Out in the field with ARB 4×4’s new ZERO fridge freezer while exploring Utah

“What would you guys want for lunch?” My wife, Louise, asked.
“What do have?” Our daughter, Lilly, inquired.

Lunch on the trail and in the middle of nowhere is always an awesome experience. What makes it better? Having our food inside a 12-volt fridge/freezer and the ability to pack any food or fixings that we would have in our fridge/freezer at home. Yes, the portable 12-volt fridge/freezer has been a popular purchase for many overlanders and adventurers. Justly so. How could a fridge/freezer be better? The ARB’s ZERO Fridge Freezer might just be the answer.

I remember buying my first ARB fridge over ten years ago. And, I remember the price point. It wasn’t inexpensive, and I “wrestled” with the purchase. However, ARB’s Classic fridge/freezer turned out to be a game-changer since that time for virtually all my vehicle-based adventures. My family and I spend weeks on the road in the summer months, and I quickly forgot to worry about ice and keeping the cooler chilled. Instead, I packed my fridge/freezer and off we went. Our travels took my family and me to explore the canyons of the southwest, the mountains of Idaho and Colorado, and to fly fish the waters of Wyoming. Not once did I worry about food spoiling, a cold beverage, or finding my favorite snack water-logged. The fridge/freezer just made adventure travel easier and more efficient.

Throughout the years, ARB has designed and engineered some worthy overlanding equipment. Yes, they are known for their air lockers and bull bars. However, they are equally well known for their plethora of overland gear. Drawers, recovery products, and lights are just a few of the highlights. ARB’s fridges/freezers are of top quality and come with a three-year warranty. However, an issue with their earlier fridge/freezer models has been they feature only one compartment. It could be a fridge or a freezer but not both. Their new dual compartment ZERO Fridge Freezer changes all that.

ARB’s ZERO Fridge Freezer was recently released in North America, and I was excited to get my hands on one to test out. The ZERO Fridge Freezer came exceptionally packaged. The cardboard and packaging protected the 73 Quart model from damage during shipment. I unboxed it, and immediately powered it up. After reading the manual, I realized this was not another standard dual compartment fridge and freezer. Without time to waste, my family and I were ready to adventure to the middle of nowhere in Utah. We packed the ARB ZERO Fridge Freezer and headed to the canyon country of southern Utah. A seven-day trip into the wilds of Utah would be excellent testing and proving grounds for the ZERO.

Before we left, my wife wanted to rearrange what I had packed in the rear of the vehicle. Who was I to argue? The way I had packed made it cumbersome to access the ZERO Fridge Freezer and the contents inside. What to do? ARB designed the ZERO to have a reversible lid that could be opened on either side. Ingenious. With a quick pull, Louise removed the lid and snapped it into place on the right side of the ZERO. Now, we could access the ZERO’s contents. The interior LED light and multiple baskets make it a joy to pack. On the outside, the ZERO’s new paint scheme of bronze and black stands out and results in a distinct, favorable look.

I monitored the ZERO on my phone and ARB LINX controller as we motored down the highway. Yes, the ZERO has an app for itself. Monitoring the ZERO’s temperature and battery voltage are excellent features.  We operated both compartments as a fridge, so both compartments were set at 36 degrees F. I loved the ability to control the fridge from either my smartphone or ARB’s LINX system. We stopped and put some fresh beverages in the ZERO, then pushed the boost button on the fridge that rapidly cools the ZERO down to the desired temperature. As we drove, I monitored the temperature and watched as it quickly went down to 30 degrees on my phone’s app, keeping our beverages chilled for when we arrived at camp.

We found a lovely place to camp along a red rock wall. I used the ZERO’s control panel to increase the temperature and the black screen with blue LED lights made it easy to read. ARB repositioned the control panel to the bottom of the fridge and added a few other noteworthy goodies. First, they added an integrated USB port to charge devices. We easily connected our phones at camp accessing a “live” wire even though the engine was turned off. Second, ARB added DC outlets to plug in the fridge, allowing for different installation applications. There is one AC outlet at the front, which makes it simple to plug in once back at home. Louise and I set camp and prepared things for dinner. “Where’s the parmesan cheese?” Louise asked. Yep, the ZERO is huge and can hold or hide a great deal of food.

The ZERO has internal baskets which helps to keep food and beverages organized. Additionally, the ZERO has a removable wall that separates the fridge and freezer to result in one monstrous compartment. We kept the wall in place in case we wanted to use the freezer but in the meantime, we used the freezer as a refrigerator. It’s nice to have options, and the ARB ZERO gives us just that—options.

Later the next day, we pulled over to enjoy lunch and hike the canyons. The lid opens with ease and closes with a secure thud. The overall construction is solid and high quality. The ZERO Fridge Freezer comes with high-quality stainless-steel mounting hardware, and power consumption appeared minimal according to the battery readout each morning. My battery’s voltage dropped only one-tenth overnight. (ARB claims .8 amps used when set at 41 degrees.) However, the ambient nighttime temperatures dropped into the mid 30’s and low 40’s which did minimize overall power usage from the ZERO.

A few days later, we found ourselves in the small town of Hanksville, Utah. Lilly walked out with some creamsicles for us to enjoy and bought a few extra for the road. Not a problem. I lowered the temperature in one compartment down to 15 degrees and boom—we had a freezer. I threw in a small bag of ice for ice-filled drinks at camp and off we went again. Our adventure continued, and we were thankful that ARB’s ZERO Fridge Freezer was along for the ride.

ZERO Fridge Freezer Features

-Dual compartment capability
-New color scheme
-Removable lid to accommodate either side opening
-Easily linked to smartphone app and ARB LINX
-USB port to charge devices
-Battery protection
-Boost button for rapid cool down
-3 year warranty
-73 Quart and 101-Quart Models

Likes
-The dual compartments and perfectly sized fridge and freezer.
-The ability to charge devices with integrated USB port.
-The removable baskets for packing and organizing contents.
-The ability to control the ZERO from either a smartphone or ARB LINX system.
-The separate lid for the Freezer compartment results in the freezer temperature staying consistent.
-The Boost Button results in quick-cool down cycle.
-Solid, high-quality mounting hardware

Dislikes
-The 22” height did reduce other storage capabilities in the vehicle.

Resource
www.arbusa.com

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