Dometic CFX3-35 Review

[Frenchy]

This should be helpful for those that are considering buying a fridge for their vehicle and don't know what to get.

For those that are wondering why a Fridge instead of a Ice Chest? Well you can have a smaller Fridge and hold the same amount of stuff over a Ice Chest as you need to get a bunch of ice to have them work. A Fridge just needs solid power and you are good to go.

So about two and a half years ago I got my hands on a use Dometic CFX3-35. I think I paid $600 for it at the time. Why Dometic? Well I was on a bit of a budget and it seemed like a good deal.

After getting it I installed a power socket in the back of my Pathfinder at the time from my Starter Battery. In general it did work, but it wasn't amazing. I had enough power drop due to the long wire and high amp pull. From there I decided it would be a good idea to get a second battery to manage the Fridge. From that I decided to take advantage of Black Friday and purchase a KickAss Battery Box and Renogy 100 AH Lithium Battery. I was close to having it setup in the Pathfinder before it got totaled, so unfortunately I did not get to test it in there.

Not long after loosing the Pathfinder, I got myself a Nissan Frontier. It didn't take me too long thankfully to get it setup since I had most everything including a slide for the Fridge. I just had to wait 3 weeks to get a topper and drawer system(found an excellent deal for both used nearby and couldn't argue it!). Once I got the Battery and Fridge mounted I made sure the Battery Box was wired up to the truck.

Now with the Fridge installed in the bed of the Frontier, it has been an excellent tool for me to use! For starters if I need to run to the grocery store, I can put anything o need in the Fridge and freeze it if needed. I can also keep food for the week in there if the fridge at home is already full(the joy of roommates). Another advantage is having the ability to have cold drinks down the road and having cold storage for trips(like OffRoad Adventures or heading to your folks place in another state). With the Lithium Battery in play I can leave the Fridge on for a while and not think about it. The main thing is just making sure the Battery is charged (since I don't have solar, I do need to drive it here and there).

How well has the fridge performed with the Second Battery? Well in my opinion. Yes it still pulls power, but it isn't as much like before. Also the more stuff you have in it, the more efficient it is. It even holds temperature very well.

Dometic also has an App for the Fridge. This app allows you to change temperature, monitor temperature and amperage draw along with being able to turn it off and on from a distance. The app is also fairly new and was recently updated with all the fixes to get the data you would want.

Would I recommend the Dometic CFX3-35? Yes I would. Are there better Fridges on the market? Possibly, but without experience with others I can't say for sure. Will I upgrade to the CFX5-35? That is a good question. It is new and supposed to be improved, but there have been a bunch of negative reviews across the interwebs on it.

All in all I can say that the Domestic CFX3-35 is a good solid Fridge for most that like to go out on adventures by themselves or with one other individual.

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[OGMix376]

Pretty slick I say..
I had a question about it..

Is the fridge short enough to fit under a tonneau cover? (like a tri fold or roll up)

I see in your particular scenario you have a bed slide so the cap/topper would be the logical route.

Nice review. It piqued my interest to get a mobile fridge.?
Must be the universe telling me to get one.. just yesterday someone I worked with has a f150 and his armrest storage is a tiny fridge and I thought that was awesome…
This cx3 seems much more useful for possible camping scenarios than a armrest fridge.. but I’m not sure I want to get a topper.

 

[oldnslow]

I can't speak for the Dometic itself ( I don't have one) but a portable fridge and a second battery to run it is certainly a game changer. I bought an Engel in 2000 for my then-new Jeep and I loved it. I ran the starter battery down a couple times and learned a second battery and an isolater is the right way to go.

The Jeep is gone but I still have the Engel and use it regularly. I don't have a second battery in my truck but use a 500W power station instead. It does the same thing but is as portable as the fridge so I can use it at home (or anywhere), not just in the truck.

Good fridges are now available at a much lower cost than that Engel was, and good power stations have come down in cost as well. This combo is much more convenient than an ice cooler, and if you use it enough, it is cheaper than buying ice as well. I have probably saved much more than the high cost of that Engle in ice over the past 25 years, possibly several times over.

 

[Ranger_Rocks]

Another vote for the Dometic CFX3-35.

We bought one new two years ago. Not the cheapest, but appears to be built well. Makes a great seat or table. Comes with two cords for swapping between 12v and 110v. For road trips, it fits nicely under the retractable cargo cover in the back of our Hyundai Santa Fe which has a 12v outlet in the cargo area. We use a hotel luggage cart to move it into the room at night. Not sure it is insulated as good as an ice chest. Warms up pretty quick in the car when not running.

The app is handy for checking temps and control.

 

[Ranger_Rocks]

Here's the instruction booklet with specs:

 

[OGMix376]

Here's the instruction booklet with specs:

Awesome thanks

 

[Frenchy]

Pretty slick I say..
I had a question about it..

Is the fridge short enough to fit under a tonneau cover? (like a tri fold or roll up)

I see in your particular scenario you have a bed slide so the cap/topper would be the logical route.

Nice review. It piqued my interest to get a mobile fridge.?
Must be the universe telling me to get one.. just yesterday someone I worked with has a f150 and his armrest storage is a tiny fridge and I thought that was awesome…
This cx3 seems much more useful for possible camping scenarios than a armrest fridge.. but I’m not sure I want to get a topper.

Depends on the truck bed and the fridge. Also I have a Drawer system, not a bed slide. For me I have what works in my case and I have limitations due to the area I have to work with. That said I can switch to some that are similar sized.

My suggestion to you is to measure the area you are working with and get measurements from different fridges that are available. The manufacturer websites have them available.

 

[Capt Jon]

I have a Dometic refrigeration system in my boat for 22 years. Nary an issue. Very reliable products.

 

[RangerPNW]

How much of a pain are these things to lug around? I'm contemplating one for road trips, since the cooler is kind of cumbersome and would be nice to not have everything be wet... It would either go in the back of my truck or our Explorer, but wouldn't live there full time.

 

[Frenchy]

How much of a pain are these things to lug around? I'm contemplating one for road trips, since the cooler is kind of cumbersome and would be nice to not have everything be wet... It would either go in the back of my truck or our Explorer, but wouldn't live there full time.

That all depends on how you want the vehicle setup. When I had my 1993 Pathfinder I first had it strapped down to the floor in the back using the factory tie downs. Later I got a drawer and had it strapped to that. Now it is bolted onto my fridge slide which in turn is bolted to my drawer system in the truck. If I need to remove the fridge for any reason, it takes.me a couple of minutes to remove it from the slide, but I haven't had the need since the back of my truck is setup in a way that the bed doesn't get used for much else like a work truck would. If you like keeping your bed a bit more versatile, the. It could be a challenge, but that is where you take time to get creative.

 

[Ranger_Rocks]

How much of a pain are these things to lug around? I'm contemplating one for road trips, since the cooler is kind of cumbersome and would be nice to not have everything be wet... It would either go in the back of my truck or our Explorer, but wouldn't live there full time.

The CFX3-35 carry handles are strong and comfortable in the hand. Still, unless you're the Incredible Hulk type, while loaded, it is a two-person lift. During road trips, we often request first floor rooms when there is no elevator.

We carried ours up three floors using the historic Many Glacier Hotel's steep narrow staircase. Not easy, but we stayed for a few days. Many lodging units in the Parks do not have a frig and do not permit cooking. This makes the cooler worth the extra effort. Great for breakfast and preparing lunch for the day before we head out on the trail.

Some larger coolers have built-in transport wheels.

 

[RangerPNW]

The CFX3-35 carry handles are strong and comfortable in the hand. Still, unless you're the Incredible Hulk type, while loaded, it is a two-person lift. During road trips, we often request first floor rooms when there is no elevator.

We carried ours up three floors using the historic Many Glacier Hotel's steep narrow staircase. Not easy, but we stayed for a few days. Many lodging units in the Parks do not have a frig and do not permit cooking. This makes the cooler worth the extra effort. Great for breakfast and preparing lunch for the day before we head out on the trail.

Some larger coolers have built-in transport wheels.

This is what I was looking for, thanks for the input. Yeah my wife has fibro so I'm typically stuck lugging the big things around, which usually includes a 52 qt cooler full of ice... so weight isn't a huge deterrent for me. But one with wheels would be sweet.

 

[Ranger_Rocks]

Dometic Powered Coolers are 20% OFF at REI until May 26.

https://www.rei.com/search?q=dometic&ir=q:dometic&r=features:Electric

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