Fridge prices have gotten ridiculous (1 Viewer)

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My Costway fridge has finally reached a level of annoyance that is no longer acceptable. It still cools and works just fine, but the compressor sounds like a cowbell when going over any minor bump. I've gone so far as disassembling the unit and pulling the compressor, but the compressor itself is completely sealed and not serviceable. I got about 18 months out of it before it started doing that. Figure it's going into the spare room as a beer fridge :)

Anyway, I've begun searching for a better, more reputable option and have discovered that the prices I was seeing a little over a year ago have skyrocketed.

The Dometic CFX65DZ was being sold for $800 last year everywhere...even as low as $699. Now, Dometic wants $1100+ for the unit. What gives?

Was in the market for a fridge, but seeing the same unit $300+ higher for no reason is off-putting. If I'm going to spend $1k+ I'd rather just get the ARB Zero 63L.
 
No advantage to ARB Zero unless you plan on leaving in the outside elements. You rule that one out and lower your price hunt.
Get a higher end Dometic, Engal, ARB or Whynter and you won't be on the search, again, for another fridge.
You're going to get what you pay for with these overland fridges. Either in time or reliability.
 
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I bought a used 45qt Engel 9 years ago and it’s still going strong. They don’t have computer controlled electronics, circuit boards, LED displays, etc. which I consider a plus, just a mechanical temperature control. They’re old school, well made & very reliable. They are expensive though.
 
Wondering if the tariffs on Chinese made goods are affecting these fridge prices.
 
yes, a lot of ice, but a (working) fridge is a godsend for camping, no doubt about it, in my opinion. Makes a huge difference as far as eating (and drinking) potential and therefore camping enjoyment (for most of us). Not to mention keeping the Missus very happy (also a godsend) :) .
A simple mechanical refrigeration system as in a basic fridge is trivially easy to manufacture, actually. It's no rocket science. Should be very reliable. And likely quite easy to fix, with standardized parts (at least in 120V mode). And cheap. Add circuitry to it, maybe not so much any more.

Then again, who knows about simplicity. My Edgestar has worked flawlessly for years now. But both hinges broke to smithereens due to crappy plastic... And you'd think it is even easier to make a hinge than to build a fridge... And, evidently, the replacements are made of solid gold...
 
No advantage to ARB Zero unless you plan on leaving in the outside elements. You rule that one out and lower your price hunt.
Get a higher end Dometic, Engal, ARB or Whynter and you won't be on the search, again, for another fridge.
You're going to get what you pay for with these overland fridges. Either in time or reliability.

I prefer a side opening lid. The ARB Zero 63qt has that feature. It's the same price as the Dometic of similar size (75DZ now)....looks like the 65 is no longer offered by them. The metal case of the Zero seems like it would be more durable than the the plastic on the Dometic. The Engel 64qt is a little more expensive than either the ARB Zero or the Dometic CFX3-75DZ. The Whyntner 62qt is much less expensive, but the side opening lid is on the wrong side and doesn't appear to have any ability to switch to the other side. I don't want to rebuild an entire new drawer system to accommodate a fridge that opens on the wrong side.

I'm so tired of the traditional lid on most fridges that open like a car hood. I definitely want a side opening fridge. My fridge is mounted on the starboard side of the vehicle so the lid needs to open to the side. The ARB Zero and Dometic have lids that can be switched to either side ((which is very nice). It's starting to look like the Zero and 75DZ might be my choices at this point. I don't need the DZ functionality and 75 is HUGE.
 
Hello everyone, I am organizing a fridge group buy if anyone is still looking!

It is for the IceCo line with the Secop/Danfoss compressors, and it is 25% off via a mud-specific coupon that will work on their website!

 
The Dometic CFX65DZ was being sold for $800 last year everywhere...even as low as $699. Now, Dometic wants $1100+ for the unit. What gives?

It seems that most things have added a "Covid" charge. Whether it's legitimate or not. Plain and simple the cost of doing business everywhere has gone up. Being a harbor Freight addict I know the prices like the back of my hand. And anything $20 and up has gone up in price by 25-30%.

+1 for the "buy once cry once" - Engel all the way.
 
@geanes - I'm looking at these same two options - ARB Zero 73QT and Dometic CFX3 75DZ. Definitely want the side opening. I like Dometic's double doors, which I am leaning towards because I expect we will be getting into the freezer section a lot less. The ARB only offers the double doors on the HUGE 101QT, but it does have tie-downs specific to it, which is nice. I also like the ARB's handles better than the Dometic.

Inside my head, it feels like I'm watching a table tennis match...
 
I did just notice the power consumption difference: ARB 0.8Ah vs. Dometic's 1.43 Ah - both ratings are basically with an internal setpoint of 40deg. F with the unit sitting in 90deg. F ambient - so comparable numbers.

For me, this starts tipping me back towards ARB.

Ping pong...
 
That is alot of ice!

But my cheese will never float in melted ice water again. The fridge purchase will never come out ahead of ice and a reasonably priced cooler on cost. It’s about having food cold and dry indefinitely in the backcountry. It’s about a 45 qt fridge holding the same amount of food as a 65 qt cooler because you don’t have ice taking up space. It was the first accessory I bought for my FZJ80 and still the best. Even my wife loves it. Not something I can say about the other $15K I’ve spent on stuff.
 
My portable fridge actually saved me a ton of money...

My kitchen freezer conked out and I was able to keep all the frozen stuff well... frozen in the portable for a good while. Not only did I not lose some of that food (many good steaks and all...) but that backup gave me ample time to get a good deal on a new fridge, while I may otherwise have been forced to rush into buying something, anything, by the powers that be...
 
I purchased a Dometic CFX-55 last year for our trailer and also noticed a price jump this year. The new Dometic CFX is a single unit fridge with a built in ice maker. Regardless of what you have the fridge set at you will also have ice available. In my opinion thats worth a little more coin. Not sure if it's worth an extra $300 though.
Cheers,
Scot
 
My Costway fridge has finally reached a level of annoyance that is no longer acceptable. It still cools and works just fine, but the compressor sounds like a cowbell when going over any minor bump. I've gone so far as disassembling the unit and pulling the compressor, but the compressor itself is completely sealed and not serviceable. I got about 18 months out of it before it started doing that. Figure it's going into the spare room as a beer fridge :)

Anyway, I've begun searching for a better, more reputable option and have discovered that the prices I was seeing a little over a year ago have skyrocketed.

The Dometic CFX65DZ was being sold for $800 last year everywhere...even as low as $699. Now, Dometic wants $1100+ for the unit. What gives?

Was in the market for a fridge, but seeing the same unit $300+ higher for no reason is off-putting. If I'm going to spend $1k+ I'd rather just get the ARB Zero 63L.
There should be some deals on ARB fridges this holiday- try OK4WD or Northridge4x4
 
Well, whatever fridge I decide on, I'll need a new slide. The Dometic CFX65 slide I purchased 2 years ago is too small for the new Dometic and the ARB Zero63.....and the Iceco Fridge that has a 25% off group buy going on right now :( It's short by 1.5" and too narrow by 1/4". Just small enough to screw me into having to buy another slide. Would have thought that slide would have handled up to 65qt fridges easily. There's a TON of room on the slide with my current 54qt fridge on it. Guess, I'll stick with my "cowbell" ringing Costway 54qt for the rest of the season and hope for some big sales towards the end of the year so I can get a new slide as well. Wonder what luck I'll have finding someone to buy my Dometic slide? Can't imagine what the shipping cost on that thing would be.
 
Well, whatever fridge I decide on, I'll need a new slide. The Dometic CFX65 slide I purchased 2 years ago is too small for the new Dometic and the ARB Zero63.....and the Iceco Fridge that has a 25% off group buy going on right now :( It's short by 1.5" and too narrow by 1/4". Just small enough to screw me into having to buy another slide. Would have thought that slide would have handled up to 65qt fridges easily. There's a TON of room on the slide with my current 54qt fridge on it. Guess, I'll stick with my "cowbell" ringing Costway 54qt for the rest of the season and hope for some big sales towards the end of the year so I can get a new slide as well. Wonder what luck I'll have finding someone to buy my Dometic slide? Can't imagine what the shipping cost on that thing would be.
These guys make a good tilting slide from what I understand- (made in Jacksonville FLA) its on my list of things to buy as well. DFG Offroad Accessories
 
It's probably safe to say that normally the summer is not the best time to buy a camping fridge, pricewise. Although now with the virus thing there may be comparatively good deals. And, yes, the China tariffs, whether actually applied or not, may also play a role.
 

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