Dometic Cooling Units Review
Dometic is one of the largest manufacturers of portable and leisure appliances. camper refrigerator Their fridges and freezers are used in RVs, semitruck cabs, and boats worldwide. They are built tough and are often found in places where a cooler is essential for the survival of food, medication, and even veterinary medicine.
They are also a great choice for campers and van lifers who wish to keep their food cool but don’t want to have to use an outlet or generator all summer long. They run off batteries for days at a time, and come with a priority circuit that automatically switches to AC power when it senses the battery is near empty.
For a few decades, they’ve been a major player in the world of portable refrigeration and they’re one of the first companies to manufacture a cooling unit that runs off of batteries instead of an outlet.
These small boxes are powerful and highly efficient, and they’re able to provide cold storage for up to 1.1 cubic feet of food and beverages. They’re also very affordable, and their compact size means they can be placed in cramped spaces.
They’re also surprisingly easy to install, thanks to their built-in features and user-friendly controls. Their handles retract to the sides of the box when they’re not in use and they’re made with aluminum alloy, so they won’t crack or chip on long hauls.
Their hinge hardware is robust and sturdy, and they’re reinforced with fender frames that resist the bumps and dings of the road. They’re rated for heavy-duty use, so you can expect them to stand up to the roughest roads and dings.
While they’re designed to work with both AC and DC power, they only draw 50.7 watts when operating on the former. That’s a pretty average figure for a compressor powered cooler, and it should be plenty to get the job done.
Getting the Unit to Operate
The RTX2000 is available with a 12V adapter, and Dometic also includes mounting hardware. However, the installation was a bit trickier on my van than on others I’ve tested because it had a different roof cutout and a curvature that was not as easily accommodated.
Vandoit’s installation guides were useful for figuring out where to mount the unit and how to seal the opening against water, and they also provided a roof cutout template. Once the unit was mounted, it operated flawlessly.
How to Install a Dometic Cooling Unit
The installation process for a Dometic cooling unit requires some skill, patience, and knowledge of your van or RV’s power system. You’ll need to shut off the 120VAC power and disconnect it at the battery bank. You’ll also need to remove the 12V fuse supplying that power.