All, I am considering a Dometic powered cooler and wanted to see what people here thought of them. They aren’t cheap, but the thought of not having to continually get ice and drain water from my Yeti is pretty appealing. Overall thoughts? I am looking at the Dometic CFX3 75 Dual Zone currently.
Other brands that are better?
I am running a Inergy Flex 1500 system with dual batteries currently with 200W of solar charge.
I appreciate ya!!
I’m not sure of the question, are you asking in general are they worth it or is Dometic worth the price tag?
either way HECK YES and yes
I second that. Worth the price. I got annoyed with the ice melting in my RTIC. Got dometic 65 with the PLB battery and wired it so it charges off the truck battery. It was the best “camping” purchase I’ve ever made. Bought the floor model which saved me some money bc they aren’t cheap.
Dometics are great however I couldn’t get myself to spend nearly that much. I opted for a iceco VL45ProS ~$600. A fridge is an absolute game changer though. If you have the ability to add one, definitely do! It’s been amazing and never looked back.
A fridge is a game changer. No more soggy food and you can use it as a freezer for ice cream sandwiches in the middle of nowhere.
I have a Dometic cfx3 75 in our trailer and it’s been a good fridge for the family. We can pack 5 days of food in it but that’ll change as the kids get bigger and get into the bottomless pit phase of adolescence.
In my truck I have been running a cheaper CSI Black Ice 52q freezer/fridge, which is essentially the older ARB fridge. It’s been more temperamental than the Dometic so it’s typically used as the beverage cooler.
2nd checking out Iceco. I have a JP50 pro, I like the slim wheels for loading in/out of the truck bed and if I need to tote it around. Regardless, fridges are sweet for not having to run to the store to get ice before a trip.
While most people go for the name brand I have had a anspenora Aspenora Portable Fridge Freezer 12V Electric Cooler Car Refrigerator Car Fridge with Compressor 12 Volt for Vehicle Truck RV Camping Travel Outdoor Driving -4℉ ~ 68℉ DC and 110v AC https://a.co/d/h2BcHKG 4 3 years, it has lived a hard life of dust and vibration in the back of my truck the entire time. I use it at least 1 week a month often more… still runs like a champ and honestly I never want to go back to ice or icepacks or freezing my drinks.
I got a Dometic CFX 45 for my solar setup. It’s 100% worth it. One of my favorite things about my GFC setup. I don’t want to use coolers ever again. Like everyone else said, game changer.
As a heads up, Dometic should be 20% off at REI tomorrow.
I recently picked one up and I’m liking it so far. Not having to worry about ice is great and you get all the volume back that ice would normally occupy.
I’d say worth it as well! The biggest headache for me has been trying to dial in the energy usage curves. I have a National Luna 50 dual zone with 200w of solar, with an 75amp hr battery and it works great if I"m moving every other day and or in the full sunlight. However, the day I’m in the shade and I’m camping for 2-3 days, the battery is shot and the fridge shuts down. I think I need to upgrade the battery to more amp hours which is a challenge just because of where I mounted the aux battery. With that said, if you have enough battery power or figure out your power solution, it is totally worth it. Having popsicles for the kids and cold food without having to think twice about ice and knowing it is all going to stay nice and cool despite outside temps, is a real luxury
If you are asking, is a Dometic a good fridge? - yes
Is it worth the expense? = Yes
My first question to you is, how many people are traveling with you on any given trip (you don’t really have to answer)? 2nd question: On any given trip are you off pavement for more than 3 days?
I noticed you are favoring a CFX3-75. That is a substantial fridge, not only in size but in $$.
I made the mistake of buying a Domestic that was too large, and although my trips out West last up to 30days, I am never so far from a place that I can’t replenish my supplies every 3 days. Something to think about.
Cheer!
Depends on how much a Winter you get where you live, but a side benefit of a Dometic (or comparable fridge) is that they can run on household AC power too, so during the Winter, mine’s inside the house on beer fridge duty. Also, it’s perfect for defrosting a Turkey for Thanksgiving.
I opted for an IceCo VL60Pro. It replaced my RTIC 65 and never looked back. No more worries about ice. More storage for food items. The ability to adjust the temps. I’m actually looking at a bigger IceCo for the dual zone. It was worth the money to me and didn’t want to overpay for a brand.
Also, do strongly consider @Airranger84 's post. I got the CFX45 and it’s almost too much fridge for one person for 3 days. If I could have the same capacity but a smaller package, I would.
A side consideration, I often sleep in the bed of my truck. The Dometic is quiet enough to sleep next to. It’s not silent, but quiet enough. I value that.
Get one. I have the CFX55IM and it’s perfect.
They are worth it.
Dometic 75DZ on a slide with renogy 100w panel up top. Dual group 34 yellow top optima’s with isolator system from genesis. Loving it!
the fridge stays on 24/7 and never even think about draining battery. I drive the truck 2-3 days per week when not on trips.
REI has them for 20% off atm as well.
You all rock!! Thanks for the feedback. I have a Dometic on order!! I decided to go with a 55 vs 75 after going and seeing them in person. The 75 is super nice, but takes up a bit more room than I want in the truck.
The only “problem” I have with my Dometic 55 is it’s so efficient that it will go long periods without drawing power from my EcoFlow battery which will then turn off the DC out.
Now I plug a small led into the 12v extender to pull 1w at all times and nothing times out.
