Dometic Fridge Installed

[Andy]

Decided to install a fridge in the bed for the longer camping trips. Has made life on the trail even more enjoyable and easier to keep healthy foods around.

Fridge: Dometic CFX3 55IM
Slider: DFG Off road (I replaced the slide with a longer 28” one to allow clearance past my diamondback cover.
Fridge is running off a lithium battery pack in the bed and 100w solar panel that’s attached to my roof rack.

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[HenryMac]

$900... Wow...

 

[GTGallop]

I know. Makes me want to mount a $150 dorm fridge in there and call it good.

 

[Deleted member 1634]

$900... Wow...

I know. Makes me want to mount a $150 dorm fridge in there and call it good.

They're expensive, I know. We were, still kind of are, looking into Dometic coolers for our camper for those week+ long trips. The Dometics are designed to work with solar and draw low power at all times, which is why they're so expensive. A regular electric cooler or dorm fridge would draw so much power that the battery would be dead pretty quick and solar wouldn't be able to keep up, unless you had a handful of large panels which is also expensive. They're not worth it for the casual goer or the tailgater, but for the backcountry overlander, they're one of the only ones that will last and be sustainable for that long of time.

 

[Andy]

$900... Wow...

Hah, yeah not cheap. However, keeping fresh foods cold while I’m away from the truck for days is pretty amazing.

 

[Andy]

They're expensive, I know. We were, still kind of are, looking into Dometic coolers for our camper for those week+ long trips. The Dometics are designed to work with solar and draw low power at all times, which is why they're so expensive. A regular electric cooler or dorm fridge would draw so much power that the battery would be dead pretty quick and solar wouldn't be able to keep up, unless you had a handful of large panels which is also expensive. They're not worth it for the casual goer or the tailgater, but for the backcountry overlander, they're one of the only ones that will last and be sustainable for that long of time.

Very well said. I decide on it for the long trips. Never having to buy ice and deal with soggy wet mess is worth the price alone. I used my REI 20% which saved me $220.

The fridge uses on average 1.2ah at 36*.

The “Yesterday” usage is from filling the fridge with food and drinks at ambient temps. Showing a use of 340wh to bring it all to temp and keep it there for the 24hr period. The “Today” usage is what a normal day would use to maintain internal temperature of 36*.

 

[sjl136]

Decided to install a fridge in the bed for the longer camping trips. Has made life on the trail even more enjoyable and easier to keep healthy foods around.

Fridge: Dometic CFX3 55IM
Slider: DFG Off road (I replaced the slide with a longer 28” one to allow clearance past my diamondback cover.
Fridge is running off a lithium battery pack in the bed and 100w solar panel that’s attached to my roof rack.

Waking up an old thread, did you bolt the DFG slider direct to the bed, or do you have a baseplate of some sort? I'll be transferring my ARB fridge to the Ranger when it gets here, but still not 100% sure on how. I was considering a full bed cargo slide, but am now leaning towards bolting a baseplate down so I can attach the slide and some L track in other places for strapping cargo boxes. That CFX3 55IM looks so nice, I'd love to have the ice trays for camping cocktails!

 

[Colo_Ranger]

Do you have any pictures of the battery pack you installed?

 

[RVA Overland]

I love the fridge, no longer have to stick my hand in ice for a drink and no soggy food. Now I went with a cheap one on Amazon (Ausranvik) which I power with a ecoflow power pack. It has worked for the last couple of years for me. The new one is even nicer. The fridge is a gamechanger.

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