Hilux 4x4 Forum

So I have had my 78l ARB fridge freezer since 2012, and I must say it is one of the best camping gadgets I could've bought. However, since yesterday I have noticed that the idle time between switching off and on again had reduced tremendously. It is packed with frozen meat and set to -8°C and when temp is reached, it switches on again after 5 mins and the temp is still on -8°C. The idle time used to be way better, 15 mins or so. Is this still normal or am I looking at a thermostat issue?

It al depends on ambient temperature. Measure the temperature say in the middle of the day and time the idle time and then compare that to night time or when ever the temperature has dropped significantly.

Temperatures lately have gone a bit haywire, some days very cold and other days very hot.

Another question - when did you last load the freezer ?


the first couple of hours the idle time is minimal as the produce is till being cooled. Once down to temperature the run time should be much less and the idle time longer ....



We had a nice camp this weekend. The morning sun caught the corner of my fridge .... it just would not get the temp down until the shade set in, then it worked perfectly again.

I drove down to Cape town from Kathu with my fridge running on 12V DC and plugged it into 220V when we arrived here. Its been running ever since. Just start to noticed the short idle time yesterday. Not sure what the ambient temp was, but it was at 22:00. I turned the temp down last night to -4°C and the compressor switched off and this morning the temp of the fridge was still at -6°C which I don't think is bad.

Just check that it is not on the boost mode...

I can't find a boost mode on the ARB fridge. Does it have one?

My 47l ARB fridge whent heywhy the other day did not stop running and froze whatever I put in it but the temp meter showed 13degrees. Took it to Megaworld and wass told its bejond repair. They asked for proof of payment witch I gave to them and after +- two months they gave me a brand new one stil in box . My ARB fridge wass 5jears old.

I will contact my local 4x4 Mega world to have look at it. Thanks guys!