Fridge, Solar, Auxiliary Electrical

Portable Fridge

Installed: October 2014

Model: ARB 50

Exterior dimensions: 27.75"L x 14.96"W x 20"H

Interior dimensions: 13.27"L x 11.22"W x 15.79"H 9 (main compartment); 5.95"L x 11.22"W x 8.11"H (fruit compartment)

Interior volume: 50 quarts (47 liters); 2898 cubic inches

Capacity: 72 12-ounce soda/beer cans

Weight: 30 pounds (empty)

Power source: 12/24V DC, 100-240V AC with automatic switchover with integrated low-battery protection

Power draw: 2.3V max (initial cool down), 0.87-1.35V intermittent average

Warranty: 3 years

Features/comes with: Removable, locking lid; rubber feet; recessed handles; recessed digital control panel; integrated lid seal; interior LED light; removable, reversible interior basket with divider; AC and DC power cords; integrated cord retention clips; powder-coated steel case.

Available accessories: Protective, insulating cover (shown below); slide-out rails and tie-down kit (didn't bother with them)

Price: Varies, depending on vendor; average price is around $850 (in 2014). I found a seller on eBay selling a bunch of ARB 50's for $750 + free shipping… couldn't pass that up!

Installation:

• AC power cord was routed along the front side of the kitchen cabinet, in through an access slot, and plugged into the factory AC outlet.
• DC power cord: I cut its plug off (seen below) after labeling the + and - wires, crimped ring terminals onto the wires, used heat shrink to cover the crimps (red for +, black for -), routed the cable with the AC cord, and attached the terminals to the Blue Seas fuse panel (15A fuse) mounted to the back "wall" inside the kitchen cabinet. The Blue Seas panel is wired to the auxiliary battery under the driver's seat.

Review: I love this thing! You could not pay me to go back to using ice! Update 2024: Ten years since installation and it's still going strong.

Modifications (March 2017): More like enhancements, than modifications. Taking a cue from an Expedition Portal topic, finally set about this project. I removed the protective grille, cleaned the dust out, and made a condenser baffle, albeit slightly different from the EP guys. I shaped my sheet metal into an "L" with mounting tabs on both sides, and long enough to reach under the fan. I placed a short piece of stick-on seal on each side of the condenser bottom, slid the baffle into place(between the foot bolt and fan) so that it butts up against the two seals, and used two screws to mount it to the pre-existing condenser holes. Now, airflow from the fan will no longer escape into the large void beneath the condenser so that it's a bit more efficient. I then added Reflectix across the entire bottom of the fruit bin and back of the main compartment to reduce heat transfer from the compressor.

Solar Panels & Charge Controller

From the aux battery, power and ground wires were run to the Blue Sea fuse panel inside the kitchen cabinet using 8AWG wires. The Blue Sea panel distributes fused power to the ARB fridge, the LED lighting in the van, and to the camper equipment (original Westfalia fuses no longer used).

I wanted a portable system as I prefer to park my van in the shade during the warm/hot months (it's also garaged at home). Additionally, solar panels need to be aimed properly to achieve maximum power output; if permanently mounted to the roof, that would basically require aiming the van in a particular direction, which is not always feasible on my adventures.

Wiring diagram (not current)

Auxiliary Electrical System

Updated: 1-Feb-2024