Is it true about ARB?

[DaveInDenver]

Engel fridges used to be made in Thailand and the Sawafuji motor/compressor came from Japan. Don't know if that's still true. No idea about Dometic.

 

[john61ct]

There's an Italian maker, has Truckfridge other brands

not many others made outside Asia these days.

Quality stuff can be made there just as good as anywhere, up to the brand owner to put the QA processes in place.

Apple does OK in that regard

 

[67cj5]

Yeah, I'd like to see them!

Dave the PM system does not give you the option to upload from your computer like it does when you write a post, It only excepts http links,

I found the site where It was posted, Checkout Post 57,

Enjoy.

Playing with New Fridges.

I'm designing for worst case scenario. Hot day and warm night. So if Hot n Sunny the fridge will run most of the day @ 3.0 Amps. Overnight I think it might be around 50% run, so 1.5 AH. Daylight saving, say allow 12 hours night run for 15-20 Amps. So if the 100W produces close to its rating...

www.prospectingaustralia.com.au

 

[Foxen]

Yes Dometic do build All of ARB's Fridges, Dometic also make fridges for other companies as well. But don't worry because ARB fridges are one of the top 3 fridges money can buy, and it is nothing like your Camper fridge, If looked after it will last you decades, I bought the 47L/50Qt model and after about 3 years I wanted to buy one of the bigger ones so I bought the 78L/82Qt model, The 82Qt model is a beast and needs two people to carry it any distance but It is powerful and holds a heck of a lot of food, But the 47L/50Qt is a great all rounder,

The first fridges ARB sold were rebadged ENGEL's But the Blue and Grey Fridges and the newer Black and Grey Versions are all built by Dometic exactly to ARB's Specs,

Hope that helps,

Thank you very much for the info! Appreciate the detail.

Jon

 

[Mighty Dodge Ram]

“There's an Italian maker, has Truckfridge other brands”

That would be Indel-B.

 

[67cj5]

“There's an Italian maker, has Truckfridge other brands”

That would be Indel-B.

Yes and I think they are a Side company of National Luna from memory,

 

[beef tits]

ARB does not build a lot of things that say ARB on them...

 

[CSG]

ARB does not build a lot of things that say ARB on them...

But they sure charge like they do.

 

[67cj5]

But they sure charge like they do.

But they do all the R&D in to making them the best that they can be as well as testing them out so we can have trouble free usage,

When they did their fridge Testing they drove 1000s of kilometres over some of the roughest terrain in some of the Hottest places on the planet to make sure they were up to the task sitting in the backs of Pickups out in the Sun where the direct sunlight reached over 75*c OR 167*f,

If you shop around you can buy ARB gear quite cheap, I only paid £752.00 OR $985.12c USD for my 78L / 82Qt ARB Fridge and I paid even less for my 47L / 50Qt ARB Fridge which works out to be around $728.36 USD,

I think the high prices you are seeing is from the ARB Stores which will always be dearer than a normal 4x4 Shop.

 

[john61ct]

Pretty much irrelevant whether or not a company does its own manufacturing.

Apple being a famous example

 

[beef tits]

But they sure charge like they do.

I don't find their prices to be that crazy high.

If you are comparing to junk like Smittybilt, then yeah they seem expensive, but you are comparing apples to oranges. Smittybilt is pretty much selling 100% Chinese garbage.

You get what you pay for, most of the time. ARB's suspensions are GREAT bang for the buck. Their front bumpers are beefy and the nicest I have seen. Air lockers on the other hand? I'm not sure why anyone even buys these anymore. Electric is far superior IMO. Less stuff to break. I don't own any of their electronics, fridges, etc. Their awnings are inexpensive.

 

[67cj5]

I don't find their prices to be that crazy high.

If you are comparing to junk like Smittybilt, then yeah they seem expensive, but you are comparing apples to oranges. Smittybilt is pretty much selling 100% Chinese garbage.

You get what you pay for, most of the time. ARB's suspensions are GREAT bang for the buck. Their front bumpers are beefy and the nicest I have seen. Air lockers on the other hand? I'm not sure why anyone even buys these anymore. Electric is far superior IMO. Less stuff to break. I don't own any of their electronics, fridges, etc. Their awnings are inexpensive.

People buy their lockers because they are so tough,

I own 2 of their portable compressors, I have the Single and the Twin and all of their gauges and 2 of their fridges, My 47L Fridge has been running for 4 and a half years non stop on 12v and 240v.