50 qt or bigger fridge in the back of the 3rd gen.

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I have the Dometic CF-80 and am glad I bought it. It makes long camping trips so much easier when you do not have to worry about ice to keep food cold. The funny part is my wife and I have started packing along some comfort food/ snacks along with an extra day of food "just in case".

The down side is that it does take up a bit of space in the cargo area of the 4Runner. The upside is that you can put almost all your food/ drink in it so that will reduce the other stuff in the cargo area. I ended up running an always on power port to the cargo area of my 4Runner for the fridge and one extra for other stuff.

Get it. Great investment. We use it for camping, long grocery trips, and big beer runs.
 
tx_shooter said:
I have the Dometic CF-80 and am glad I bought it. It makes long camping trips so much easier when you do not have to worry about ice to keep food cold. The funny part is my wife and I have started packing along some comfort food/ snacks along with an extra day of food "just in case".

The down side is that it does take up a bit of space in the cargo area of the 4Runner. The upside is that you can put almost all your food/ drink in it so that will reduce the other stuff in the cargo area. I ended up running an always on power port to the cargo area of my 4Runner for the fridge and one extra for other stuff.

Get it. Great investment. We use it for camping, long grocery trips, and big beer runs.
Click to expand...

Do you use a separate automatically isolated battery with it?
 
tx_shooter said:
I have the Dometic CF-80 and am glad I bought it. It makes long camping trips so much easier when you do not have to worry about ice to keep food cold. The funny part is my wife and I have started packing along some comfort food/ snacks along with an extra day of food "just in case".

The down side is that it does take up a bit of space in the cargo area of the 4Runner. The upside is that you can put almost all your food/ drink in it so that will reduce the other stuff in the cargo area. I ended up running an always on power port to the cargo area of my 4Runner for the fridge and one extra for other stuff.

Get it. Great investment. We use it for camping, long grocery trips, and big beer runs.
Click to expand...

Oh 80. That’s huge. Got some photos ? Is it on a slide ? In the back ? Or behind the seat. I was thinking I could possibly flip down the driver side rear seat. And place th fridge there.
 
kolelt said:
Thinking about buying a dometic CFX-65DZUS. Does anyone run this fridge in the back of 3rd gen ? Can you share photos and some advice.

This is the only review and photo I can find of this fridge in a 3rd gen.

Dometic CFX-65DX | Long Term Review - Toyota Cruisers & Trucks Magazine | Land Cruiser, 4Runner, FJ Cruiser, Tacoma, Toyota Trucks
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I run this exact fridge in the back of my runner. Used it on a couple trips without a slider and kinda sucks the way it opens up compared to say the ARB. It wasnt a huge turnoff, just kinda annoying. Since then I've installed a slider that it sits on and it much easier to access the fridge now. Ill see if I can find any photos of it from my previous trips.

As far as the fridge its self, I really like it and haven't had a single problem with its performance. Takes the temperature down quickly and runs really quiet. Doesn't seem to be a huge power hog for its size and its easy to clean. Lots of space for food and the dual zones are pretty nice.

Basically its can freeze on the left side which you can partition off and have a fridge in the middle with a self on the right for things that don't keep quite as cold. This is how the fridge creates different zones. Whether you partition it off or not, this is how the fridge works. So you will always want to put the items you want to stay colder on the left side of the fridge, other stuff in the middle with a self for items that doesn't need to stay very cold. The fridge regardless creates these different zones, not really that innovative imo. I haven't partitioned it off to create both the freezer and fridge.

Overall for the price i was able to get it for(~$650), I think the quality is great and overall quality vs price is one of the best. I did a bit of research on other fridges and felt like this worked for my price range. Picture is of my brother, which is the one that built the slider. The fridge slides completely out so that you can open the lid without hitting the top of the hatch. FYI, well built heavy duty slide rails are expensive. There is a reason why sliders cost so much. Just alone the slide rails cost nearing 200 bucks(overkill), but I tend to build it a little overkill. Picture shows the bag that Dometic sells. Probably one of the cheapest bags Ive seen, but awesome quality. Had to wait a while before they sold them on Amazon. Picked it up for 30 or 40 bucks, since then I think the price has gone up.

I have to say one thing though, if you can afford it, it is 10 times better than running a cooler with ice. Its one of the better camping choices I have made overall. I run a secondary battery, plus i carry a 100 watt portable solar panel just to top it off during the day which is probably not needed. I like it have it for peace of mind.
 

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I a have storage box in my truck. It’s not high. It’s a low profile. I hope to modify and install slides so I do not have to remake a new box.

Or I can flip down the back seat. And set the fridge there.

I though the lid on the dometic fridge can be like arb or sideways.

In the link I shared. The guy has it on top of his tool box. You have to be pretty tall to access the fridge !!
 
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kolelt said:
I a have storage box in my truck. It’s not high. It’s a low profile. I hope to modify and install slides so I do not have to remake a new box.

Or I can flip down the back seat. And set the fridge there.

I though the lid on the dometic fridge can be like arb or sideways.

In the link I shared. The guy has it on top of his tool box. You have to be pretty tall to access the fridge !!
Click to expand...

Unless they changed it recently, the lid can only be orientated on which side the hinges reside, either opening from left or right side. ARB fridge lid can actually detach from the fridge completely. Which was a huge plus for the ARB, the Dometic can not. You actually have to unbolt the hinges and then flip it. Its not something you would do often. Its been a year or two since I researched fridges, so it could have changed since then. The main thing you want to look for is the depth of the fridge plus the the distance the lid needs to come up before hitting the ceiling inside the cab. Sitting on the floor of the 4runner, if I remember correctly, I couldnt completely open the lid. It opens enough to where you can get into the contents, a mild annoyance, but not a deal breaker for me.

You should be fine on a low profile toolbox, just make sure you get long enough sliders that pull it out enough that you open the fridge up without hitting the rear hatch. I think mine extend 32". Oh and if you are going with sliders, make sure to get ones that lock in place. Regardless, the Dometic fridge is a solid piece of equipment and I have not regrets other than buying one sooner.
 
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I heard dometic makes fridges for ARB to their standards. Could be wrong. Also I was looking at the 50qt dometic. But I like the dual zone on the bigger one. Dimension wise. It’s not much bigger.
 
kolelt said:
I heard dometic makes fridges for ARB to their standards. Could be wrong. Also I was looking at the 50qt dometic. But I like the dual zone on the bigger one. Dimension wise. It’s not much bigger.
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I read something that they used the same exact compressors or something. Then Dometic changed to a better style recently if I remember correctly. I like the size of the 65, enough room to keep 4 people fed for a few days.
 
alumarine said:
Do you use a separate automatically isolated battery with it?
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Yes; I am using a smallish house battery to run the fridge and other accessories. More info in my build thread.

kolelt said:
Oh 80. That’s huge. Got some photos ? Is it on a slide ? In the back ? Or behind the seat. I was thinking I could possibly flip down the driver side rear seat. And place th fridge there.
Click to expand...

This is about the best pic I have at the moment that shows it in use. The pic was taken last October on the High Water Trail. Great trip that more people should do - just not when I am out there so I can enjoy the quiet. lol

 
tx_shooter said:
Yes; I am using a smallish house battery to run the fridge and other accessories. More info in my build thread.



This is about the best pic I have at the moment that shows it in use. The pic was taken last October on the High Water Trail. Great trip that more people should do - just not when I am out there so I can enjoy the quiet. lol

Click to expand...

That fridge doesn’t look crazy big in your truck.
 
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