Fridge Upgrade Recommendation - Cirrus 820

[bernardocolorado]

Rig: '21 F350 Tremor, OEV Flatbed, '22 Cirrus 820

I just upgraded from the 620 (1800lbs wet) to the 820 (3000+ lbs wet) and am excited to do a lot of customizations as I plan on full timing in this rig for quite a few years.

First goes the fridge. It's a Norcold 512.3UR. It's significantly larger than I need, takes up too much space (and probably weight), and most importantly, it's 3-way and I don't need/want the fridge to pull propane (upgrading the DC system to provide plenty of off-grid power).

What's a solid quality fridge that's slightly smaller and runs only on AC/DC and is known for its quality & robustness?

Dometic CRX series?
Isotherm?
Or maybe something like the ARB Zero?

Thanks!

 

[palebluewanders]

I've seen lots of people with those big Vitrifrigos and they seem to like them so I'm planning to put one in my build but don't yet have personal experience with them. I did buy a secondhand Dometic for my campervan in Australia and used it for over a year with no problems. They really love their Engels over there too, might be an Aussie brand though.

 

[oldnslow]

I was not able to find the size of that fridge, but I found a picture of it. It appears to be a cabinet type fridge.

I have a NovaKool in my Lance that has served me well for 7 or 8 years now. It is a 12V compressor cabinet type so it could replace that Norcold directly. Since the Norcold is a 3 way you already have the heavy gauge wire there. They have many different sizes available so you could have a smaller one with some cabinet space above it. They are a bit hard to find (look at marine sites) but I can highly recommend it. They mostly target the marine market, where propane is a no-no.

If you want a chest type (like those you mentioned) I can stongly recommend the Engel. They are pricey but well built. I have one that I got for a Jeep in 2000 and is still going strong in my van today. It has gotten a LOT of use. ARB makes a fine unit also, they originally sold a rebranded Engel when they started. Their units now are quite different but still seem to be well made. They are highly regarded by people here.