On-Board Fridge, will it freeze up if used below freezing?

waterboy222

Adventurer
I'm considering adding an ARB fridge/freezer because I've absolutely had it with ice.. Did a trip over the weekend and it was well below freezing due to this crazy weather.. It was -7 here with a windchill of -50 (Oklahoma plains).. The ice chest had a little ice in it and of course ruined the sandwiches when the tupperware popped open on a pothole.. After goose hunting all day, I went to serve lunch and everything was ruined. The beer froze up and busted and soaked into all the sandwiches and snacks.. It got me thinking about a 12v fridge. If its below freezing and the compressor kicks off, will it insulate against the cold to prevent freezing? Or is it the same wether its a cooler or a 12v..
 

cwsqbm

Explorer
A refrigerator without the compressor running is just a fancy cooler. If you take box that's 40F inside, and place the outside in subzero temperatures, the contents will freeze as there's no other heat source involved.
 

1leglance

2007 Expedition Trophy Champion, Overland Certifie
I have had my fridge be WARMER than the in vehicle temp :)
This based on on a remote sensor that showed fridge vs interior air temp.

Remember it is an isulated box, to insulate against the outside temp....the only thing that I noticed was that the compressor didn't run much :)
 

mbuckner

Adventurer
I have an Engel 43qt ......

It got down to 8 degrees in the cab of the Jeep but the Engel maintained a 32 degree temp that night.

I also have a insulated cover for the fridge.

No matter which brand you choose, they are better than the coolers.

Best regards,

Mike
 

lysol

Explorer
I've had my ARB 50 set at 29 degrees (F) overnight. At night it got down around 10. The fridge only dropped to 22. Not bad in my opinion. I doubt the compressor even fired up that night at all. I even maintained 22 for most of the morning until it started to rise back up to my pre-set level of 29.

With this said, I'm basing the temps off of the on-board temp gauge built into the fridge. The fridge also doesn't yet have the insulated cover either. Your mileage may vary.
 

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