How loud is National Luna Legacy Fridge? Vs Dometic CFX3?

S

svinyard

Active member
I'm trying to decide on a fridge to buy. Its clear that National Luna makes an incredible fridge that will last a really long time, I'm considering the NL Legacy 72L dual zone. I'm also looking at the Dometic CFX3 75DZ fridge, which seems nice but has a few drawbacks...I'm unsure how big of a deal they are for me tho.

The fridge will be in our hardshell camper and fairly close to the bed. I really want something that will be quiet and efficient, apparently the Dometic is really quiet but I have no clue how quiet the NL is with their own, new proprietary compressor. I also have kids that suck at closing things so I'm real worried that the NL latches will constantly be left open...where as the Dometic has nice click-to-close doors. The Dometic is also wider, which will make for less stuff lost at the bottom but also taking up a bit more width...my camper is designed around the Dometic tho, so I'll not be saving much space. All that sounds great, but from what I can tell the NL is bullet proof and may go for 20yrs, I'm not sure if the Dometic has that same realiability. Neither are cheap.

Rendering of where the fridge goes: (that's the dometic there)
 
67cj5

67cj5

Man On a Mission
svinyard said:
I'm trying to decide on a fridge to buy. Its clear that National Luna makes an incredible fridge that will last a really long time, I'm considering the NL Legacy 72L dual zone. I'm also looking at the Dometic CFX3 75DZ fridge, which seems nice but has a few drawbacks...I'm unsure how big of a deal they are for me tho.

The fridge will be in our hardshell camper and fairly close to the bed. I really want something that will be quiet and efficient, apparently the Dometic is really quiet but I have no clue how quiet the NL is with their own, new proprietary compressor. I also have kids that suck at closing things so I'm real worried that the NL latches will constantly be left open...where as the Dometic has nice click-to-close doors. The Dometic is also wider, which will make for less stuff lost at the bottom but also taking up a bit more width...my camper is designed around the Dometic tho, so I'll not be saving much space. All that sounds great, but from what I can tell the NL is bullet proof and may go for 20yrs, I'm not sure if the Dometic has that same realiability. Neither are cheap.

Rendering of where the fridge goes: (that's the dometic there)
Click to expand...
The National Luna is going to be pretty quiet, As for the latches being left open that is not an Issue either, Fridges like the National Luna and the ARB's and the Engel's have latches that you use to lock the fridge after the fridge has been closed where as Most of the Dometic Range have Lids that you have to Latch in order to close them which is a PIA because it is very easy to leave them open,

Where the 2 types of Lid Locking Systems vary is with the N/L and the ARB and the Engel have to be locked after the Lid is Closed is that they will Suck them selves SHUT causing a Vacuum which hold the lid closed So whether the Lid is locked or not does not matter because just like your home freezer they will stay shut,,

The Dometics Latch before closed setup is really annoying and it is one thing I dislike about my Dometic and my LS 35 Snomaster, Where My 2 ARB's vacuum them selves shut So If I have to make a few trips to the fridge I don't have to mess with the lock if I have got my hands full of food or frozen goods,

Another major win the N/L has is that it has Full Sized Domestic Fridge Seals that are about an inch thick so no cold Air can escape and No warm Air can get In,

I would Go with the National Luna because they are the Ultimate In Fridges and everything about them is the best a fridge can be, You need to remember that the CFX3 series has a design fault where it can not have both leads plugged in at once and It does not look like it is going to be fixed any time soon,

If you want to save a bit of cash then buy One of the ARB's either the 63Qt Classic or the 63Qt Elements Stainless Steel Version or Take a Serious look at the Engel MT 60 because it must be the Toughest Fridge known to Man, Ok. (y)
 
S

svinyard

Active member
Just to circle back here. My National Luna Legacy 72L fridge got off the boat from South Africa a while back and is running in my garage now. First impressions were high to say the least..thanks @67cj5 big time. I mean, WOW...these things are low-key BEAUTIFUL in person. I had no idea aesthetically they looked so damn good. Everything seems literally bullet proof too. The compressor is REALLY quiet and more of a very low hum when running rather than a dun-dun-dun of an old fridge compressor (I'm guessing most new fridges might quiet like this?). It gets cold super quick and the controls are dead simple. Even some of the outer dimensions were a bit smaller than expected, which is sweet. front to back width with the doors fully open is right at 20.5in (fridge body, upper part, and the door hinged out).

It came with a nice low-profile AC cable but also a 12v cable...tho it has a Hella connector on the end. It does come with the female wiring setup for the hella as well so you can install it into your truck without buying extra stuff. Apparently its way more efficient to use something better than a cigarette lighter connection. I have a GoalZero/Solar setup it'll be running off of (newer regulated one), so I'll be cutting the Hella connector off and replacing with an appropriate 45amp Anderson Power Pole (APP) connector from Powerwerx. Thankfully a buddy has a crimper for them. The wiring is 10gauge good stuff too and matches correctly with that APP 45amp. The GoalZero has a hidden extra APP port under the lid. Its not on its own circuit so you have to keep both APP ports under 30amp drawn (combined) but that won't be a problem for me at all. Having messed with a few new Dometics...this thing is on a whole other level of quality.
 
67cj5

67cj5

Man On a Mission
svinyard said:
Just to circle back here. My National Luna Legacy 72L fridge got off the boat from South Africa a while back and is running in my garage now. First impressions were high to say the least..thanks @67cj5 big time. I mean, WOW...these things are low-key BEAUTIFUL in person. I had no idea aesthetically they looked so damn good. Everything seems literally bullet proof too. The compressor is REALLY quiet and more of a very low hum when running rather than a dun-dun-dun of an old fridge compressor (I'm guessing most new fridges might quiet like this?). It gets cold super quick and the controls are dead simple. Even some of the outer dimensions were a bit smaller than expected, which is sweet. front to back width with the doors fully open is right at 20.5in (fridge body, upper part, and the door hinged out).

It came with a nice low-profile AC cable but also a 12v cable...tho it has a Hella connector on the end. It does come with the female wiring setup for the hella as well so you can install it into your truck without buying extra stuff. Apparently its way more efficient to use something better than a cigarette lighter connection. I have a GoalZero/Solar setup it'll be running off of (newer regulated one), so I'll be cutting the Hella connector off and replacing with an appropriate 45amp Anderson Power Pole (APP) connector from Powerwerx. Thankfully a buddy has a crimper for them. The wiring is 10gauge good stuff too and matches correctly with that APP 45amp. The GoalZero has a hidden extra APP port under the lid. Its not on its own circuit so you have to keep both APP ports under 30amp drawn (combined) but that won't be a problem for me at all. Having messed with a few new Dometics...this thing is on a whole other level of quality.
Click to expand...
Cool, I am glad you are happy with your new Fridge, like I said they are a thing of beauty and out spec any household domestic fridge freezer you can buy and in fridge mode they chew very little power,

Having good wiring is the the way to go and what ever is recommended I then go up in spec just to make sure, Let us know how well the NL/Zero combo work out being 2 of the best products out there it will be interesting to see the results.

Good luck in getting it all setup and if you get time show us a few pics,

Well done and Congrats on the new member of the family,
 
67cj5

67cj5

Man On a Mission
svinyard said:
Just to circle back here. My National Luna Legacy 72L fridge got off the boat from South Africa a while back and is running in my garage now. First impressions were high to say the least..thanks @67cj5 big time. I mean, WOW...these things are low-key BEAUTIFUL in person. I had no idea aesthetically they looked so damn good. Everything seems literally bullet proof too. The compressor is REALLY quiet and more of a very low hum when running rather than a dun-dun-dun of an old fridge compressor (I'm guessing most new fridges might quiet like this?). It gets cold super quick and the controls are dead simple. Even some of the outer dimensions were a bit smaller than expected, which is sweet. front to back width with the doors fully open is right at 20.5in (fridge body, upper part, and the door hinged out).

It came with a nice low-profile AC cable but also a 12v cable...tho it has a Hella connector on the end. It does come with the female wiring setup for the hella as well so you can install it into your truck without buying extra stuff. Apparently its way more efficient to use something better than a cigarette lighter connection. I have a GoalZero/Solar setup it'll be running off of (newer regulated one), so I'll be cutting the Hella connector off and replacing with an appropriate 45amp Anderson Power Pole (APP) connector from Powerwerx. Thankfully a buddy has a crimper for them. The wiring is 10gauge good stuff too and matches correctly with that APP 45amp. The GoalZero has a hidden extra APP port under the lid. Its not on its own circuit so you have to keep both APP ports under 30amp drawn (combined) but that won't be a problem for me at all. Having messed with a few new Dometics...this thing is on a whole other level of quality.
Click to expand...
So don't torture us, tell us how wonderful it is and how much fun your having ??

I am itching to know more,
 
Shigeta

Shigeta

W6EXP
I recently bought a fridge and the absolute lack of empirical data on the sound levels of the fridges were a sorely missed component of my research.

I ended up with a Dometic CFX35 and, out of curiosity, measured the sound levels in a dead quiet room while the fridge was idle vs. while it was running. I don't know who needs to read this, but hopefully this will live in (relative) perpetuity as future fridge owners do their own research.

Testing location: Quiet room, trees blowing outside, gardeners buzzing away a few houses down, no HVAC running.
Edit: decibel meter placed 12" away from compressor during measurements

1. Dometic CFX3 45 not running: 31.4 dB average measured over 20 minutes
2. Dometic CFX3 45 running: 38.1 dB average measured over 20 minutes of run time
 
Last edited:
67cj5

67cj5

Man On a Mission
Shigeta said:
I recently bought a fridge and the absolute lack of empirical data on the sound levels of the fridges were a sorely missed component of my research.

I ended up with a Dometic CFX35 and, out of curiosity, measured the sound levels in a dead quiet room while the fridge was idle vs. while it was running. I don't know who needs to read this, but hopefully this will live in (relative) perpetuity as future fridge owners do their own research.

Testing location: Quiet room, trees blowing outside, gardeners buzzing away a few houses down, no HVAC running

1. Dometic CFX3 45 not running: 31.4 dB average measured over 20 minutes
2. Dometic CFX3 45 running: 38.1 dB average measured over 20 minutes of run time
Click to expand...

At what distance did you measure it from, ??
 
67cj5

67cj5

Man On a Mission
Last edited:
D

Ductape

New member
I have a NL 72L fridge/freezer. Would recommend. Plugged it into my 12V system 1.5 years ago and it has been running flawlessly ever since. As far as the noise; I don't have the tools to do a proper sound test. That said, the fridge is much quieter than other equipment I use in the vehicle. My vehicles diesel Espar heater is way noisier than the fridge. I usually have my vehicles Maxxair Fan on any time we are stopped and inside. Even at a low setting, my fan makes more noise. When I turn on the diesel Webasto stove, it's exhaust makes much more noise than the NL. the Every once in a while when it is quiet, I will hear the hum of the NL compressor, but for my old and abused hearing, it is a non issue. Nothing scientific, but I hope this helps with your decision making.
 
S

svinyard

Active member
Does anyone have a tie-down strap the recommend for the National Luna fridges? They have a nice "slot" in the handle for a tie down strap. When I try my own NRS cam straps, I can only fit a single strap. So my options are:

1- Go with only a single tie-down on each side with a normal cam strap. Would this be ok??

2- Find some thin cam straps that fit through the slot where I can get two through and get two anchor points on each side.

Anyone with recommendations?

here is where I need to mount it. 1618247287894.png
 
Last edited:
67cj5

67cj5

Man On a Mission
svinyard said:
Does anyone have a tie-down strap the recommend for the National Luna fridges? They have a nice "slot" in the handle for a tie down strap. When I try my own NRS cam straps, I can only fit a single strap. So my options are:

1- Go with only a single tie-down on each side with a normal cam strap. Would this be ok??

2- Find some thin cam straps that fit through the slot where I can get two through and get two anchor points on each side.

Anyone with recommendations?

here is where I need to mount it. View attachment 654557
Click to expand...
Thats a heck of a nice fridge you got there,,

Over here they charge way more for them, I am looking at their 50L Legacy or the 52L for my next project, (y)
 
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