Dometic, Yeti, or both?

C

Chuck

Novice
We pick up our 550 Ultra in 3 weeks. We did not pre-order any refrigeration or ice coolers because we didn't know for sure how to decide which way to go. Now we have forced the issue on us, but would welcome advice from experienced owners. Camping world has a CFX35 Dometic on special for $529 plus $10 shipping. The CFX is a little newer than the CF35, but it does not fit into the 24" opening in the galley. It's .80 inches too long. So I'm wondering why not carry that in the TV, and put a Yeti 35 in the galley opening. Another question I have is how do you keep the power to the Dometic when you are in a campsite with 110v? I'm assuming you either leave it in the TV or stow on the side table, and run the power cord to the AC outlet? I hope these concerns don't seem elementary, but I was always told there are no dumb questions! To those who use Yeti- how long does your ice hold out?
 
We wound up with both. Started with the Dometic (don't forget to remove the handles & make your own - for fit). We leave ours plugged into trailer 12V with campsite power - 120W Zamp solar otherwise. Just added the Yeti 35 for COLD drinks & use it in the TV for day trips / or campsite.

TOWBERT
2014 560 SUV Ultra
 
We had the same dilemma. We bought the Dometic CF35, the stainless Coleman w/ CI cover and a 120watt Zamp solar panel. Use the coleman as our dry food storage (canned goods, bread, chips, cookies etc.) It stores in th galley. When traveling the Dometic is placed in the sleeping area and plugged I to the 12 volt system, so when traveling it runs off of trailer system which is charged by the TV. Keeping it going is not an issue when on the grid. When off grid solar panels handles it well plus other stuff (fantastic fan and other electrical needs). The dometic pretty much out all the time unless we are not near camp then I set in trailer. We traveled for 12 days this summer both on and off grid and everything stayed frozen and cold. It is a learning curve though as you need to pack the dometic with frozen items on bottom and thing you do t want frozen near top. Also when we took out a cold beverage
always replaced it with a warm one to maximize space. It worked great for us as replacing ice is something we didnt want to concern ourselves with. If we have a problem with dometic figure the coleman will work as an replacement.
Hope this helps...
 
We recommend switching power cords on the Dometic to the AC cord when at a campground with shore power. The reason for it is the regular draw from the fridge will be enough to kick the trailer's on-board battery charger into high charge mode. This tends to make the battery and charger run warm and will eventually shorten the end life of both components. It works to run it on DC when plugged into shore power but realize you are adding wear and tear on those components.

Nice technique, Ron and Missy by the way, and use description.

Cary
 
We run the Dometic on shore power whenever possible. If we aren't going to have access to shore power, we tend to take the Coleman and go back to using ice. Ron and Missy appear to have a system pretty well down pat.

Bob
 
I keep the Dometic in the vehicle, plugged into a 12volt plug in that has been converted to be hot all the time. When in camp then use an extension cord to the car for 110.
WOrks well for me traveling solo. Traveling with Bob, then also use a regular cooler for refreshments.

Leave the Dometic in the car because have access to snacks, etc during day trips.


Store a tub with grill, charcoal etc in the galley where a cooler can be placed.

Jean
 
We have both, Dometic and Yeti. We keep the Dometic in the Tow Vehicle and the Yeti in the back of the truck. Refrigerated food stays in the Dometic and drinks stay in the Yeti. We utilize the normal cooler in the galley area for keeping the other food. It works great for us!
 
Thanks for responding. I think we are going with both as well, especially with the internet sale price out there.
We are tired of all the heat and rain. Looking forward to traveling north for a while.
 
We have both the Dometic and the 50 quart Yeti. Our tow vehicle does not have a hot 12 volt plug and if it did I would be concerned with a low battery, so we made the decision to keep the Dometic in the trailer. This allowed us to get the 50 quart Yeti, which stays in the tow vehicle, is a little to big for the galley, and gives us more cooler space.

We also bought 4 of the 4 LB Yeti ice blocks. A little pricey, but they will pay for themselves as I do not need to buy ice, when using the Yeti for a few days. They also keep food from becoming wet. Food that is directly on the ice block may freeze for the first day or so.

I have toyed with the idea of using my Dometic as a freezer on longer trips. This would allow me to carry frozen meat and veggies and would also allow me to rotate the Yeti ice blocks from freezer to cooler, allowing me to go indefinitely without having to purchase ice. This should be no problem on the grid.

I recently tried this off the grid, but a bad charge wire connection in my tow vehicle, a shaded campsite, 4 very cloudy days in a row, and the extra power needed to keep the Dometic near 0 degrees did not allow the solar panel to catch up to the depleted battery (caused by bad connection). I want to try it again though.

My solar panel (Zamp 120) keeps up well with the Dometic in the refrigerator mode.

I would suggest the side 110 volt cord for the Dometic, a link can be found somewhere else on the forum. The cord provided with the Dometic does not allow it to go into galley in 110 mode, which makes it necessary to run the Dometic on 12 volt, while on the grid. As Cary said this will reduce life span of some components.

If you get the insulating jacket for the Dometic, you may need to modify the hockey stick slightly.

Enjoy your Camp Inn. We have had a wonderful summer with ours.
 
I'd love to have the link to that side cord for the dometic but can't seem to make the search engine give it up. Anyone got the link?
 
I would recommend both. We have the CF 35 the older unit but we carry it plugged in, in our tow vehicle because in the hot southwest under the hatch it would fault because of the lack of ventilation. So the fact that the newer unit is a little to big is not an issue. We use the stainless Colman cooler with the cozy which does its job of extending the ice. We set the fridge under the side table plugged in and leave it that way when we shut the hatch at night or if we are out of the campsite. Sometime on long trips we take a third cooler for cold beverages.
 
Thanks everyone for the great advice. We ordered the Dometic CFX35 from camping world (on sale until Sept. 6), having it shipped to LeClair, Iowa which is our base prior to driving up to Necedah.
 
You should join us at Tears by The River, next weekend at the Thompson Causeway...only a stones throw from where you are at! Ron and Missy.
 
Ron and Missy,
I probably wasn't very clear in my last posting. We would love to know more about the Tears by the River event, but we will still be in Florida that weekend. Martha's sister lives in LeClair, and we plan to stay with them the weekend prior to going to Necedah for our orientation and pickup. We will stay in the Necedah area for the CICO event. Are you attending CICO? Thanks for all your informative posts. Been most helpful in deciding what to purchase ahead of the trip.
 
Look u der gatherings in the forum for more info on tears by the river. We will not make CICO as we have a wedding in MN that weekend. Have a safe trip!
 
What to do with coolers seems to be a hot topic. I had a 40 quart 12v Igloo cooler that I bought as an option for my old Subaru Outback. Sold the car, kept the cooler. When we ordered our Campinn I was hoping it would fit. It does not. We got the Coleman cooler and keep the Igloo in the TV. Even though it says not to put ice in the Igloo we do anyway(we put basgs or blocks in 2 gal Ziploc bags). Between the ice and the 12v cooling it is the one we use for everything that MUST stay cold. We use the Coleman for everything else. The Igloo (Amazon Igloo 40375 Iceless 40-Quart with 110-volt Converter Coolers, Silver) is only $150. We find this combo to work very well for us.
 
Be aware that the Igloo cooler is a piezoelectric type cooler as opposed to the Dometic compressor type. A piezo cooler is a battery eater as it runs all the time, and can only cool a fixed temperature below the ambient. The compressor only runs when needed and is significantly more efficient. We struggled with a piezo cooler for years; the Dometic while significantly more expensive is really worth it; it keeps the food at the set point and is a lot more friendly to our battery.
 
Thank you for explaining the difference. I love the educational aspects of this forum. Battery life is always on my mind though we only run the Igloo in the TV when driving or for short stops so will live with it for now. Maybe Santa will somehow get a Dometic down our chimney.
 
... and Larry/Peg, look at the solar options too...

You have the plugs (lower back quarter panel), just plug it in.
I believe solar is the best way to go for "out there"... While I was using a Big Ole Battery, I was looking at the solar panels to charge that one. Electrify or re-Volting.. there's always something Else to get.. LOL.. the nature of the beast right?

Happy Trails..


(and yes, I'm getting 2 160w panels (320w) for the camper, but more electrical stuff to power)
 
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