ARB Fridge Freezer: Tips & Tricks

By now, you understand that an ARB Fridge Freezer is a necessity; there is no doubt about it. Not only is it convenient, it’s also an investment. You avoid off-track stops for ice, spoiled food due to melted ice, and ice taking up half the room in your cooler. Instead of storing a cooler when home, ARB’s Fridge Freezer can be used as a second fridge or freezer in your home or even as a drink storage/chair for your next party. Here are a few more tips and tricks to maximize your ARB Fridge Freezer experience before heading out on your next trip.

PRE-COOLING

If your fridge isn’t constantly running, we recommend pre-cooling the unit along with your food and beverages the night before. Simply bring it into your home and power it on then set it to the desired temperature and allow it to cool overnight.

Benefits

• Less DC power consumption.
• Eliminates waiting for items to cool which in return minimizes lid opening frequency.
• Eliminates food and beverage temperature swings.

ENERGY CONSERVATION TIPS

• Ensure the fridge has plenty of ventilation. A minimum of two inches around the entire fridge is recommended.
• Keep the fridge in the shade and crack the windows to maximize airflow.
• If the fridge see’s dusty conditions – with compressed air, blow out any dust and/or dirt that have accumulated overtime.
• An ARB Fridge Transit Bag will provide more insulation. This results in less frequent compressor start up’s and run time.
• Minimize lid opening periods and frequency by packing items in reverse order that you will consume them.
• Aim to keep the fridge as full as possible. As you remove an item, fill that void with an additional beverage.
• Keep items that need to be colder at the bottom.
• Keep the temperature lower when driving and increase it to a more economical temperature when the engine is off.
• Choose canned beverages over bottles. Cans will cool down faster and will also maximize space.

BATTERY PROTECTION SETTINGS

In order to preserve your vehicle’s battery, ARB Fridge Freezers have a built-in emergency shut off switch. Once the fridge senses that the battery has dropped below a certain point it will automatically switch off. Once voltage has been restored, the fridge will restart.

There are three different battery settings; low, medium, and high. Each will switch off and restart at different voltages.

• High is best if the fridge is connected to the vehicle’s starting battery. This will preserve enough voltage for the vehicle to start after the fridge has switched off.
• Medium is best for a conventional dual battery set-up.
• Low should only be used if the fridge is powered by its own dedicated power source – separate from the starting battery; dedicated battery, solar, etc.

MOUNTING FEET

The rubber feet under your fridge have multiple uses; they provide enough grip to keep the fridge from sliding and leaving marks on the mounting surface, they are adjustable in height if mounting on an unlevel surface, they raise the fridge just enough to allow clearance for fluids to drain through the drain hole, and they can also be used as a permanent mounting solution.

A threaded insert lies beneath each rubber foot. Simply measure the distance between each of the four holes, mark and drill the location on your mounting surface, drill and additional hole (13mm) in the center of the mounting surface to allow drainage, remove the M6 female hex bolt from each of the feet, and attach the fridge to the surface following the orientation shown in figure 5c.

If required, longer bolts can be sourced locally. For more details, refer to the owner’s manual.

ARB WIRING KIT

Let’s face it, most vehicle cigarette lighters are designed to power no more than a cell phone. Many are also designed to shut off when the key is in the off position. In order to ensure optimal performance, the ARB Fridge Wiring Kit is highly recommended. This kit includes 20ft of 10AWG wiring with a built in 15A fuse. This kit also includes a dedicated threaded socket which keeps the cord from coming loose when off-road.