ARB fridge not cooling well on 12v

[phillyd2]

Good news! If its something you will be using a lot you may want to consider a duel battery set up or at least a bigger AGM battery.

 

[familymopar]

Good news! If its something you will be using a lot you may want to consider a duel battery set up or at least a bigger AGM battery.

I see myself using it quite a bit. It has actually been runnng since I installed the outlet jus so I can test it. I doubt I will use it 24/7 but I'm still trying to get a feel for it. I do see using it every weekend, at least in the warm months. I did switch over to the Odyssey group 31 deep cycle battery and I have a voltage meter on the s pod. From what I can tell over the last 5 days or so I am not seeing why I couldn't run it all the time on that system if I had any reason to.

 

[phillyd2]

I see myself using it quite a bit. It has actually been runnng since I installed the outlet jus so I can test it. I doubt I will use it 24/7 but I'm still trying to get a feel for it. I do see using it every weekend, at least in the warm months. I did switch over to the Odyssey group 31 deep cycle battery and I have a voltage meter on the s pod. From what I can tell over the last 5 days or so I am not seeing why I couldn't run it all the time on that system if I had any reason to.

There was a guy on the FJ forum who did a good write up using the OEM battery. I forgot the details but it was longer than I expected.

Me? I would build in overkill because once you get too low you are stick there.

 

[Antman]

From what I can tell over the last 5 days or so I am not seeing why I couldn't run it all the time on that system if I had any reason to.

Your stock alternator will not be able to fully charge that deep cycle battery over the long haul. You will see it slowly drain over a period of time. That's why many of us have onboard chargers and use them to top off the main battery every few months.

 

[chmura]

We had a great time camping Brazos Bend. The fridge is a great addition and life without ice is great. I had no problems with starting the truck at all. I think the longest it went was 20 or so hours offline and the voltage meter was in the yellow. Truck fired right up without hesitation. I am confident in the battery / fridge system for my uses.

I will say that I still have some serious difficulty with interior temps but I think it is just a matter of learning where to put stuff. With the fridge set at 29F (and at +8) nothing froze, which was good. The beer in the main chamber was very cold. At the top of the main chamber I was hovering around 40. The back shelf was warmer than that. Unfortunately my plan, and how I initially packed, was mostly drinks in the main chamber and food - eggs, bacon, sausage, cheese, etc. - in the back shelf area. But that shelf area was definitely above, seemingly well above, 40F. I am surprised at the temp differentials with a small box but that is definitely the case. I just need to learn how to pack it I guess. But I sure was liking the idea of keeping food up there and separated from being squished or tossed round with the drinks.

Glad to hear its working.

I received my fridge last week and I am waiting for the fridge slide to come in before installing everything. I already made the mounting base for the slide. I am going to do the same thing as you, I am just going to upgrade my main battery to a Group 31 battery and just use a single setup.

 

[familymopar]

There was a guy on the FJ forum who did a good write up using the OEM battery. I forgot the details but it was longer than I expected.

Me? I would build in overkill because once you get too low you are stick there.

I couldn't agree more about the overkill. I intend to do a dual battery set up eventually it is just not in my immediate plans. Before I make a big trip I'd like to have it though.

And I definitely would not run it as much as I have been on an OEM battery. When I had the Panasonic in there you could almost watch the voltage meter drop.

Your stock alternator will not be able to fully charge that deep cycle battery over the long haul. You will see it slowly drain over a period of time. That's why any of us have onboard chargers and use them to top off the main battery every few months.

Are you talking about something like the Battery Tender? Which one are you using? Did you permanently mount it in the truck where you just plug it in once in a while?

Glad to hear its working.

I received my fridge last week and I am waiting for the fridge slide to come in before installing everything. I already made the mounting base for the slide. I am going to do the same thing as you, I am just going to upgrade my main battery to a Group 31 battery and just use a single setup.

Glad you got it. I'm really happy with mine. Like I said the only trick I think is learning where to put what because of the vast temp disparities inside the fridge. The Group 31 was an easy swap and well worth it but I would still like to build in some reassurance. I would hate to get stuck somewhere with two kids and warm beer.

 

[phillyd2]

This is what I use. They also have a quick connect which I leave on the battery

http://www.amazon.com/Deltran-Batte...1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

http://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tende...xgy_263_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=06QMNFBNTR56FBXGH3Y5

 

[Antman]

I have a small, cheap charger I picked up on sale at PepBoys years ago- digital. It works well but not ideal.

Honestly, I would go with a Marine charger- like the BassPro Shops house brand. It would be nice to keep it on board and they are waterproof, vibration proof, and designed to live in harsh environments (engine bay). You can get versions that charge and maintain both batteries at once. That's what I use on my boat and the batteries see a LOT of use and last forever because they are maintained well.

 

[familymopar]

This is what I use. They also have a quick connect which I leave on the battery

http://www.amazon.com/Deltran-Batte...1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

http://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tende...xgy_263_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=06QMNFBNTR56FBXGH3Y5

I have a small, cheap charger I picked up on sale at PepBoys years ago- digital. It works well but not ideal.

Honestly, I would go with a Marine charger- like the BassPro Shops house brand. It would be nice to keep it on board and they are waterproof, vibration proof, and designed to live in harsh environments (engine bay). You can get versions that charge and maintain both batteries at once. That's what I use on my boat and the batteries see a LOT of use and last forever because they are maintained well.

Thanks for the info. I will definitely be investing in one of these soon.