The Official Dometic CFX Fridge Feed!

[Dometic]

I've been planning on ordering a CFX50 or CFX3 55IM for my Tacoma. I actually bought a CF50 (I think that was the model) years ago through my work but ended up returning it because I got a used/returned unit somehow that was damaged....That's not a knock on Dometic. It shipped from our warehouse so it was something wrong we did internally. Anyway, I used the funds for more pressing needs and now I'm circling back.

My question is about expected run-time for these bad boys. I only have the main battery in my truck as of now. It's an X2 Power AGM deep cycle with 76ah. I was originally planning to add a second battery to the bed of the truck linked to the main with an automatic charging relay but that's going to be done later.

I live in Alaska so the ambient air temperature usually doesn't exceed 70-80 too often. Most of the time it will be in the 60 - 70 range. Can I expect this fridge to run for a weekend without draining my battery? I usually don't park my truck for more than two nights without driving it. One last thing to mention...I will be using this primarily as a fridge, not a freezer. But for extended trips with other groups of people I might be the dedicated ice cream truck running it as a freezer.

Power consumption numbers for the CFX50 and CFX3 55IM are roughly the same if you set your internal temp to around 40 degrees F. The 55IM is a little more energy efficient given some of the improvements but for comparison purposes they aren't wildly different enough to call out.

The big difference between the two is that the app that goes along with the 55IM will have control, diagnostics, temperature, and energy consumption tracking. Energy consumption depends a lot on the ambient temps the cooler is situated in, what you set the temps inside to be, how often you open it and how long you keep it open, etc. The energy consumption tracking will help you get a much faster understanding of how your use of the cooler and the conditions it's used in will consume energy from your battery.

Both models have battery protection monitoring and you would want to start it with medium. I would recommend that you do some trial runs with how you would operate it out in the field but do it from your driveway so it would be easy to get a jump if needed. Doing this you could test the cooler with your specific wiring, temps you wanted the cooler, etc. for one or more days without the risk of a no start and being stuck.

Based on the cooler models and the battery you have, considering there is no other parasitic energy consumption happening, you should be good at least overnight without starting and recharging. It's just hard to gauge given how the cooler would be wired in, age/health of your battery, temp conditions, etc. to give you an exact number. Given this uncertainty it's usually why a secondary battery is used for coolers and other items. For example, if you had the same new battery you mention dedicated in this way you could expect around 3 days of runtime if it was the only thing using that battery.

I know there's a lot of info to take in and plan but if you were to select either one of these models you should be good to start even with overnight cooler use. Just try it and get a feel of the power consumption, how the battery protection works, how your wiring and battery support the cooler, etc. so that you have confidence in power consumption rates given your use conditions before venturing out into the woods for a long weekend.

Hope this helps a bit.

DOMETIC
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Use promo code Expedition20 for $25 off your order of $75+

 

[ffirg]

Power consumption numbers for the CFX50 and CFX3 55IM are roughly the same if you set your internal temp to around 40 degrees F. The 55IM is a little more energy efficient given some of the improvements but for comparison purposes they aren't wildly different enough to call out.

The big difference between the two is that the app that goes along with the 55IM will have control, diagnostics, temperature, and energy consumption tracking. Energy consumption depends a lot on the ambient temps the cooler is situated in, what you set the temps inside to be, how often you open it and how long you keep it open, etc. The energy consumption tracking will help you get a much faster understanding of how your use of the cooler and the conditions it's used in will consume energy from your battery.

Both models have battery protection monitoring and you would want to start it with medium. I would recommend that you do some trial runs with how you would operate it out in the field but do it from your driveway so it would be easy to get a jump if needed. Doing this you could test the cooler with your specific wiring, temps you wanted the cooler, etc. for one or more days without the risk of a no start and being stuck.

Based on the cooler models and the battery you have, considering there is no other parasitic energy consumption happening, you should be good at least overnight without starting and recharging. It's just hard to gauge given how the cooler would be wired in, age/health of your battery, temp conditions, etc. to give you an exact number. Given this uncertainty it's usually why a secondary battery is used for coolers and other items. For example, if you had the same new battery you mention dedicated in this way you could expect around 3 days of runtime if it was the only thing using that battery.

I know there's a lot of info to take in and plan but if you were to select either one of these models you should be good to start even with overnight cooler use. Just try it and get a feel of the power consumption, how the battery protection works, how your wiring and battery support the cooler, etc. so that you have confidence in power consumption rates given your use conditions before venturing out into the woods for a long weekend.

Hope this helps a bit.

DOMETIC
mobile living made easy
shop.dometic.com
Use promo code Expedition20 for $25 off your order of $75+

CFX50	CFX3 55IM
Power consumption: 0.77Ah/h	Power consumption:

Thanks! I definitely will have to do some test runs in the driveway before getting out in the field. I actually just looked at my battery last night and found out it's only 60aH....I forgot when I bought it the larger one I was after was out of stock so I had to settle for it instead. I needed the battery that day as my other one quit on me. I will most likely circle back to the larger battery once I pick up the fridge. i really don't need more than a 50L but that ice cube tray is really enticing me...

 

[JPOVS]

Any update on getting a new design for the CFX fridge/freezer insulating bags?
Preferably the CFX65DZ?

Anyword?

 

[Dometic]

Anyword?

We have redesigned all the slides and covers for the CFX3 series based on feedback we received from the CFX series.

Unfortunately, none of the CFX3 covers are backwards compatible with the CFX models.

DOMETIC
mobile living made easy
shop.dometic.com
Use promo code Expedition20 for $25 off your order of $75+

 

[Ball]

Did anyone figure out what kind of plug Dometic uses, or is it something specific to Dometic so they can charge more for their unimpressive cables?

 

[1Louder]

Does the CFX3 fix the issue where the app shows inaccurate power readings? I can have me engine running, alternator producing 13.9 volts, power where the cord connect matches but the app will show a varied readings. Sometimes as low as 12.2. I have had to turn off any power protection because the fridge will shut off based on the inaccurate readings it is showing.

 

[1Louder]

Did anyone figure out what kind of plug Dometic uses, or is it something specific to Dometic so they can charge more for their unimpressive cables?

ARB plugs/cords work. At least on my older CFX model. They are all pretty much a 3 prong on one end. Not saying they are any cheaper.

 

[Dometic]

Does the CFX3 fix the issue where the app shows inaccurate power readings? I can have me engine running, alternator producing 13.9 volts, power where the cord connect matches but the app will show a varied readings. Sometimes as low as 12.2. I have had to turn off any power protection because the fridge will shut off based on the inaccurate readings it is showing.

When you say that you have 13.9V where the cord connect matches what do you mean? Is that at the plug where your CFX plugs in? If so do you have custom wiring coming directly from your battery to the outlet?

The reason I ask is that with or without custom wiring it's common to see a voltage drop between what the battery shows at the terminals vs. the outline where you are plugging into.

Based on your info I'll be able to give you a bit better information on your original question.

Thanks!

DOMETIC
mobile living made easy
shop.dometic.com
Use promo code Expedition20 for $25 off your order of $75+

 

[Dometic]

ARB plugs/cords work. At least on my older CFX model. They are all pretty much a 3 prong on one end. Not saying they are any cheaper.

There are two plug types we can work with:

• standard DC plug
• 2-pin threaded (this one helps to prevent the socket from coming out during travel and shutting your fridge off)

We offer the Dometic Hardwiring Kit because it's not uncommon for OEM wiring to carry insufficient power to keep your fridge powered (especially if you only have a single battery system). The kit includes 10AWG wire so you can run it directly from your battery and ensure that the outlet is powered as much as your single battery will provide. In this case, the battery protection system will work better to prevent no-start situations. If you are using OEM wiring, the battery protection tends to trip more quickly due to voltage drop over the wiring.



If you have a secondary power source for your cooler (two battery system or using on of our PLB40), it's a lot less worrisome as you won't be left in a no-start situation regardless (at least not due to your fridge ).

Hope this helps!

DOMETIC
mobile living made easy
shop.dometic.com
Use promo code Expedition20 for $25 off your order of $75+

 

[67cj5]

There are two plug types we can work with:

• standard DC plug
• 2-pin threaded (this one helps to prevent the socket from coming out during travel and shutting your fridge off)

We offer the Dometic Hardwiring Kit because it's not uncommon for OEM wiring to carry insufficient power to keep your fridge powered (especially if you only have a single battery system). The kit includes 10AWG wire so you can run it directly from your battery and ensure that the outlet is powered as much as your single battery will provide. In this case, the battery protection system will work better to prevent no-start situations. If you are using OEM wiring, the battery protection tends to trip more quickly due to voltage drop over the wiring.

View attachment 566498

If you have a secondary power source for your cooler (two battery system or using on of our PLB40), it's a lot less worrisome as you won't be left in a no-start situation regardless (at least not due to your fridge ).

Hope this helps!

DOMETIC
mobile living made easy
shop.dometic.com
Use promo code Expedition20 for $25 off your order of $75+

I have a Dometic 12v Cooler and the CDF-18 and 2 x PLB 40's along with 2 ARB fridges, Yesterday I saw the new CFX3 and I wanted to buy one of those over the model before it, But the CFX3's are so expensive, The CFX3 95 costs £1249.00 / $1623.70c USD yet I can buy the earlier CFX 95 twin for £1049.00 / $1363.70c USD and the New 55 IM costs $1300, And the New CFX3 75 costs $1363.70 which is $386,10c more than I paid for my ARB 78L.

It's a shame they are so expensive in the UK because I only paid $977.60 for my ARB 78L / 82Qt Fridge, If the pricing was on par with other sizes out there I could justify the investment but not at these current prices.

 

[1Louder]

When you say that you have 13.9V where the cord connect matches what do you mean? Is that at the plug where your CFX plugs in? If so do you have custom wiring coming directly from your battery to the outlet?

The reason I ask is that with or without custom wiring it's common to see a voltage drop between what the battery shows at the terminals vs. the outline where you are plugging into.

Based on your info I'll be able to give you a bit better information on your original question.

Thanks!

DOMETIC
mobile living made easy
shop.dometic.com
Use promo code Expedition20 for $25 off your order of $75+

Yes, I have dedicated wiring. 10 AWG from the back of my vehicle to the battery with a fuse. When I say I can see 13.9 volts at the plug means that if I take the cord off of the fridge and use a volt meter the power to cord is correct. Whatever my alternator is putting out I am seeing at the connector and at the cord end. In other words there is no real voltage drop but the fridge app says there is. I understand with a fridge running must volt meters will show a drop in power. That isn't the issue.

Thanks

 

[dwh]

Yes, I have dedicated wiring. 10 AWG from the back of my vehicle to the battery with a fuse. When I say I can see 13.9 volts at the plug means that if I take the cord off of the fridge and use a volt meter the power to cord is correct. Whatever my alternator is putting out I am seeing at the connector and at the cord end. In other words there is no real voltage drop but the fridge app says there is. I understand with a fridge running must volt meters will show a drop in power. That isn't the issue.

Thanks

Voltage drop is a variable, based on load. More load, more drop. The voltage drop due to the milliamp load of a multimeter is pretty much ziltch. The same circuit with a serious load will have serious voltage drop.

Which of course goes away when you unplug the load so you can use your meter.

The fridge is measuring voltage while it's running. Under load. Since it's a variable-speed compressor, and the fridge is showing variable voltage...I'd trust the fridge's voltage reading under load rather than the no-load reading of the multimeter.

Still...number 10 wire should be fine. Maybe it's a crappy connection somewhere. Bad ground maybe.

 

[Dometic]

Yes, I have dedicated wiring. 10 AWG from the back of my vehicle to the battery with a fuse. When I say I can see 13.9 volts at the plug means that if I take the cord off of the fridge and use a volt meter the power to cord is correct. Whatever my alternator is putting out I am seeing at the connector and at the cord end. In other words there is no real voltage drop but the fridge app says there is. I understand with a fridge running must volt meters will show a drop in power. That isn't the issue.

Thanks

Thanks for the additional info. Do you happen to have anything else on that dedicated wiring when you have your fridge plugged in and running? Any other large loads placed on the overall system that you might be aware of?

What you are describing that the app is reporting is somewhat unusual so we're trying to troubleshoot by gathering additional info.

DOMETIC
mobile living made easy
shop.dometic.com
Use promo code Expedition20 for $25 off your order of $75+

 

[1Louder]

Thanks for the additional info. Do you happen to have anything else on that dedicated wiring when you have your fridge plugged in and running? Any other large loads placed on the overall system that you might be aware of?

What you are describing that the app is reporting is somewhat unusual so we're trying to troubleshoot by gathering additional info.

I decided to throw the fridge in the truck and take some screenshots. Since the fridge is warm I couldn't get any readings with the fridge connected but no compressor running. If I had voltage protection on the fridge would shut off with these readings.

Fridge on - Truck off - Truck battery showing 12.3 volts at the battery with load
.

Fridge On - Truck On - 14.1 Volts shown at the battery - App also showed voltage at 13.1 volts. It kept changing back and forth


Fridge On - Truck Off - A little bit of solar going in


100 Watt Renogy panel on roof rack low sun. With a load on the battery I believe this app will also show a lower voltage at the battery.


I would be happy to switch to a CFX3 in the same size to see if there is a difference.


Here's my current setup. I prefer to have my fridge in my vehicle. The Off Grid Expedition 2.0 trailer also comes with a CFX65 but I don't normally bring it.

 

[1Louder]

Still...number 10 wire should be fine. Maybe it's a crappy connection somewhere. Bad ground maybe.

It isn't a grounding issue. I know how to wire things properly. All of my non-Toyota items are on a Bluesea Fuseblock which is connected to the battery with 4AWG wiring. A few items are connected direct to the battery as required. 10AWG is what ARB sells in its wiring harness. That is what I am using because it is pre-wrapped in a nice neat bundle and has a built in fuse holder.

Hard to test voltage when the cord is plugged in and fridge running. Maybe a clamp meter would work. I don't own one.