DOMETIC CFX3-35 REFRIGERATOR/FREEZER

[@christopherbrown8789]

Awesome setup. I just got a CFX3 25 and 2 Jackery 290’s. I’m excited to try it all out. I like having two jackerys so I can leave one in the car running the fridge and use the other jackery anywhere else around camp. It also allows me to bring one jackery inside to charge while leaving the other powering the fridge.

[@StealthGTI]

That sounds like a great plan! Take Care!

[@mclovin747474]

How long can your 25 liter run on a 290 jackery?

[@silverrunner8687]

Great straight forward review. Helped me make my decision on my setup. I have the CFX3 25 and Jackery 500. Run it similar but go 12v from suv to Jackery and then 12v to fridge. If I stop for any length of time and it’s sunny I plug in the 100 watt panel. Surprised how little the fridge uses overnight at reasonable temps, 2W when compressors is not running.

[@StealthGTI]

Excellent! The only trouble I've had, and it's understandable, is that my contents sometimes freeze when outside temps are below 45 degrees. It's as if the fridge doesn't know that it's okay to leave the compressor off. ;-) I deal with it, though. Thanks for visiting!

[@eddyjroth]

What is the longest you've been able to power the Dometic with the Jackery 500? I was looking at something along this exact setup but probably a 35 or 45L

[@JimEdds]

@@eddyjroth With the 300 Jackery I'm running my Dometic 45 for 24+ hrs but the more you pop the lid the more it uses. The Jackery says 46 watts when the compressor is on.

[@Heve62]

I have a waeco (former dometic) 33liter fridge that is over 20 years old! Only thing that has failed is the 230v electronics and the plasticy tabs on the lid. And it has been everywhere around europe. Used in a sailboat, motorboat, a van, or a car. Worth the extra money

[@StealthGTI]

Thanks for the note! I'm currently testing my setup running 24-hours a day in the back seat. I'll share the outcome on a follow-up video.

[@lukeheffernan]

Glad to see you actually USE your car! Great video

[@StealthGTI]

Always! This channel focuses on USING the car to its max. Thanks for visiting!

[@gimbalwalkwithbob]

Enjoyed this video very much - I also use the Dometic with Jackery

[@StealthGTI]

Excellent! This combo worked very well on my recent 7600-mile trip to/from CA. Thanks for visiting.

[@shannonmcatee9610]

I so need one of these

[@StealthGTI]

It's been great! I did learn, however, that the frig tends to fall below freezing when it's below 40 degrees outside. So, don't carry anything that should not be frozen... eggs in my recent case. DOH! Thanks for visiting!

[@treasurethetime2463]

In 5 to 10 years a solar panel and fridge will be "normal" options when buying a car. The secret is selling wives on them. My technique is to describe a shopping outing or "running errands". Women love shopping and running errands. Paint the picture of grocery shopping, then heading off to other shops at your pleasure with no concern of rushing home for the perishables. Easy sell. If you try to talk to her about camping or fishing outings, good luck with that.

[@StealthGTI]

I think they'll be options in minivans; not sure about passenger cars. I recently fabricated a fold-up platform that allows this fridge to ride behind the driver's seat. No one enjoys riding behind me since my seat sits so far rearward. As a result, I keep emergency supplies on the floor behind me since that seat goes unused 99.99999% of the time. Why not put the fridge there? The trunk has more space now, too! I visit the grocery store for my own dietary wants about 1-2 times per week. I turn-on the fridge that morning and it's ready to transport food in a couple of hours. My wife appreciated it during our Memorial Day drive to a friend's place for BBQ; no need to worry about the cold stuff during our 60-minute drive. Cold stuff behind my seat and crockpots simmering in the trunk, powered by my installed 400W inverter. What's not to like about that? :-) I will share a new video after I have carpeted my platform and tested a few things. Thanks for visiting.

[@KnowTheNewOfficial]

Is this frizer usable with 100w or 200w solar 12v dc line?

[@StealthGTI]

I don't know much about solar setups; not yet, anyway. To my knowledge, a solar panel cannot (should not?) power an appliance directly. I think a solar setup still requires a battery for storage. Then, the fridge would run off the battery and the solar panel would charge the battery in the background. Good Luck!

[@toms4020]

How long will the Jackery 500 power the dometic?

[@StealthGTI]

@toms4020 - 36-48 hours, depending upon the temperature setting and the heat inside the car. See more in my update video at kzbin.info/www/bejne/i2WkoJmvhcesoZIsi=aMmyerpGheiR04J-. Thanks for visiting!

[@fattypros82]

This isn't april fools? Love the practicality of your videos Scott!

[@StealthGTI]

HAHA! I schedule for Thursdays, regardless of the real world occasion. Thanks for visiting!

[@JimEdds]

Jackery doesn't recommend pass thru charging unfortunately, they say it decreases battery life as much as I want to do this too. So what is the answer for taking a Dometic on the road? Two Jackeries? Power off one while the other is charging? Pass thru charging would be so nice because power spikes to the Dometic (from turning the ignition on/off for rest stops) will harm the circuitry. Anybody has an idea I'm all ears.

[@StealthGTI]

Funny thing is they SAY it's okay, but the print in the manual says it's not. HAHA! These days, it hasn't be much of a concern because I now have a home-built 1200-Wh LiFePo4 setup in the car that's charged by a 360-watt DC-DC charger. It powers the fridge and much more. I have a couple of recent videos about the battery and the charger. Thanks for visiting!

[@JimEdds]

​@@StealthGTI exactly right . . . Jackery is sending mixed signals on pass-through. My guess is so what if the battery doesn't last as long, they will be happy to sell you another. I need to watch your 1200 LiFePO4 setup video, thanks!

[@CAMDEC1217]

Is it possible to use this as both a freezer and frig, keeping the freezing items at bottom and thawed on top? Just trying to get both out of this 35 size

[@StealthGTI]

I wouldn't trust it for that purpose. It's possible (likely?) that the items that need to be frozen would freeze solid and also freeze the stuff that only needs to be cold. That's especially true during this time of the year when the unit may be operating at temps below 50°F. Likewise, keeping the fridge "warm" enough to keep top items from freezing might not allow bottom items to freeze solidly enough. For example, during my grocery store runs, I set the fridge to 0°F, load the frozen items on the bottom and then "fridge" items on top with the hopes that the load will not stay in the freezer long enough to freeze, especially eggs. I'm usually home within two hours of loading the fridge. But I would not load dual-zone items in a single bay for an extended time. With that said, I'm currently testing a dual-zone fridge/freezer. :-) I'll post a video soon. Take care!

[@CAMDEC1217]

@@StealthGTI Thanks so much. What brand duo zone are you testing? We have looked at the Dometic but it is way too big

[@StealthGTI]

@@CAMDEC1217 - I have an Iceco VL60. It's a mammoth, especially in my little car. But how can I say "No" to a free sample for review? HAHA! I'll do an initial review soon and then a more thorough follow-up next summer when I can really put it to the test.

[@frankwc0o]

If you had to leave the battery to power the refrigerator, how long will the battery last.

[@StealthGTI]

It depends on how cold I have the temperature set and how hot it is outside. See a follow-up at kzbin.info/www/bejne/i2WkoJmvhcesoZI. I'm pretty sure I cover some specifics in that video. I have a new battery system in the car now, a 1280 watt-hour lithium setup. I plan to test its endurance with the fridge this summer. Thanks for visiting!

[@frankwc0o]

@@StealthGTI With that 1280 WH batter will do. You have about 80 AH on that battery, that should be enough for a weekend.

[@paulmcgaw6976]

Great video as always! Where abouts did you install in inverter in the car? It looks like a permanent installation which is great! Here in Australia people have dual Battery system with one being deep cycle that powers the fridge and the other for starting.... It's beyond my knowledge. However I've always been interested to know if this was possible in a sedan with one battery! Apparently it is!

[@StealthGTI]

Thanks for writing, Paul! I have the inverter body mounted under the passenger seat. There's a cubby there that probably held the CarNet module back in the early days. Regardless of what that spot was intended to hold, it's a good fit for my small 400-watt pure sinewave inverter. The key to installing it is to select a switchable power source and wire gauge that supports 40-amps. If you look at my "KE4WMF" playlist, you'll see that I have an extensive 12V distribution system to handle that and more. I need to reshoot that video to cover my recent changes to the system. You mentioned dual battery systems. Oddly enough, I'm on the verge of adding a home-built 100-Ah LiFePo4 "house battery" to the mix. I finished rewiring a lot of stuff in the car today, including a new DC-DC converter that will eventually act as the charger for the batteries. Subscribe if you want to see that in a few weeks. Take Care!

[@paulmcgaw6976]

@@StealthGTI hey mate. Thanks for the reply😊👍. I subscribed a little while ago and slowly making my way though the vids. My partner and I both love road trips as well.... Although the size and distance you travel puts ours in the shade lol.

[@kellyoconnor9773]

I cut the plug off all of my fridges and fit an Anderson plug. They will never come out. Maybe watch some video’s about Anderson plugs then you may want to change to them. Everything I own has only Anderson plugs.

[@StealthGTI]

Thanks! I've considered them over the years and even have some in my parts bin. But I still fall back to crimping terminal lugs. HAHA! See my LiFePo4 battery video at kzbin.info/www/bejne/aXKYe4qio9Cohbs to see how the fridge is connected now. Thanks for visiting!

[@edwinhalim5426]

Scott, I am having problem with the entertainment console on my GTi. It just doesn’t turn on every time now. Have any ideas? Great video as always.

[@StealthGTI]

Not sure. I would start with a forced reboot. Press and hold the power button for more than 10 seconds. That will reboot the radio. Don't worry; you won't lose any of your stored settings. Give that a shot and let me know how it worked. Take Care!

[@jcnredpizzawindow2219]

How long does it stay charged if you charge it at home and go!

[@StealthGTI]

It's hard to recall. I think I had reported ~72 hours in this video. However, I recorded this video in the spring when temps were warm and evenings were cool. During summer, with hot days and warm nights, I'm more likely to see 36-48 hours. Endurance really depends on outdoor temps and the settings on the fridge. For example, set to freezer mode (0 degrees), I see about 14 hours. Set to cool at about 50 degrees (for cooling drinks, not preserving foods), I suspect it would last 3-5 days. See a follow-up video at kzbin.info/www/bejne/i2WkoJmvhcesoZI, if you're interested. Thanks for visiting!

[@Vang_Cutz]

I need one. I'm so tired of using my cooler & ice lol...

[@StealthGTI]

It's been great! I have an update coming in a couple weeks. Thanks for visiting!

[@impulse922]

Inverter/jackery setup is way too complicated, imo. Directly wire a fused/switched outlet from battery to rear of car. Carry a lithium jump starter and utilize the battery protection function on the fridge. Dometic fridges are awesome, just wish they didn't cost almost as much as a cheaper residential fridge.

[@StealthGTI]

I disagree. If I didn't already have an inverter installed, then I'd simply plug the Jackery into the trunk's 12V switched outlet and then the Dometic into the Jackery. I just finished a 7600-mile tour. There were a few points when the car sat for longer than I'd want to trust it on my starter battery. The Jackery powered the Dometic without a flaw throughout the entire trip. Thanks for visiting!

[@Heve62]

Car batteries dont like deep discharging and will ruin your battery easily and its too much work to install thicker wires from the engine compartment to the rear boot.

[@Heve62]

My old waeco needs 13v to get started and won't even start without the engine. Prob due to thin wires on the 12v plug

[@gabelear]

How many miles now?

[@StealthGTI]

127,000 miles and still going strong! Thanks for visiting!