Weighing up buying a Dometic fridge freezer? You’ve come to the right place.
The mobile living experts have launched a tonne of new products in recent years. Now there’s an exciting range of fridge freezers to choose from for your camping and caravanning adventures.
You are likely already convinced that a Dometic fridge freezer is a great quality, reliable choice, but the biggest challenge is knowing which of the many fridge freezers will be the best fit for your adventures.
In our Dometic Fridge Freezer review, we’ve got the lowdown on their range.
Who Is Dometic?
Dometic appliances are used by millions of people around the world. They have been making caravan appliances since the 1960s, originally as an arm of Electrolux. Now, they provide not only top-quality appliances and accessories for mobile living but have also extended into the outdoor adventure world with tents, camping furniture, and more.
One thing that Dometic does brilliantly is fridges. With a range of upright, drawer and portable designs, there’s a Dometic fridge freezer for every adventurer.
As a quick explainer, Dometic used to hide behind its Waeco label for fridges, but recently it has brought its own brand to the spotlight and you’ll notice many Waeco fridge ranges have been relabeled as Dometic fridges.
Let’s take a look at the Dometic fridge freezer ranges in more detail:
Upright Dometic Fridge Freezer:
Compressor:
One of the most traditional RV fridges is the compressor fridge. These are designed to run from a 12/24 DC power source, such as your camping battery, and are made for reliable performance.
You might be familiar with Dometic's discontinued Waeco series. It marked Dometic's initial foray into the realm of efficient and dependable 12/24 DC compressor refrigerators. The most recent addition to Dometic's lineup is the NRX compressor fridges, being the latest and top-tier choice for camping, caravanning, and 4WD adventures. These Dometic fridge freezers can run from 12V, 24V and 240V so there’s no need to buy separate adapters to run the fridge. One of the best features of these Dometic fridge freezers (NRX 75/115/130) is that you can remove the freezer section when you want more fridge space. Genius!
Models include the CRX50 (45-litre), CRX65 (57-litre), CRX80 (78-litre), CRX110 (107.5-litre) and CRX140 (135-litre).
If you’re after a bigger capacity but only have a limited footprint, check out the slimmer Dometic RUC models. The RUC models are upright compressor Dometic fridge freezers with a narrow cabinet design that still delivers on volume. The 6408X boasts a massive 188 litres, the 5208X offers 153-litres and the 8408X gives you a massive 224 litres to play with.
These Dometic fridge freezers not only look slick, they also come with some great features, including easy to use controls, a full width crisper with humidity control and adjustable shelving to secure bottles and cans.
These are two-way fridges which means they will automatically switch from DC to AC power when AC mains is available – no adapter required.
Absorption (12V, 240V or Gas):
If you’re looking for a fridge freezer that you can run on gas, as well as electricity, a 3 way fridge aka absorption fridge is the way to go.
As you’d expect from caravan appliance pros, Dometic has lots to offer in this space.
Top of our list are the Dometic RM2350 and RM2356 fridge freezers.
These models use Dometic’s futuristic absorption technology to deliver a whisper quiet, vibration free operation, tried and tested for adventures on the go. In fact, there’s little doubt they are up there with the most efficient upright absorption fridge/freezers on offer for the recreational vehicle industry today.
The difference between the models is that the RM2356 is a UES (Universal Energy Selection) model so the fridge will automatically select the most suitable energy source, whereas the RM2350 is manual and you need to select select your fuel, whether 12-volt DC, 240-volt AC or gas, on the control panel. The RM2350 comes with 90 litres capacity while the RM2356 is slightly bigger at 95 litres.
As you’d expect with a Dometic fridge freezer, you also get adjustable and removable shelving for maximum use of space.
Speaking of space, check out the Dometic RMD10.5XS for a smart way to optimise your fridge interior. It’s all about the door – the smart door can adapt to different layouts making it easy to store food and drinks however you need. No more tetris!
You can also customise the decor panel to suit your caravan interior.
If your caravan is tight on space, Dometic also offers its tall, slim models in a 3-way absorption range – the RUA series (A for absorption). You get all the same great features with the flexibility of powering the fridge however it suits you. Check out the RUA 6408X, 5208X, and 8408X.
Drawer Dometic Fridge Freezers:
Drawer fridges are a brilliant option for campervans and camper trailers where an upright fridge freezer is not an option.
These versatile, space-maximising designs give you the freedom to use it as a fridge, freezer, or both.
The Dometic CoolMatic CD 20 is a 20-litre drawer fridge – perfect if you want the comforts of a fridge freezer but are low on space.
It comes with a variable thermostat temperature control and an easy-pull drawer running on roller bearing slides, so you can access your food and drinks whenever you need. A safe locking mechanism allows you to unlock and open the fridge in a single movement. It also comes in a 30 litre model for more capacity.
The drawer fridges use a Secop BD35 compressor, which means excellent performance is guaranteed. In fact, it comes with a 3 year warranty for peace of mind.
Portable Dometic Fridge Freezer:
If you want the freedom to move, the portable Dometic fridge freezers come with everything you could think of.
Think about all those times when you want cool food and drinks at your campsite, on your 4WD adventure or on your boat – that’s where the portable Dometic fridge freezers come in. These Dometic fridge freezers are compatible with almost all onboard or main power supplies, so you can travel far and wide, and still enjoy life’s little luxuries.
The most popular portable fridge freezer range from Dometic is the CFX3 series.
There are six models available:
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1 single zone 55 litre with ice maker (more on that in a moment!)
The CFX3 series uses the brand’s most advanced cooling technology. How advanced exactly? Put it this way, the Dometic CFX3 freezes down to –22 °C while using less power than a 60W light bulb.
You can connect it to the 12V/24V DC outlet in your vehicle with ease, no need to worry about it draining your battery. Especially because the CFX3 actively monitors battery power and turns itself off when it detects low voltage! There’s an intuitive high-resolution display and a mobile app to download for control at your fingertips. You won’t even have to leave your camp chair!
Another feature you’ll love is the rugged construction – reinforced ExoFrame, stainless steel hinges and aluminium handles. This series has been tested in the extreme heat of the Aussie outback so you can be confident it will perform in harsh environments.
In case that’s not enough, the Dometic CFX355IM is the world’s first powered cooler with its own ice making compartment. No need to stop for ice at the servo – you can make your own with the rapid freeze plate that lets you freeze an ice tray in just hours, and you won’t compromise the temperature elsewhere in the fridge-freezer.
If you want to take a step up from an icebox but don’t need a fancy upright fridge freezer, check out the Dometic CFF range. The CFF range is designed for more effective use of storage space and temperature distribution, with generous insulation to optimise cooling performance and energy efficiency.
For a super compact option, you can’t go past the Dometic CFF12 13 Litre Portable Fridge / Freezer. This lightweight unit provides 13 litres capacity (which is exactly 17 x 375ml cans, in case you were wondering) and is packed with handy features like a removable cup holder, shoulder strap, and integrated seat belt guides so you can fasten it inside your vehicle.
For more capacity, go for the 21 litre version which fits up to six standard 1.5L bottles or 27 cans.
The CFF35 portable fridge freezer and CFF45 are great options for longer adventures.
The CFF45 weighs in at under 19 kg and maximises its 43.5 litres of volume to create what Dometic calls one of its most economical portable fridge/freezers yet – perfect for when you’re out in the bush and don’t want to worry about battery power.
It comes down to a combination of generous insulation and the design of the storage allocation which delivers a more uniform temperature distribution throughout the interior.
Both come with an optional cover accessory to protect your fridge freezer from dirt, dust, sand, moisture and water splashes.
Taking it up a notch, the CFF70DZ is a dual zone portable fridge freezer. Dual zone compartments can be configured however you like – whether you want fridge/fridge, fridge/freezer or freezer/freezer. The full wrap evaporators deliver excellent cooling performance and there’s an insulated cover for maximum protection.
Which Dometic Fridge Freezer Will You Choose?
Congrats for making it to the end of our Dometic Fridge Freezer review! That’s just about all the Dometic fridge freezers covered. We’re sure you’ll agree – they have a model for just about every Aussie adventure you can imagine.
If you’re thinking about buying a Dometic fridge freezer and need help comparing models, speak to our product experts on 1800 787 278.
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DISCLAIMER* Please note, this advice is general in nature and we strongly recommend consulting the product manual and where relevant, a professional installer.