Anyone got a Dometic CFF 35 or CDF 36? Looking for Opinions.
- Thread starter Skyliner33
- Start date
I see the KitGarn box posted above by @Dellmassive has a proper mains adaptor rather than having to daisy chain off the cigarette socket cable. That means they are available so I may have to try and track one down
The Polarbox has a separate mains plug too and power brick. Surprised it came with a quality cig plug also, not the usual 50p Chinese crap that falls apart. I however cut this off and fitted some Anderson powerpole connectors for an run to my fuse box. The unit is also fused with a standard blade type that's easily accessible. Just dont like using cig sockets if I can avoid it 
No Chance, i looked for hours . . .
only the ones above available ATM, (my one has been dispatched already apparently)
they are same spec . . . . . . but without the carry bag.
only the ones above available ATM, (my one has been dispatched already apparently)
they are same spec . . . . . . but without the carry bag.
i just found some cover / bags for the fridges i listed above,
looks like they are branded JOYTUTUS
www.aliexpress.com
.
looks like they are branded JOYTUTUS
73.34US $ |Joytutus 50L Car Refrigerator Protective Bag Portable Carry Bag for Mini Fridge Keep Cooling Drip proof Storage Bag|Refrigerators| - AliExpress
Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com
www.aliexpress.com
.
ARB fridge in its cover
control panel and the handy pocket containing bottle opener
inside shot
ok, new "how i done it" thread trying to bring this all together, as its spread accross numerous threads. . . .
ill update this moving forwards . . .
www.t6forum.com
..
ill update this moving forwards . . .
Fridges & Cold Beer -- How I Done It --
Fridges & Cold Beer -- How I Done It -- For Most Beer Lovers, Cold Beer is a Must. (especially Larger) and for Her-Indoors a cold wine or G&T will always help smooth the situation . . . . maybe even Cold POP for the kids (My nanas term) Then there is the necessities of camping and Fridges...
..
So I promised some feedback on the Outwell Deep Cool 35l after using it for real so here goes:
Question 1.
How much does it hold? For me, is it enough for a long weekend away for 4 adults? In short the answer is yes.
Three friends and I went to Snowdonia for a three night stay hiking in the mountains so needed to eat well. I volunteered to be chef so i could test the fridge (and the Cadac I borrowed off my brother). This is what I managed to get in the fridge:
Will it last all weekend. Again, in short the answer is yes.
I packed the fridge on Friday, ready for the drive on Saturday. Fridge was set to 3 degrees. I left the van connected to a Victron Battery charger on the starter battery overnight. This in turn charges the leisure battery so effectively on an EHU overnight. Long (6hrs) drive to Snowdonia on Saturday so Leisure battery should be fully charged on arrival.
Saturday evening we used some of the food so Fridge being opened on and off as we cooked up a BBQ, made tea etc.
Sun morning we drove for 20 mins to our Hike point and then back again for 20 mins 7 or so hours later. Fridge left in van during this period. Sun evening, made a Paella on the Cadac so again fridge being opened/closed as we made the meal and tea/coffee etc.
From the time we arrived back to the campsite on Sun eve until we left on Tues evening, the van didn’t move, nor was the engine run or connected to EHU etc. We cooked up another meal on Mon evening so again fridge being opened closed etc. After Sun evenings meal we replaced some of the food with 4 tins of beer.
Just before we left for home on Tues evening the leisure battery was at 11.9v, there was next to nothing left in the fridge by then, one avocado, one tin of Guinness and half the milk and that was about it. Dashcam is also connected to Leisure battery and runs in parking mode so this too was using some of the juice...
The weather wasn’t particularly hot but nor was it very cold, if it had been sunnier I would have put my small 50W solar panel on to boost the leisure battery a little. I reckon with a 150W panel I could run it indefinitely.
Question 3.
How noisy is it? Well I have to say I didn’t really notice it when in the van at all. Obviously some of this time I was driving and the road noise would have masked it but even when sat in the van at the campsite I didn’t hear it.
So in summary, I am very pleased with it. I don’t normally travel with 4 adults, usually just two of us or just me and my dog. Having catered for 4 I know I can get everything I typically need on a weekend in it. I am also confident it will be efficient enough to not kill the leisure battery over a weekend. I will get rid of the cigarette lighter adaptor and install a wire straight from the fuse panel just because the thing sticks out a lot and is asking to be broken off or knocked out. A direct cable will also be neater.
some pictures:
EDIT
Thought it would be useful to include some battery data so here it is. All data is from the leisure battery.
25 Jul - 6hr drive to Snowdonia with 3 stops en-route
26 Jul - 20 min drive to walk location in morning, return to campsite in evening
27 Jul - van didn’t move or get used all day
28 Jul - van not used until afternoon, then 6hr drive home with 3 stops en-route.
Fridge connected and powered up all this time.
My interpretation of the data is that each downward spike is when the compressor kicks in. What I found interesting is how frequently it does this. During the day when it was warmer it is more frequently than overnight when it is cooler. Also much more frequent around the times we were cooking and taking stuff out the fridge.
Question 1.
How much does it hold? For me, is it enough for a long weekend away for 4 adults? In short the answer is yes.
Three friends and I went to Snowdonia for a three night stay hiking in the mountains so needed to eat well. I volunteered to be chef so i could test the fridge (and the Cadac I borrowed off my brother). This is what I managed to get in the fridge:
- 2l carton of milk
- 4 medallion steaks
- 2 kg chicken breasts
- 500g chorizo
- 12 Tesco finest pork sausages
- 600g tub coleslaw
- 6 salad tomatoes
- Whole cucumber
- Pack of baby plum tomatoes
- Pack mushrooms
- Pack asparagus
- Large bag salad
- 2 whole avocados
- 2 vacuum packs beetroot
- Whole red pepper chopped and bagged
- 2 whole onions chopped and bagged
- 500g bag prawns
- Whole lemon
- Pack sliced ham
- Pack sliced cheese
- Bottle of ketchup
Will it last all weekend. Again, in short the answer is yes.
I packed the fridge on Friday, ready for the drive on Saturday. Fridge was set to 3 degrees. I left the van connected to a Victron Battery charger on the starter battery overnight. This in turn charges the leisure battery so effectively on an EHU overnight. Long (6hrs) drive to Snowdonia on Saturday so Leisure battery should be fully charged on arrival.
Saturday evening we used some of the food so Fridge being opened on and off as we cooked up a BBQ, made tea etc.
Sun morning we drove for 20 mins to our Hike point and then back again for 20 mins 7 or so hours later. Fridge left in van during this period. Sun evening, made a Paella on the Cadac so again fridge being opened/closed as we made the meal and tea/coffee etc.
From the time we arrived back to the campsite on Sun eve until we left on Tues evening, the van didn’t move, nor was the engine run or connected to EHU etc. We cooked up another meal on Mon evening so again fridge being opened closed etc. After Sun evenings meal we replaced some of the food with 4 tins of beer.
Just before we left for home on Tues evening the leisure battery was at 11.9v, there was next to nothing left in the fridge by then, one avocado, one tin of Guinness and half the milk and that was about it. Dashcam is also connected to Leisure battery and runs in parking mode so this too was using some of the juice...
The weather wasn’t particularly hot but nor was it very cold, if it had been sunnier I would have put my small 50W solar panel on to boost the leisure battery a little. I reckon with a 150W panel I could run it indefinitely.
Question 3.
How noisy is it? Well I have to say I didn’t really notice it when in the van at all. Obviously some of this time I was driving and the road noise would have masked it but even when sat in the van at the campsite I didn’t hear it.
So in summary, I am very pleased with it. I don’t normally travel with 4 adults, usually just two of us or just me and my dog. Having catered for 4 I know I can get everything I typically need on a weekend in it. I am also confident it will be efficient enough to not kill the leisure battery over a weekend. I will get rid of the cigarette lighter adaptor and install a wire straight from the fuse panel just because the thing sticks out a lot and is asking to be broken off or knocked out. A direct cable will also be neater.
some pictures:
EDIT
Thought it would be useful to include some battery data so here it is. All data is from the leisure battery.
25 Jul - 6hr drive to Snowdonia with 3 stops en-route
26 Jul - 20 min drive to walk location in morning, return to campsite in evening
27 Jul - van didn’t move or get used all day
28 Jul - van not used until afternoon, then 6hr drive home with 3 stops en-route.
Fridge connected and powered up all this time.
My interpretation of the data is that each downward spike is when the compressor kicks in. What I found interesting is how frequently it does this. During the day when it was warmer it is more frequently than overnight when it is cooler. Also much more frequent around the times we were cooking and taking stuff out the fridge.
Last edited:
What im getting in a pickle over here is about how there is a freezer and fridge at the same time with only one control panel (ve been looking into this whole 12v thing for 6 months, so everything here has been uber hepful), but two compartments :S - 35L would be plenty big enough for just moi - @Dellmassive - would you be kind enough to put me out of my misery and just show a couple saying which compartment does what and what the control panel atually contols please? I want a larger fridge than freezer but one of the photos on the other post you set up where you used a temp gun says fridge in the warmer area and freezer in the colder area... which is really the way round id hope it would be...
cheers
T
cheers
T
Lol.. sure.
So these fridges have cooling elements in the larger, lower box area.
The idea being that cold air is dencer or heaver than warm air, so as the fridge cools down the colder air settles at the lowest part of the fridge.
As time goes on the coldest air rises and will start to over flow into the upper compartment.
This is why they say freezer arear and fridge area.... the top smaller arw will always be slightly warmer.
If you set the temp control to -5degc the main larger box area will drop to that temp.... the upper smaller area will be higher.... say maybe 3degc.
So the control dial relates to the main cooling compartment. The upper smaller box will always be slightly warmer.
Hope that helps?
So these fridges have cooling elements in the larger, lower box area.
The idea being that cold air is dencer or heaver than warm air, so as the fridge cools down the colder air settles at the lowest part of the fridge.
As time goes on the coldest air rises and will start to over flow into the upper compartment.
This is why they say freezer arear and fridge area.... the top smaller arw will always be slightly warmer.
If you set the temp control to -5degc the main larger box area will drop to that temp.... the upper smaller area will be higher.... say maybe 3degc.
So the control dial relates to the main cooling compartment. The upper smaller box will always be slightly warmer.
Hope that helps?
Ah, right.. see, I didnt understand how the 'fridge' area worked.. so it's essentially a main controlled area with a suppository compartment. With never seeing one in the flesh and no description actually being nerdy enough for me (cheers for saying where the cooling pipes are) I was thinking that perhaps the 'fridge' and 'freezer' sections were in reverse where there is always a frozen bit and a controlling area (somewhat like a cheap fridge freezer where the thermostat only controls the fridge) - it's that concept that had me head itching.
You have answered a big ? Mark I had hanging.
Thanks for breaking and clearing the ice
(pun intended)
I thought about the twin cooler and freezer, but it's way too big and too pricey (close to 2k.. no way hoe-say) Heck, two separate units from domestic are cheaper.... even with an extra leisure battery and cheap panel...
So I may get two.. one to act as freezer and one to act as fridge (not for camping, probably just use one... for obvs reasons)
Which of the lot you have seen feels like could take the most battering?
You have answered a big ? Mark I had hanging.
Thanks for breaking and clearing the ice
(pun intended)I thought about the twin cooler and freezer, but it's way too big and too pricey (close to 2k.. no way hoe-say) Heck, two separate units from domestic are cheaper.... even with an extra leisure battery and cheap panel...
So I may get two.. one to act as freezer and one to act as fridge (not for camping, probably just use one... for obvs reasons)
Which of the lot you have seen feels like could take the most battering?
Dometic crx and ARB units appear to be very tough.
Possibly the Outwell clone too?
Possibly the Outwell clone too?
Yep, the Outwell is pretty tough. Needs to be in my van
The insulated carry bags hepp a lot too.
In protecting the box and its efficiency.
In protecting the box and its efficiency.
Has anyone got a Polar box 52l I Have been looking at these Fridges as very are very good value for money but are they any good has anyone done any tests on and how quickly they cooldown how noisy is the compressor on them how much power does it drain Are they as good as Dometic or Vitrifrigo vf45p I would be grateful of any help anyone can Offer on this
Thanks rob
Thanks rob
Hi @Robmc01 welcome to T6F. . . .
have a look over here first >
Fridges & Cold Beer -- How I Done It --
Fridges & Cold Beer -- How I Done It -- For Most Beer Lovers, Cold Beer is a Must. (especially Larger) and for Her-Indoors a cold wine or G&T will always help smooth the situation . . . . maybe even Cold POP for the kids (My nanas term) Then there is the necessities of camping and Fridges...
.
As @Dellmassive says have a look through that other thread first as he has compiled all the info about compressor fridges in one place.
To answer your question about the Polarbox, I’ve got the 42L version which is identical but just has a slightly shallower casing.
From switching on at 25c ambient it cools down to 4c in under 30 mins. I would describe the compressor as very quiet, we’ve camped with it inside our tent for 3 weeks since buying it in Jun/Jul and have honestly never even noticed the compressor overnight, the only time I can hear it is when standing right by the fridge.
I think that’s The fridge freezer for me it sounds really good and amazing value to
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