Dumb ARB fridge ?

[Mayne]

I've gone through great pains to keep my fridge high and dry. I've seen Campa trailers with fridges on the tongue, and read that the testing of ARB fridges were done in the weather, Yadda, yadda...

Can theses e mounted on the outside of a trailer, say, on the tongue. Or exposed to rain...

I thought I read in the manual this was verboten, but I'm wondering if I'm going through a lot of trouble in fab work over nothing.

Inquiring mind, just curious?


Mayne

 

[Christophe Noel]

I can't imagine my ARB fridge really loving it out there exposed to the ravages of nature. Seems like a horrible idea given the cost of these things. I think just handling an ARB fridge would be enough to tell it's not designed to be an outdoor appliance. While it's very robust and well made, I think anyone with any common sense would see it's not weather proof. Arizona UV alone would destroy it.

 

[Mayne]

I figured as much. I was reading the sales pitch from ARB and it said something bout rain mud and stuff, but that seemed to contradict what I'd thought I'd read in the manual. I thought I'd pose the question as to whether or not I should be highly paranoid about, rather than just due diligents in keeping it out of the weather.

Kinda a chicken or the egg type question, and wondering if anybody was brave enough (or deep enough pockets) to have tried it.

Mayne.
P.S. My pockets are WAY too shallow.

 

[Honu]

I have seen them on the outside of trailers in pics ! often in OZ and places where they seem to be more common ? also some here
but I also think I paid a ton of money for the thing I want to keep it clean and dry when I can !
and the old just cause you can or others do does not make me want to do it
I would rather take care of the thing if I can and call me nuts but when I am doing food I like clean hands ? cant imagine opening a filthy fridge to get my food out etc.. ?

 

[grimbo]

You see lots of them in the back of utes here in Oz. but they are generally up against the cab wall so do get some degree if protection. Also you will find they have the covers on as well. I wouldn't put them on a tongue of a trailer exposed but would put them in the back of a ute. My folks had one in the back of their Cruiser ute Ina recessed box with ventilated lid. They took it through the Simpson, Canning Stock Route and to theCape with no problems.

 

[4x4junkie]

This guy here mounted a "cheap" Edgestar fridge on the front of his trailer and has been continually thrashing it in the rain, mud, snow, dust, etc. without it quitting, I would think a way more expensive ARB fridge should be able to handle it also...

That said I would never do that to a fridge, I don't care how "durable" it may be.

 

[TangoBlue]

Like grimbo described, I keep my fridge in the back of the truck (ute - AUS), except during winter, I have the cover for it and I have a CANBACK top. It gets plenty of exposure to dust, heat, and some occasional rain (with the top up) but not an excessive amount. For the last 3 years it's been doing fine back there.

 

[Mayne]

Thanks. I'll keep mine covered in the trailer, but I won't lose sleep if I find my self camping in the rain and needing access to the fridge.