You may not need a refrigerator in your car, but if you take a big trip, especially off-grid, it will change everything. After using Dometic's CFX3 refrigerator and PLB40 power supply for a land adventure in my gear, I can help you decide if this setting is something you might want to invest in.

(Full disclosure: The employees of Dometic loaded the CFX3 35 refrigerator and PLB40 into my Montero, responsible for route planning, providing food and paying for myself and a group of other off-road types of fuel for about a week of the Baja trip. Dometic also brought it in. I am a very talented photographer, which is why the images in this article look very well-crafted and business-friendly compared to the images you usually see on my blog. But they look so good, Cannot share.)

Dometic is not a household name, but it is a well-known manufacturer in the field of durable portable devices. The company's refrigerators have long been used in motorhomes and boats. It also makes wine cabinets, toilets... almost everything that can turn a vehicle or trailer into a comfortable modern home. In fact, Dometic has also produced off-road truck refrigerators under its own brand and another major adventure equipment brand for some time.

But as hardcore car camping-now often described as "land"-has become more and more popular, Dometic is more and more actively directing to those who like to equip cars, trucks and SUVs for adventure and self-sufficiency. Of people do marketing.

For this reason, the new Dometic CFX3 "electric cooler" (refrigerator) is advertised as a top-quality, non-cheap option, perishable food pantry in remote areas. This is a large open-top brick, Bluetooth connection, industrial elegance.

PLB40 (portable lithium battery; 40Ah lithium iron phosphate battery pack) is a useful power battery, you can take it to the bushes, or directly plug into the cigarette lighter of the vehicle, basically providing you with plug and play Dual battery system. I will explain more about this later, but you definitely want one to use with your new car refrigerator.

There are six different Dometic CFX3 refrigerators, which have the same basic structure and function. The CFX3 35 is the smallest device tested on my Montero, with a claimed capacity of 36 liters (50 beer cans), the cheapest, and a list price of $899.99. CFX3 100 has a volume of 99 liters (153 beer cans) and sells for $1,399.

You can learn more about the details of all CFX3 models on the Dometic website. I will introduce the most relevant highlights: these refrigerators have drain plugs, full-color digital displays that report temperature and provide an interface, and applications connected via Bluetooth so you can keep an eye on the coolness of the cooler from the cab, as well as larger Some even have a small freezer, so you can make your own ice cubes.

You can plug these refrigerators into a 12-volt cigarette lighter socket, or, if you want to use it in a garage or other place, you can plug it into the wall of your home.

The PLB ($849.99) has a USB output, an ordinary 12-volt DC power outlet, a two-pin 12-volt power supply, and a beautiful screen on the top to report its charge level. This thing weighs about 16 pounds and has "512 Wh of energy, 40 Ah". This is equivalent to running the CFX3 35 refrigerator for about a long weekend. But if you put it between the 12-volt socket of your car and the refrigerator, you can use it indefinitely.

Have I fully explained how all this heavy electrical waste should be used with your small cigarette lighter plug without damaging your alternator and damaging your food? No?

Well, no science is gained, because what on earth do I know, let's break it down. You may have heard of some land rigs that run dual battery settings. (If you are tired of it, please skip to the next part.) One important reason you may need to use dual batteries in 4WD is that you can use a normal car battery to dispose of the car battery, and then for your refrigerator and lights Power or something, and the truck is off.

The main battery powers the starter, so you can start the truck as usual, and the second battery powers your toy. This way you don't have to worry about draining the battery that is essential to the operation of the vehicle. When the engine is running, the second battery is charging. So, in theory, you always have power.

Properly setting up a dual battery system requires running a bunch of wiring and finding a place to install a second car battery. If these things sound cumbersome, then Dometic’s PLB40 sounds great.

If you plug the PLB into one of the vehicle's 12-volt sockets, it will charge while you are driving. Insert the other end into the refrigerator, it always keeps your items cool. Bang, you are done! As an advantage of PLB's portability, you can take it into a tent or take it to the beach when needed. This is convenient if you spend a few nights in the Sea of ​​Cortez and want to bring the refrigerator to the beach. I mean, why do you have to walk dozens of feet back to your rig to drink air-conditioning?

Unfortunately, I didn't really test the full potential of this setup because the 12-volt plug in my Montero is a bit clumsy. However, this means that I can indeed test the power life of the PLB refrigerator, and I can report that even without charging, it will allow the CFX3 35 refrigerator to run for three days throughout the weekend and have excess juice.

When you spend time at any truly important distance away from civilization, keeping perishable items cold is a real challenge. You can't always get ice cubes from the gas station. With an electric refrigerator, you never have to worry. Even better: being able to load (and trust) a refrigerator in a truck like at home can significantly increase your food freedom, which can make your camping holiday more interesting.

Want to taste premium steaks from Whole Foods to Baja? no problem. Those 18-dollar Wagu hot dogs they sell in Century City? Throw them in the refrigerator and you can cook them on the beach 1,000 miles away in three days.

Don't like to cook while traveling? There is also an advantage there...you can put leftovers from the restaurant in your truck refrigerator!

As far as the Dometic CFX3 refrigerator is concerned, it is great to be able to see it on the smartphone. But I am most impressed by the quality of the construction. The handles and body of CFX3 of various sizes are durable and industrially elegant. The CFX3 35 I have used is quite heavy, but it is not impossible for one person to carry it. The same is true for the PLB40-well-made and reassuring.

And not only do they look sturdy: I ​​treat refrigerators and batteries in trucks more gently than my own equipment. Both of them didn't seem to mind being dragged through the sand, staying outside with dew, falling off, and sprinkling on their bodies, but they were generally abused.

My field record in the Disadvantages column: "Huge and expensive."

CFX3 35, which we have established as the smallest in the series, is not entirely easy to put away. In fact, it consumes about a quarter of the cargo capacity area behind my second row. And my Montero may be old, but it's not small inside.

In other words, it is roughly the same size as a mid-sized camping cooler. Whether it is a thick insulating layer like Yeti or a power compressor like this machine, you only need space to get a good cooling effect in the box.

Then there is the price. There is no doubt that $1,800 is a lot of money. I mean, let's be honest, it almost doubled the value of my Mitsubishi when it was installed. However, off-roading is an expensive hobby, and products that are both high-tech and durable are never cheap.

For example, you can easily spend $1,800 on a light bar instead of this refrigerator and battery combination. In addition, although I know there are other people, such as me, running around on four-figure rigs, many of the 4x4s I see on land are vehicles worth more than $50,000.

So, really, the CFX3 refrigerator will cost a lot of money, but you will get a beautiful high-performance food storage solution.

On its own, the weakness of CFX3 is actually inherent in placing a refrigerator in your vehicle. This is a promise. To get more detailed information than this, you must check some competitor reviews.

None of them are very scientific, but they do make owning a refrigerator look fun! You will see more revelations in other blogs. Now, there are some food coolers in operation: