Weatherproof fridge

[leman]

Are ARB, Dometic, and the like weatherproof enough to keep in the bed of a truck? I do not have a canopy or cover, but do have a rack with a RTT on it. I know I will sacrifice some efficiency but I would prefer not to sacrifice interior space.

 

[Utah KJ]

The ARB fridge that they designed to be in the bed of a truck is good to go for the bed of a truck.

 

[67cj5]

Are ARB, Dometic, and the like weatherproof enough to keep in the bed of a truck? I do not have a canopy or cover, but do have a rack with a RTT on it. I know I will sacrifice some efficiency but I would prefer not to sacrifice interior space.

Yes it is weather proof but it is a pile of Junk, And not as Tough as the normal ARB 60L/63Qt version. Don't fall for all the hype, The Photo's I have seen of it being damaged prior to delivery are a Joke. Save your money and buy the regular version,

This one looks impressive, The Key word here is "Looks" Not IS.

 

[67cj5]

I had saved the review with the photos to my favourites but when I click on it It goes to Amazon and it says it's out of stock So I think ARB must have requested that it be removed because all the Damage photos and reviews are missing, Basically the bottom edge was very badly bent up to bout 3 to 5 inches up the end and sides and the black plastic corners were smashed off, This was a brand new Fridge still in it's factory packaging inside another bigger box as it was delivered to it's new owner and it was upon unpacking that the owner took and posted the Photo's with the review.

Also Stainless steel is a conductor of heat so they have to work more than one that has been powder coated or made out of plastic type material.

hope that helps.

See Here, https://www.amazon.ca/ARB-Fridge-Freezer-Elements-Weatherproof/dp/B074MH23ZM

 

[jonharis]

I’ve known of people who have kept older ARBs and National Luna’s in the bed of a truck for years without issue.

 

[67cj5]

I’ve known of people who have kept older ARBs and National Luna’s in the bed of a truck for years without issue.

Yeah I have to agree, When you enter in to a certain price bracket a lot of these features are standard, All these top brands are more alike than not and as to which one is more a case of picking the one that appeals the most, I always wanted the Engel MT45 but when it came down to it I found that the ARB 47L/50Qt was about as good as it gets and it is so hassal free,

Another thing was I like the size of the 63 but I wanted the height, And if I pack the 47/50 correctly as a freezer It can hold enough for about 41/43+ meals, One important feature is if a person wants just one temperature throughout the whole Unit then they should buy either the 35L/37Qt or the 60L/63Qt but if you need A fridge freezer that works more like a Duel Zone then you should buy the 47L/50QT or the 78L/80Qt, The reason for this is the 35L/37Qt and the 60L/63Qt has the cooling element that comes all the way to the Top of the main Box, Where as the 47L/50Qt and the 78L/80Qt has the same height Element as the other two but they have an area above the element that measures about 4"where there is no element and this works better if you need the benefits of a Duel Zone Fridge where you can set it and with careful packing you can create as much as a 9*c split between the areas or if you just put the contents in their you get the normal 4 to 5*c split, Add a thermal Layer and you can get as much as a 20*c split, So the 47/50 and the 78/80's are just a but more universal. And another thing is why people have so much trouble working out the temperature of their fridges,

That is something we all need to consider when buying such a High Ticket Item, If any one needs help on this subject just holler, glad to help.

 

[Fording]

This is an old thread but I’d like to toss in that I probably fried the control board of my National Luna 60 Twin on the fourth rain storm a few weeks ago that I sat in. The three previous storms were only driven through. The back page of the owners manual states ”shall not be exposed to rain”.

As of 10.2020, the only weatherized fridge is the ARB Elements.

 

[67cj5]

This is an old thread but I’d like to toss in that I probably fried the control board of my National Luna 60 Twin on the fourth rain storm a few weeks ago that I sat in. The three previous storms were only driven through. The back page of the owners manual states ”shall not be exposed to rain”.

As of 10.2020, the only weatherized fridge is the ARB Elements.

Sorry to hear that mate, Beautiful fridge, These things are not meant to live outdoors, Sad but True, Hope you get it fixed soon, It's not worth leaving even the Elements out in the open either due to Theft etc,

 

[emulous74]

I've had my ARB Elements in the back of my truck since Jan 2019 and it has put up really well to the extreme heat here in Austin, TX, it's also been through heavy rain storms, dust storms, mud, etc. I haven't used it in the snow. It's also put up with pressure washing to get it clean. I like the low stance of it as it's sitting on top of my decked drawer system on an alu-cab fridge slide. The temperature reading on the display is not accurate, so I have two thermoworks fridge/freezer thermometers I use to track the real temperature inside. I run it off a Goal Zero Lithium 1000, which will run the fridge for about 5 days, but I rarely if ever let it deplete the battery. I like the construction and the only cheap thing about it, is the basket. I also have an Engel MT45 Combi fridge that usually sits in the tongue box of my trailer, or on the back seat of my truck, that fridge uses about 1/8 less power running it in full freeze mode and about 1/4 less power in full fridge mode, that temperature display is also inaccurate, but has worked like a champ even in the closed arena of my tongue box.

Seeing how I'm only 140lbs and drag the Elements fridge onto the top of my decked drawers, I can say it's held up well to moderate abuse of being banged around and I don't hesitate to recommend it.