Dometic PLB40 Reviews

[OllieChristopher]

Most people don't realize but fridges like the ARB Fridges actually are Duel Zone Fridges, The Term Duel Zone is misused by nearly everyone including Dometic,
A True Duel Zone Fridge has a Main Cooling Compartment and a Dairy Area where the Cold Air from the Main Compartment Drifts Over to the Dairy Area

That can be subjective depending on how you look at it. I imagine it depends on the terminology one is using. For myself dual zone is two compartments with different temperature zones, all inside one unit.

 

[67cj5]

That can be subjective depending on how you look at it. I imagine it depends on the terminology one is using. For myself dual zone is two compartments with different temperature zones, all inside one unit.

Not only that it depends on which part of the world a person is from as to what they are called,

But a Twin Door/ Duel Model is going to chew some power, My PLB40 will run my 78L ARB for about 24 hours when it is set to freezer mode so as long as I have a way to charge the PLB then Life is good but runnin a Twin door model with one side set as a freezer and the other as a fridge would eat a PLB in about 12 to 16 hours that just means a person would have to charge it every morning via Solar or Via the Car / Truck.

 

[dman93]

My fridge sometimes threatens to be a duel zone when a couple of us are fighting to get to the beer ? first after a long MTB ride.

 

[dman93]

I have left mine in the Van close to 0*c and It has never had an issue and I have not seen any warning lights come On,

For use in Cold weather I would always put any battery in a Foam Lined Pod/Box with foam under it and on all 4 sides, Also if it is very cold the fridge should hardly turn on IE My little Dometic CDF-18 will only use around 4Ah +/- in a 24 hour period when set to 2*c, keeping the fridge in a cold Van really cuts down the power draw, In cold weather the most power it used from the PLB was 14% over a 26 hour period and that was in ambient temps of between 4 and 10*c,

So try and keep the PLB in a Box lined with about 2" of Foam in the Winter months and that should keep things normal 24/7, Dometic do not suggest any such issues but because of the Cost of the PLB I would protect it as much as possible, It's a great unit and to date I still have not found any other setup that charges easy and fast as well keeps my fridges alive and being able to move it from A to B is a real bonus.

Hope that helps.

The insulation is a good idea. And it protects otherwise as well. I actually have the battery in a box I made but with only small pads to locate it, ot fully wrapped. This past weekend we had temps well below 0°C. The temp display on the fridge read 18°F in the morning, and it was set to 39°F. And even after driving with the heater on full blast for about an hour the location the fridge had only warmed up to 21°F and the battery still showed the low temp warning. Anyway, it was easy enough to unplug the 12V input and plug it in when we got back to reasonable temps. And once we get our gasoline heater installed in the van, this should become a non-issue.

 

[jonathon]

I just ordered a PLB40 from REI. If you’re a member you can get it for $679.99 shipped right now.

 

[67cj5]

I just ordered a PLB40 from REI. If you’re a member you can get it for $679.99 shipped right now.

I bought 2 of them just over a year ago and I can't fault them, One of them will power my Small Dometic fridge for 4 and a half days and it will power my ARB 47L/50Qt for 3 days but the best bit is what the fridge uses during the night can be replaced in an hour of Solar or an hour of driving, Sure there are many others bigger with more features but the PLB has all you need for being off grid and the fridge has to work 24/7 which makes the PLB-40 the best all rounder.

Congrats on your new toy, You won't believe how easy it will make your life compared to Lead Acid or AGM etc.

 

[OllieChristopher]

I almost got the PLB-40 myself. They are really nice units. I was able to get by with a small Jackery 300.

 

[67cj5]

I almost got the PLB-40 myself. They are really nice units. I was able to get by with a small Jackery 300.

Well I think regardless of the brand these things are game changers because they do away with the need for duel battery systems or hacking in to the vehicles wiring systems because on modern computerize Ve-Hicles this can cause no end of problems and Void warranties etc, At first I thought " Load of Ole ****" but I was wrong and I can take this thing were ever power is needed and I am no longer teathered to the Truck/Van etc, and has to be a good thing, Ay.

 

[OllieChristopher]

That is a really good point you make. While I did a dual battery on my 05 Sierra, I can see warranty and electrical issues on these modern vehicles. Having a small portable stand alone is game changer for sure.

 

[67cj5]

That is a really good point you make. While I did a dual battery on my 05 Sierra, I can see warranty and electrical issues on these modern vehicles. Having a small portable stand alone is game changer for sure.

I just thought of another good reason to buy one, If you own an EV like a tesla etc the last thing you want to be doing is sucking power from it's Batteries,

 

[RRTX]

I just ordered a PLB40 from REI. If you’re a member you can get it for $679.99 shipped right now.

I was debating on doing one of these or going with something less expensive like a Jackery 500 to power my fridge, at $679 it was a no brainer since it has almost double the amp hour capacity as the Jackery. One of the local REI's had one so I went and picked it up. It's not quite as diverse as far as available outlets, but for my primary use it will work well.

 

[67cj5]

I was debating on doing one of these or going with something less expensive like a Jackery 500 to power my fridge, at $679 it was a no brainer since it has almost double the amp hour capacity as the Jackery. One of the local REI's had one so I went and picked it up. It's not quite as diverse as far as available outlets, but for my primary use it will work well.

Sorry but which one did you Buy ??

 

[RRTX]

Sorry but which one did you Buy ??

Sorry, apparently my brain wasn't working right when I wrote that and it did read a bit confusing. I got the PLB40 today. The small form factor works well for where it will likely live in my truck and should power my CFX3 45 for several days with no problems (and basically indefinitely once I get some solar in place).

 

[67cj5]

Sorry, apparently my brain wasn't working right when I wrote that and it did read a bit confusing. I got the PLB40 today. The small form factor works well for where it will likely live in my truck and should power my CFX3 45 for several days with no problems (and basically indefinitely once I get some solar in place).

Well I am running my 47L ARB from it right now and it ran for 24 hours 42 minutes and it only used 26% according to the meter, the ARB is set to 3*c/37*f in an abient temp of 14*c/57*f and it will run for 3 days + so you should get at leased 2 days from it in warmer temps, And if you have solar it will charge fast, On average they charge at a rate of about 17.5% per hour from the wall wart or Cigar socket or Solar so they are normally charged in under 4 hours as a rule,

Congrats on the PLB they are awesome,

 

[jonathon]

Dual battery systems have their place but for my use it would’ve limited me to keeping the fridge in one vehicle. Now I can run it in our Outback or Ram 2500. I’ll be using it quite a bit this spring and summer. I figure with a 100w solar panel I could keep the PLB40 charged while in camp.