ARB 50qt or Dometic 50qt?

prerunner221

prerunner221

Adventurer
From what I can read on their site it seems the difference is the "W" series has built in WiFi. You can control the fridge, and monitor your temps via App on your phone. And it's grey versus the blue on the US. I have the "US" version and I'm very happy with it.
 
1Louder

1Louder

Explorer
Se7en62 said:
How do y'all compare the two, considering their warranties? I'm comparing the SnoMaster Classic 60qt Dual-Zone ($1,000) to the Dometic CFX-65DZ ($680). The SnoMaster comes with a 5-Year Warranty and has a long-standing proven track record under the African sun. The Dometic seems to have a 1-year limited warranty, but they also have a long-standing track record from being the leader in RV refrigeration.

The SnoMaster comes with a travel bag, remote monitor, wiring kit, etc. The Dometic would require the purchase of the travel bag at ~$65, which makes them even closer in price. - About $250 at retail.
Click to expand...

That SnoMaster model is a true dual-zone fridge freezer. There aren't many on the market like it. From my testing it consumed more power than the Dometic but you have to understand you more energy is required to run 2 dedicated compartments. The Dometic is a single zone with a dividing wall. If you want to use the smaller section as a freezer you crank down the temp on the fridge. The wall between the two keeps the bigger area warmer and acts as a fridge. It really depends on your needs. The owners of SnoMaster USA don't like that I posted results with higher energy consumption rates in my testing. Not sure what to say about that. Factual data on a variety of settings and testing over a weeks timeframe. It doesn't make it a bad fridge. You just have to account for the higher energy consumption. I would highly recommend running solar to help support your battery(s) but I say that with any fridge. If you want a fridge/freezer with a true dedicated freezer compartment go with the SnoMaster. The Dometic is a good alternative. You just have to find the right setting to keep the small section frozen and the large section at a good fridge temp of 40F or less.

Here was my review:

https://www.4xoverlandadventures.com/2017-winter-fridge-shootout/
 
E

encryption

New member
Dometic CFX-65W

After weeks of debating back and forth between the ARB and the Dometic, I went with the Dometic CFX-65W.

I'll start off by saying that it's big. I mean a lot bigger than I expected. I was actually considering the 85 L dual zone one but even the 65W has me blown away by just how big it fits and looks in the back of my '14 MDX (and my car has a pretty big cargo area with the 3rd row folded down). Granted my car is only a temporary placement until my fiance picks up the upcoming 4 door JL to help start building our overlanding rig but even then, I really wonder just how big it will look in the JL and how much left over usable space will be available to us. I have seen some pictures of the 65 qt currently installed in 4 door JKs on slides and even with a cargo tray installed, it's a snug fit but gives a good viewing angle through the back.

What really sold me on the Dometic was the price. 3rd party Sellers on Amazon have it listed at $699 (at the time of my purchase - 2 days ago) with free shipping and no Amazon taxes, saving me an additional $70 in total. The cheapest 63 qt ARB on Amazon from a 3rd party seller is $1,008 (at the time of writing). Since both are made by Dometic (albeit the ARB is made to a different spec), I went with Dometic.

We will be installing this fridge full-time in the Jeep and since it's sole purpose would for overlanding, what sealed my decision was this video

youtube . com / watch?v=wRo7prVB8I4

[edit - i can't paste video links so i've done the best i can above]

Time will tell how truly reliable it is. So far I love the fact that it's whisper quiet. I mean my MDX is is quiet as can be and even when cruising down the highway, I cannot hear the compressor kick in or out. However, the separator grill in the main compartment rattles and it's driving me nuts - to the point I may have to request a replacement.

Hope this helps.
 
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R

Runtothehills

New member
Get the Dometic. My ARB failed in the first week of use aster 1000 miles of highway driving. Poor solder jobs on the 12v plug in terminal. I fixed it on the road. The other solder joints didn't look that great so I asked for a replacement and that has been denied. Had I bought the Dometic I would have just returned it to Amazon. I'm really disappointed with the build quality of the ARB.
 
doug720

doug720

Expedition Leader
I have a Dometic and it has worked very well for us over about 4 years. I have ran it in our RV, my 60 and PU, and on 120v in the garage and on a jib site for several months continuously and WE do not use a cover - All with no problems.

We know people with ARB refers also, and I don't know of any real problems they have had.

We found a great deal on the Dometic, so we bought it. My suggestion is buy which ever you can the get the best deal on! If you need or want lots of accessories, the ARB appears to have more options.
 
E

encryption

New member
dwh said:
If on a phone and the link is "m.youtube", the mobi version of this site will choke on it. Change it to "www.youtube" and it'll work.
Click to expand...

No not on the phone - apparently I'm a noob with too few posts that I cannot insert links into my posts just yet.
 
S

stephaneD

New member
I have a dometic 65 for 3 years now work 24/7 on my boat from may to end sept and never miss a beat i keep frozen meat,fish,seafood all summer there no problem
keep freezer set to 9 meat is hard as a rock and it keep my beer and liquid in fridge compartment steady 32 on the bottom. i kept fruit, egg and all i want less cool in the small compartment. this fridge is a very good buy i love it. the review link say there no drain plug maybe he havent see it cause there one in the bottom in the fridge side
 
prerunner221

prerunner221

Adventurer
As an update to this thread, I purchased the Dometic 50qt a while ago. It's been working great for us, much better than even I expected. The difference between the fridge and the cooler is night and day. I even picked up the fridge blanket at the Expo last weekend and now it works even better. If anyone is reading this thread for a reference to see what they should buy, you absolutely can't go wrong with the Dometic fridge.
 
Rally1

Rally1

New member
A bump within a year permitted ;). Just a note to say the prices on Amazon seemed to have jumped a good $200 compared to the quoted prices from 2017.
 
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