Fridge Size?

jscusmcvet

jscusmcvet

Adventurist
Wife and I are debating fridge vs. high end cooler. Part of that discussion comes down to size, or rather capacity. We currently operate out of a Coleman Extreme 50 quart cooler adn it has enough room for us. I usually supplement with a small cooler for beer as well, which I think we will continue with. So with that info, can anyone give opinions on the correct size fridge? WE are exploring all options/brands right now. I worry that the 37 qt. ARB may be too small. We also have a line on a good deal for the 63 quart Edgestar, but that would take up literally all the room in the rear storage of my Jeep LJ.

Any thoughts are appreciated.

John
 
I use a 47L ARB. If a 50qt conventional cooler is working for you the 47L ARB will be sufficient for your food and have enough space to replace a small beer cooler too. I've not used the 37L but something to think about is the height. The lid is hinged at the rear so you need enough space overhead to open the lid. The 37 and 47 have the same footprint but the 47 is taller. When my fridge was in my truck cab I couldn't fully open the lid which made getting large objects out more of an issue.

And the transit bag is necessary! And don't forget tie downs.
 
Our first fridge was a 37, and it was great, but I wished it was a bit bigger. We got a good deal on an 80, did a 2 week trip and came home with leftovers and did not have to resupply. The 80 is HUGE though, for us, I think the 60 will be the perfect size, and is what I will be looking for in the coming months
 
Last edited:
I've had en Engel MT-45 since 2006. It's been perfect.
 
I replaced my 50 qt coleman ice chest with a 50 qt ARB. I find that the ARB will fit ALOT more stuff since there is no ice taking up space anymore. I could easily load up on food for a 3-4 day trip for myself and 2 other family members... I'd even have some room for probably a 6 pack of :beer too.. What I typically do is bring a case of beer with me, and as I pull one out of the fridge to drink, I replace it with one out of the case... Works great for me, although it does take up real estate in the truck.. You think a 50 qt is bad, ask BLKWGN about his 80qt that he had to REMOVE his back seat to get into his truck... :) Now THAT is a fridge.
 
jscusmcvet said:
Thank you guys. This all makes sense to me, although when i look at a packed 50qt it looks small.
Click to expand...

the 2 main things to remember is that you will save a lot of room not putting in ice

and you can put in enough drinks for 1 day instead of the entire drink and refill as you take stuff out. We normally travel with 2 of us, so I put in 2 bottle of water, 2 powerade and a couple of beers or sodas. It does not take long for things to get cold so it is easy to pull out a drink and drop a new one in. by the time you finish what is in the fridge the new ones are cold
 
Seems to me that the Engel MT 45 and the ARB 50 are the leading resonably priced options in this size range. Those of you who chose either of these, can you elaborate on your decision and have their been any drawbacks or regrets? I see amazing reports on the ARB durability for continuous operation and am leaning that way right now. I have read more times than I can count that "once you go to a fridge you won't go back to a cooler"... so I am leaning towards a fridage at the moment.

John
 
jscusmcvet said:
Seems to me that the Engel MT 45 and the ARB 50 are the leading resonably priced options in this size range. Those of you who chose either of these, can you elaborate on your decision and have their been any drawbacks or regrets? I see amazing reports on the ARB durability for continuous operation and am leaning that way right now. I have read more times than I can count that "once you go to a fridge you won't go back to a cooler"... so I am leaning towards a fridage at the moment.

John
Click to expand...

Engel: Rock solid all metal construction. A simple rheostat controls the temp. Nothing to really break - a tank.

ARB: A spin off from Engel, plastic construction, more bells and whistles like digital readout.

Both are great choices. My Engel still works and it's been in my truck full time since 2006...
 
jscusmcvet said:
Seems to me that the Engel MT 45 and the ARB 50 are the leading resonably priced options in this size range. Those of you who chose either of these, can you elaborate on your decision and have their been any drawbacks or regrets? I see amazing reports on the ARB durability for continuous operation and am leaning that way right now. I have read more times than I can count that "once you go to a fridge you won't go back to a cooler"... so I am leaning towards a fridage at the moment.

John
Click to expand...

That saying is true.. no more soggy sandwiches, or meat, or food of any kind, lots of room, and no more ice to deal with. I went with the ARB because well, I got it at a price I couldn't pass up! I was looking at other options besides the ARB before I got this one, but man.. I think it's hard to beat either one.. Mines been rock solid reliable.
 
For an idea of what a 50qt takes up.. here it is in it's permanent spot, with the seat folded up out of the way, with my fold flat floor deployed..

20141116_141353.jpg
 
I have that same fridge as Scott and love it. More than enough for me and my family on a weekend trip. If your looking for a price on it pm me and I'll see what kind of deal I can give a fellow member.
 
Dave said:
Engel: Rock solid all metal construction. A simple rheostat controls the temp. Nothing to really break - a tank.

ARB: A spin off from Engel, plastic construction, more bells and whistles like digital readout.

Both are great choices. My Engel still works and it's been in my truck full time since 2006...
Click to expand...

All these reasons speak to me... Thanks

- - - Updated - - -

This helps to understand size... Thanks.
Scott said:
For an idea of what a 50qt takes up.. here it is in it's permanent spot, with the seat folded up out of the way, with my fold flat floor deployed..

20141116_141353.jpg
Click to expand...

- - - Updated - - -

Raul B said:
I have that same fridge as Scott and love it. More than enough for me and my family on a weekend trip. If your looking for a price on it pm me and I'll see what kind of deal I can give a fellow member.
Click to expand...

PM sent
 
I may be too late to this soiree, but I've had the ARB 50QT/47L model in continuous use in the back of my pick-up since 2010.

Keep in mind it has circuitry that detects when the voltage drops below 12V, automatically turning the fridge off to prevent draining your battery. Many modern units have this feature as well.

Also, supplied AC and DC cords allow you to plug into a regular household duplex which allows you to move this anywhere in the house, for example, entertaining on the back deck or extra fridge space for Holiday meals. When traveling it's pretty handy to take it out of the vehicle and put it in your hotel room if it doesn't come with a fridge.

Wives of many of the folks I know who had to labor to convince their spouse they needed a fridge on the trail, become supporters themselves when Mom is out running errands during hot weather and can put all those frozen or perishable items in the fridge and continue to multi-task running kids to soccer, dance, or whatever. Now they get flak for wanting to take their truck... "Oh you are not taking the Land Cruiser when you know I've got to take your children to soccer and have to go Costco on my way back from picking up your dry-cleaning." Truth.

It's a game changer in more ways than you originally thought...
 
TangoBlue said:
I may be too late to this soiree, but I've had the ARB 50QT/47L model in continuous use in the back of my pick-up since 2010.

Keep in mind it has circuitry that detects when the voltage drops below 12V, automatically turning the fridge off to prevent draining your battery. Many modern units have this feature as well.

Also, supplied AC and DC cords allow you to plug into a regular household duplex which allows you to move this anywhere in the house, for example, entertaining on the back deck or extra fridge space for Holiday meals. When traveling it's pretty handy to take it out of the vehicle and put it in your hotel room if it doesn't come with a fridge.

Wives of many of the folks I know who had to labor to convince their spouse they needed a fridge on the trail, become supporters themselves when Mom is out running errands during hot weather and can put all those frozen or perishable items in the fridge and continue to multi-task running kids to soccer, dance, or whatever. Now they get flak for wanting to take their truck... "Oh you are not taking the Land Cruiser when you know I've got to take your children to soccer and have to go Costco on my way back from picking up your dry-cleaning." Truth.

It's a game changer in more ways than you originally thought...
Click to expand...
Good points to be sure, although my Ann is more likely to want to use it to keep the venison frozen in a power outage!
 
John I have the ARB 50 qt as well and love it. One of the best purchases made, due to all stated comments. Good luck with your choice. I will also send you a PM. Here is a pic in the back of my jeep.....

ee58530b387fe091580b8d86505b7d89.jpg


Sent from my Roof Top Tent
 
Nice set up Scott! I am in contact with the vendor you suggested and now have to sweet talk Ann into letting go of that kind of cash...:cool:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom