My experience has been identical right down to the 31 degree setting. A degree colder and I start to get ice. Stuff on the very bottom of the shelf is 55 but the stuff raised up in the air seems colder. I just put stuff like vitamins down first to keep the food off of the plastic bottom and it's does great.
If the dang thing would run on a slightly discharged battery I'd say its a good fridge. I stay out for a week so I'd rather deep discharge my batts then spoil the food. Just plan on your food rotting because the fridge won't run on less than full voltage battery's no matter how you wire it. One battery is one day when it's hot. I would prefer it still run and ruin the battery instead of my food going bad. I always bring enough non refrigerated food as a full back up because more than once I've needed it. I get a day and a half with one good deep cycle and a 100 watt solar panel before it dies. I'll burn a 1/2 of a tank of vehicle fuel just to run the engine to charge the batts over a week. It is what it is but I'd buy an Engle or Luna if your shopping instead but if your determined to buy a China made ARB then look at the other cheep China fridges. They are just as good.
