Refrigerator!? - Prep for Over-Landing trip

[Jmos]

Hello -- Jeep Wrangler 2D

20+ day overloading trip coming up, cross-country:
6000+ miles round trip. 5+ National Parks. 3+ ORV treks. 2 Presidential Libraries. ...1 family cemetery.

Rear seat removed for gear, just 2 of us. Driving every-other day. Many camp sites.

Looking for recommendations about a selection, installation, and optimized use of a powered refrigerator / freezer. (We will be using it in freezer mode.)
Size?
Brand?
Power management?
Rack or no rack? (can rear seat be put back in?)

Our usual routine: Pre-cooked, and pre-portioned meals, are pre-frozen before our trip and then end of day meals are very quick and easy to whip up after a long day of driving / sight-seeing.

TY

 

[HighwayTrout]

So a few years ago. My wife and I and a three year old did almost that many days on the road. Granted in a 4door.
Sounds like you have a solid plan in place for meals and is similar to what we do. We had the medium size ARB fridge/freezer. Maybe the smaller one would be better in a two door. Run a dedicated power supply (arb makes one) to wherever you intend on placing the fridge. Two ratchet straps will suffice no rack needed.
Other than that. I wouldn’t over think it. We had one duffle bag and two backpacks and a case of water. I’ve long since quit packing big bulky car camping gear and converted to backpack size/weight stuff. If you can, the biggest bang for your buck is down sizing camp gear. You’ll be surprised how much you DONT need to have a good time.
pack less.

 

[Brute]

Well, first…20 day cross country trip if I was doing it would have a couple stops in hotels every 3 or 4 days, just to shower and sleep in a real bed…and eat a hot meal in a restaurant…I’ve precooked meals before, like stews, chili, black eyed peas and ham hocks etc; vacuum packed and frozen…but still enjoyed a fresh steak or brats thrown on a grill to change it up. Any 50 qt ARB or Dometic would fit the bill, and rotate bottled water and/or beer as you use them. I wouldn’t run the fridge below freezing all the time since it uses way more battery power…and it’s nice to get some fresh veggies now and then…

 

[wayoflife]

So a few years ago. My wife and I and a three year old did almost that many days on the road. Granted in a 4door.
Sounds like you have a solid plan in place for meals and is similar to what we do. We had the medium size ARB fridge/freezer. Maybe the smaller one would be better in a two door. Run a dedicated power supply (arb makes one) to wherever you intend on placing the fridge. Two ratchet straps will suffice no rack needed.
Other than that. I wouldn’t over think it. We had one duffle bag and two backpacks and a case of water. I’ve long since quit packing big bulky car camping gear and converted to backpack size/weight stuff. If you can, the biggest bang for your buck is down sizing camp gear. You’ll be surprised how much you DONT need to have a good time.
pack less.

Well said and couldn't agree more. For years and years, Cindy and I did trips like this with our son and in our TJ. You quickly find how much you really DON'T need when you start to really think about it. All the overlanding crap is just big bulky crap that takes up way too much space and adds crazy amount of weight and for a whole lot of nothing. Well, expect for being able to say that you're an "overlander"

 

[kevman65]

Well said and couldn't agree more. For years and years, Cindy and I did trips like this with our son and in our TJ. You quickly find how much you really DON'T need when you start to really think about it. All the overlanding crap is just big bulky crap that takes up way too much space and adds crazy amount of weight and for a whole lot of nothing. Well, expect for being able to say that you're an "overlander"

Hater

 

[Jmos]

So a few years ago. My wife and I and a three year old did almost that many days on the road. Granted in a 4door.
Sounds like you have a solid plan in place for meals and is similar to what we do. We had the medium size ARB fridge/freezer. Maybe the smaller one would be better in a two door. Run a dedicated power supply (arb makes one) to wherever you intend on placing the fridge. Two ratchet straps will suffice no rack needed.
Other than that. I wouldn’t over think it. We had one duffle bag and two backpacks and a case of water. I’ve long since quit packing big bulky car camping gear and converted to backpack size/weight stuff. If you can, the biggest bang for your buck is down sizing camp gear. You’ll be surprised how much you DONT need to have a good time.
pack less.

Thanks much!

Grew-up backpacking and camping; so already equipped with the small-gear equipment, and mind-set.

We've lived in a tiny house for the last ten years as well -- so I totally get what you mean,... small is fine; you really don't need that much stuff.

Seems like the power supply is going to be a requirement for this piece of equipment -- and I think the 35L to 45L size should more than work, and still be small.

 

[Jmos]

Well, first…20 day cross country trip if I was doing it would have a couple stops in hotels every 3 or 4 days, just to shower and sleep in a real bed…and eat a hot meal in a restaurant…I’ve precooked meals before, like stews, chili, black eyed peas and ham hocks etc; vacuum packed and frozen…but still enjoyed a fresh steak or brats thrown on a grill to change it up. Any 50 qt ARB or Dometic would fit the bill, and rotate bottled water and/or beer as you use them. I wouldn’t run the fridge below freezing all the time since it uses way more battery power…and it’s nice to get some fresh veggies now and then…

Much appreciated.

Yes, we do have to switch-up to motel/hotels from time to time, for those reasons and just some of the logistics.

Veggies,... YES!!... but we have a "road-hack..."
We order ahead, for pick-up at Applebee's -- because they have side broccoli

Great redo's; many thanks.
J.

 

[Jmos]

Well said and couldn't agree more. For years and years, Cindy and I did trips like this with our son and in our TJ. You quickly find how much you really DON'T need when you start to really think about it. All the overlanding crap is just big bulky crap that takes up way too much space and adds crazy amount of weight and for a whole lot of nothing. Well, expect for being able to say that you're an "overlander"

I never thought of the gear as making me an "overlander" hmmm???

Our last major trek was 6000+ miles from Los Angeles, to North Dakota, and back... sleeping in the back of the Subaru.

Our trip after this one, will be touring up and down the Yukon Hwy to Alaska and back (in 3 yrs).

Overlander? Traveler? CRAZY PERSON!!?... #shrug

Folks can use what ever label they judge is right,... but we just got places to go!!!

Sincerely appreciated -- and same for your channel/videos, showing the practicality of things; many helpful lessons we've adopted!
#thumbs-up!

 

[Brute]

Driving up to Alaska was something I wanted to do…20 years ago. My wife would not want to do this trip, and taking off for a couple months without her would be not possible at this point in my life…but I still dream of an epic several months long camping/fishing trip on the road. Currently working on the logistics of a full length Chile trip where my wife could fly in to several cities to meet me while I fish my way from Tierra del Fuego to Columbia…

 

[Jmos]

We got the Dometic 55IM - after seeing the 35 and 45 in person.

At worst, we take it on this trip and learn it was too much -- then sell it to someone else and try again with different size.

Now... I have to build some form of rear organizer, that I can insert and remove...
Plywood project time!

 

[CalSgt]

We got the Dometic 55IM - after seeing the 35 and 45 in person.

At worst, we take it on this trip and learn it was too much -- then sell it to someone else and try again with different size.

Now... I have to build some form of rear organizer, that I can insert and remove...
Plywood project time!

I kinda like some of the ARB and Goosegear stuff for outfitting vans and jeeps. The Goosegear is expensive but with some skill could be copied using plain plywood.

ETA: they use this base plate with a bunch of threaded nutserts so you can secure your stuff with bolts or thumbscrews, to make it all easily removable. Their 4 door stuff is a little more involved with the design.

 

[WJCO]

Now... I have to build some form of rear organizer, that I can insert and remove...
Plywood project time!

Check out this thread:

Show Us Your Deck!

So, we've been running a Tuffy deck on both our 2007 and 2012 JK's for a while now and while they've worked out well, I've been thinking about running a different setup. I've seen a few different ones posted up on various build threads but it's been hard to find them again and so, if you've got...

www.wayalife.com

 

[Jmos]

Check out this thread:

Show Us Your Deck!

So, we've been running a Tuffy deck on both our 2007 and 2012 JK's for a while now and while they've worked out well, I've been thinking about running a different setup. I've seen a few different ones posted up on various build threads but it's been hard to find them again and so, if you've got...

www.wayalife.com

I like that idea, but my wife is short, and putting the Fridge higher, might not work.
Hmmm???

 

[Jmos]

I kinda like some of the ARB and Goosegear stuff for outfitting vans and jeeps. The Goosegear is expensive but with some skill could be copied using plain plywood.

ETA: they use this base plate with a bunch of threaded nutserts so you can secure your stuff with bolts or thumbscrews, to make it all easily removable. Their 4 door stuff is a little more involved with the design.

View attachment 387717

Actually, that might be worth it for me -- because I don't have the kind of shop-space I truly need, makes this much harder for me -- this is a tempting solution!!!

 

[Brute]

I like that idea, but my wife is short, and putting the Fridge higher, might not work.
Hmmm???

Small folding stool…

 

[Sylvester]

We got the Dometic 55IM - after seeing the 35 and 45 in person.

At worst, we take it on this trip and learn it was too much -- then sell it to someone else and try again with different size.

Now... I have to build some form of rear organizer, that I can insert and remove...
Plywood project time!

If you find you don't like your Dometic. Call Todd @ Sno Master top Notch customer service
Todds #512 698 6169