold can with a warm one to keep the interior volume filled up to aid in keeping overall temps down and thus less power draw from cycling of the motor.

 

[flyingwil]

To the OP... here is a link: http://www.expeditionportal.com/equipment/equipment_reviews/fridge/Research/

 

[northwest1]

Thanks Will. That answered alot of questions that I have had. So tell me what one would you sell me as a first time fridge buyer? I like the arb but also like the engel 45. I would need a travel cover and slide mount for it along with a tie down sysetm for the slide mount. I want one that will be great running little to no maint. for years to come. What do you think? Maybe PM me. lol :Wow1:

 

[northwest1]

BUY THE WAY.... I HAVE CHECKED ALL OVER AND TO ANYONE ELSE LOOKING AT BUYING A FRIDGE....CHECK OUT WILL'S WEB SITE. GREAT PRICES! No will did not pay me to say that nor did he even offer me any insentives for doing that. I have been looking and looking for a while and got really sick of trying to find a good website and a good company with good customer service. I have read Wills articles and watched his truck progress along the way. I think he has done a great job at testing the equip. he sells and offers a good non bias opinion from real world experience. Really tho I have to admit I didnt look at Will's website until just a couple days ago. I have read everything else just from google. I was really impressed... just saying to give it a shot if you are on the fence about an item. sierraexpeditions.com

 

[Mike S]

NW --

Three way fridges are poor performers on 12V DC and draw more than 3X the amps as a DC/AC fridge like the Engel.

I have an Engel 45 with travel blanket and slide that mounts to a set of rails and moves between my Landcruiser and my F350. It draws <2 amps per hour, I have used it for up to 2 months constantly on freeze and never had a low battery issue. Some people turn the fridge off at night and restart in the AM. In any case, if you want to be absolutely certain of battery power at all times, install dual deep draw batteries with a quality controller and forget about it.

This Engel 45 is terrific fridge-freezer and has the 'swing' compressor unit, which, as far as I can tell, is the most reliable and efficient 12V unit available.

 

[flyingwil]

Thanks Will. That answered alot of questions that I have had. So tell me what one would you sell me as a first time fridge buyer? I like the arb but also like the engel 45. I would need a travel cover and slide mount for it along with a tie down sysetm for the slide mount. I want one that will be great running little to no maint. for years to come. What do you think? Maybe PM me. lol :Wow1:

No problem...

We (Sierra Expeditions) are currently offering 4 brands of fridges: ARB, Engel, National Luna, and Whynter. Here is my take on each of them:

ARB: Best bang for your buck, with a Danfoss compressor, and some added features lacking in the Engel's for off road use: drain plug, light, control inteface, etc.

Engel: Tried and true design on all model other than the MR040. We tested an MR040 and did not like it due to the design we found it to be louder and pull more power than the MT-45.

National Luna: This is the caddy of fridges. Another tried and true design, although on the pricey side.

Whynter: I call this the weekend warrior fridge around the shop. Its running the Panasonic compressor that needs a cooling fan... because of this the power consumption is higher. On the flip side this is the budget friendly fridge, although lacking oprional products like a slide and tiedowns.

Overall, my recomendation for you would be to give us a call so that we can discuss the options and figure out which fridge is right for you, and then unleash you to do some research and make an educated decision. Right now from the tad bits of info I have so far, I would be leaning towards the ARB.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Kurt, again great reply. Sandy and Twin Falls are pretty close in temps and conditions. I will add that I will hard mount it in my truck but take it out at times to plug in out back for BBQ's and such. My truck is my daily driver so the fridge will be off most of the time but still be in the truck. I plan on building a custom cover for the bed but first need to see what fridge I go with. How tall the fridge is with slides and mounts will be an issue I will have to take into consideration. I will only use the freezer part of the time but would like the ability to make ice on the trail ( margarita's anyone ). I will take it with "if" for some reason I take a friends rig on a trip too. My rig does see some hard punishment though so I need a fridge that can handle being jared back and forth and sudden slams of rock crawling. I want my tacoma to see the rubicon before the end of summer. If you dont mind please PM me ur phone number and I will call you. Cheers, Matt

Hey Matt, Twin Falls is pretty close geographically too!

Our local Land Cruiser club is having a 'new product tech night' this coming Wednesday (5/26), there will be several fridge vendor reps there (National Luna, Engel and ARB) as well as several different Roof-Top-Tents on display as well. If you can make it down for an evening of Q&A we would love to have you. There is nothing like putting your hands on all the different models and seeing them in action.

 

[northwest1]

Consider me there! Thanks for the invite Kurt and I will be there!