Dometic vs Isotherm

[johnr9q]

I have a Dometic (Waeco) CoolMatic CR-1110 Refrigerator in my cabover truck camper. This refrigerator is a compressor style refrigerator. I was concerned that the compressor was running too long in warmer temperatures to keep the fridge at a reasonable temperature (40 degrees).
I have a friend that has an Isotherm Cruise CR 130 compressor style refrigerator Installed in a Sprinter van. I thought doing a comparison between the two would tell me how my Dometic stacked up with the Isotherm.
Comparing both refrigerators:
1. They both have a Danfoss BD35F compressor.
2. The Isotherm is a little larger at 4.6 cubic foot and the Dometic is 3.8 cubic foot.
3. The Dometic is 6 months old and the Isotherm is 4 years old.
4. The way the Isotherm is designed the condenser coils are in closer proximity to the compressor (which gives off a lot of heat) than the Dometic
5. There are more condenser coils on the Dometic.
6. When each refrigerator was running, they were drawing approximately 4 amps

To do the testing, I did the following to both refrigerators:
1. I put two, one gallon ziplock bags full of water in the refrigerator section and a one quart ziplock bag in the freezer section.
2. I ran both for 12 hours previous to gathering data.
3. I checked measurements on the compartments that the refrigerators were installed in and both exceeded the requirements provided by the manufacturer

Results:
The Dometic refrigerator interior temperature was, freezer section 13 degrees, refrigerator section 38 degrees. The outside ambient air temperature was 87 degrees. The compressor was cycling on and off and stayed on 31% of the time
The Isotherm refrigerator interior temperature was, freezer section 18 degrees, refrigerator section 53 degrees. The outside ambient air temperature was 90 degrees. The compressor was on 100% of the time.
To be fair I was concerned that the cabinet enclosures might be different between the Dometic and Isotherm and affect the operation of the refrigerators so I decided to remove the Isotherm from its cabinet and do the same test with it in unrestricted airflow. (I did not test the Dometic out of its cabinet) The refrigerator interior temperature was, freezer section 13 degrees, refrigerator section 36 degrees. The outside ambient air temperature was 92 degrees. The compressor was on 100% of the time.

Conclusion: The Dometic was a clear winner in my test. It only ran 1/3 of the time and maintained an internal refrigerator section temperature that was 15 degrees lower than the Isotherm. Even when the Isotherm was outside of its cabinet it could only maintain a similar temperature as the Dometic yet it ran over 3 times longer.

[travellerw]

Yup sounds about right.. I will never buy another Isotherm product. They are cheap POS. The enclosure is just a cheap Chinese fridge with a Danfoss BD35F stuck on the back. The "Stainless Steel" front is some cheap lacquered metal that corroded in 2 months, then completely fell off after 5. It was held on by a slot that was too small and relied on foam tape behind it..

Just pure crap.. The definition of "Lipstick on a pig"! Not to mention SUPER OVERPRICED..

[johnr9q]

I just returned from a trip in the van with the Isotherm. The maximum outside temperature was 80 degrees. At that temperature the refrigerator temperature was 49 degrees and the compressor was running full time. This is after I installed 3 fans to assist in air circulation. This is not an acceptable performance. The refrigerator should stay at 40 degrees.