Portable Refrigerator

Igoo65

TJ Enthusiast
Supporting Member
Joined
Jan 7, 2019
Messages
413
Location
Colorado Springs, CO
Is anyone here using one of the portable refrigerator/freezer in there Jeeps for camping? Something like the ARB, Dometic or any of the other brands out there. I have been researching for awhile now and I would like to get some real world feedback on how well they work, how efficient they really are and will it kill my battery if I leave it plugged in when the Jeep isn't running? I have read a lot of reviews on the different brands that say they won't kill the battery, but then I ran into a gentlemen with an ARB and he told me that his will kill the battery if he doesn't watch it.
Thanks for your feedback.
Igoo65
 
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My ARB runs all night while camping and has never come close to killing the battery. It senses your battery voltage and the fridge will turn itself down (warmer), and then eventually off before allowing your Jeep battery to die, however it’ll have no problem running full power overnight without issue. Highly recommend one. They aren’t cheap, but once you have one, you will never go back. One of the best jeeping/camping things I’ve ever bought in the past 25 years.
 
Is a duel battery set up Ideal for running the fridge winch and Lights. I've been taking longer and longer trips and the ice chest thing sorta blows after day 3. I'm looking to upgrade and thought of a jackery or power pack, But I have other electrical needs like the winch and Light bar. Any suggestions for a 7 day trip without searching for ice.
 
I’m a firm believer in a Dometic. I’ve never had a dead battery from it. I wouldn’t winch or run a lot of lights with the engine off.
 
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If you don’t want to mess around with all the wiring involved get the Goal Zero or Jackery, etc. They plug into 12v source while driving to recharge/run fridge and then just run the fridge at camp without involving your vehicle charging system.

And they are portable and not tied to any one vehicle, so you can go to grandma’s with the family vehicle or tailgate with your truck at the stadium.
 
I have a Dometic 35 and a MORryde Trail Kitchen that I use in both my LJ and my JKU. This photo was taken at Easter Jeep Safari in 2019, MORryde borrowed my LJ for their booth so they could show off the Trail Kitchen.

morryde1_zpse4bjwfq8-jpg.jpg


I have a separate battery for the fridge/kitchen (the kitchen has a sink with running water so the battery runs the sink pump too), the kitchen battery mounts in a tray over the inner fender in the back of the Jeep next to the kitchen. The kitchen battery is charged by the Jeep when the Jeep is running but when the Jeep isn't running there's no connection to the main battery so I never have to worry about the kitchen draining the main battery.
 
Highly recommend one. Don’t use it in the Jeep, but have in our 4Runner. 10 days. I put a volt meter to monitor the battery.

Factory battery could two days before start up was needed.


Have switched to a better battery but I don’t worry.

The lack of ice, ruined food and portability is awesome.


We use it full time in the house, drinks go in it. It’s best to keep them running rather than sit. So mine is always cold and ready to go. And nice place to throw beer and cold drinks in at home.


Do it!!!
 
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We bought a Smitty built, and a Jackery 500w battery, with a 120w solar panel. Both Jeeps have a 12v outlet I installed in cargo/bed. When traveling to camp, Jackery is plugged into Jeep, and fridge into Jackery. when at camp, panel is on Jackery, and fridge into battery... it will stay frozen all weekend (probably much longer) that way. I’ll never use ice again!
 
I have a Dometic and a Norcold. Haven’t had a problem with either. The Dometic is super nice. I can control it from my phone via Bluetooth. It has three settings for battery use so you can optimize it for your situation. It is designed wit some kind of feedback mechanism so it will not kill the battery.
 
We have the ICECO JP30 in ours.... works great even in 100+ degree weather. We first used it on our 3 day Rubicon Trail trip... day one it was plugged into the jeep, no issues what so ever, basic sears battery.... kept food nice and cold.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B088M3NQYS/?tag=wranglerorg-20


The Jeep sat up there for like 36 hours without running so just to be sure, and to power our other mobile devices we brought this 540wh power pack...
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07SVL2CP3/?tag=wranglerorg-20

For even more fun, we have this portable 100w solar charger...
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FH85FW9/?tag=wranglerorg-20


so on a 110 degree day, with the solar panel charging the power pack and the fridge running from the power pack (not to mention charging 2 phones, 2 go-pro's, and a camera), well at the end of the day the power pack was still full... we figure given generally sunny days that combination could work indefinitely, even without charging from the Jeep.
 
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I have a Dometic 35 and a MORryde Trail Kitchen that I use in both my LJ and my JKU. This photo was taken at Easter Jeep Safari in 2019, MORryde borrowed my LJ for their booth so they could show off the Trail Kitchen.

View attachment 237588

I have a separate battery for the fridge/kitchen (the kitchen has a sink with running water so the battery runs the sink pump too), the kitchen battery mounts in a tray over the inner fender in the back of the Jeep next to the kitchen. The kitchen battery is charged by the Jeep when the Jeep is running but when the Jeep isn't running there's no connection to the main battery so I never have to worry about the kitchen draining the main battery.

I know this is an old tread - who makes the little storage rack mounted to the tail gate? Or did that come with the top?
 
I know this is an old tread - who makes the little storage rack mounted to the tail gate? Or did that come with the top?
It didn't come with the top - the top is homemade :).

I also made the tailgate storage compartment. Here are a few better photos of it (BTW this is the same hardtop with the side panels and rear barn door upper removed):

StoreGateLJ1.jpg


StoreGateLJ2.jpg


The full story (probably more than you want to know :))...

I needed more storage in the Jeep so I designed the storage compartment shown in the photos above. I designed it to be thermo-formed, so I made a pattern for forming it and imposed upon a local plastics manufacturer to thermo-form a bunch of shells for me:

StoreGateShell2.jpg


After making the version in the photos above, I used one of the other shells to make a version with a door that also functions as a table:

StoreGate1Closed.jpg


StoreGate1Open.jpg


MORryde picked up the table version and put it in production for the JKU: https://www.morryde.com/products/storegate-hard-cover/. They also produced a few of the "net" versions and a few specifically formed for the TJ tailgate but they didn't sell well so MORryde stopped producing those but they still produce the table version for the JK.

I've got the other one on my JKU:

StoreGateJKU.jpg
 
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It didn't come with the top - the top is homemade :).

I also made the tailgate storage compartment. Here are a few better photos of it (BTW this is the same hardtop with the side panels and rear barn door upper removed):

View attachment 310522

View attachment 310523

The full story (probably more than you want to know :))...

I needed more storage in the Jeep so I designed the storage compartment shown in the photos above. I designed it to be thermo-formed, so I made a pattern for forming it and imposed upon a local plastics manufacturer to thermo-form a bunch of shells for me:

View attachment 310524

After making the version in the photos above, I used one of the other shells to make a version with a door that also functions as a table:

View attachment 310525

View attachment 310526

MORryde picked up the table version and put it in production for the JKU: https://www.morryde.com/products/storegate-hard-cover/. They also produced a few of the "net" versions and a few specifically formed for the TJ tailgate but they didn't sell well so MORryde stopped producing those but they still produce the table version for the JK.

I've got the other one on my JKU:

View attachment 310527
Are they plastic? the one laying down in the back looks like wood.
 
I bought a used ARB for our Moab trip last year. It was fantastic. As some others have said once you get one you'll never go back. I 100% agree with that.
 
Are they plastic? the one laying down in the back looks like wood.
They are molded in black ABS plastic, some were molded using 1/4"-thick sheets, some with 3/16" sheets (the first test shot was made in white plastic, that one is in the photo as well). The wood unit you see is the form, it's made from MDF and poplar.

Here's a picture of the thermo-forming process - the form is at the bottom, a sheet of ABS is held in the frame above the form, and slightly to the back is the heating unit.

The frame with the plastic is moved into the heating unit to soften the plastic, then the frame with the plastic is lowered onto the form, and vacuum sucks the plastic down around the form (the black rubber hose in the bottom center of the photo supplies the vacuum).

ThermoFormingProcess.jpg


After the part is formed and cools, it's removed from the form. The form is made in two pieces to enable it to be removed from the final part; based on the shape of the form, and particularly the cup holder recesses on the top, the form would be locked into the part if it were not in two pieces for removal.
 
Handy little vacuum forming setup. Great size for a small shop!
Our shop used to do lexan sign faces on a much much larger system.
 
I have a Dometic 35 and a MORryde Trail Kitchen that I use in both my LJ and my JKU. This photo was taken at Easter Jeep Safari in 2019, MORryde borrowed my LJ for their booth so they could show off the Trail Kitchen.

View attachment 237588

I have a separate battery for the fridge/kitchen (the kitchen has a sink with running water so the battery runs the sink pump too), the kitchen battery mounts in a tray over the inner fender in the back of the Jeep next to the kitchen. The kitchen battery is charged by the Jeep when the Jeep is running but when the Jeep isn't running there's no connection to the main battery so I never have to worry about the kitchen draining the main battery. camping refrigerator.
I have a camping fridge which I connect up to the power outlet in the luggage compartment of my 2019 XTrail 1.6 dCi. I have noticed that when the fridge is connected, the fan for the air conditioner battles to keep the cabin cool. The fan sounds like it's working really hard, but there is very little air blowing out the vents.

Has anyone else experienced anything similar, and if so, what did you do to rectify this?

I have a camping fridge which I connect up to the power outlet in the luggage compartment of my 2019 XTrail 1.6 dCi. I have noticed that when the fridge is connected, the fan for the air conditioner battles to keep the cabin cool. The fan sounds like it's working really hard, but there is very little air blowing out the vents.

Has anyone else experienced anything similar, and if so, what did you do to rectify this?