A cool question for Beach owners?

[Borris]

Hello Folks,
Mrs B and I have a seven seater Beach. When we go away camping, we always have it in five seat mode with the multi flex board and VW Comfort mattress stowed behind the rear three seat bench. I am now thinking of buying a Waeco/Dometic CFX35 litre 24/240v fridge for our prolonged trips away. Do any of you fellow Beach owners have this set up? If you do I would really appreciate your views on the following questions please:

1. What are your impressions of the Waeco/Dometic CFX35?
2. How to you stow it in your Beach?
3. Does its size present any issues?
3. How to you secure it in position?
4. Does it hammer the leisure battery?

All views of this fridge/Beach combo are very welcome.

Moderators, I hope I have entered this thread on the right Forum. If not please accept my apologies.

 

[Stuart]

Same setup here although a Waeco CF26. Mostly keep it under the multiflex, except when cold /wet camping when it moves to the living area. I can answer your other questions if the CF26 is of interest?

 

[Rich20]

We have this setup but with a CF35. In normal use the fridge sits in a home made slide out which I detailed in another thread. It works fine but takes up boot space. When we are going away, we move it to the rear of the front seats and pull the rear bench forward to increase boot space. It does not hammer the leisure battery as it is a compressor fridge which is not running all the time. We pre-cool it as well prior to leaving and this helps prolonge battery life. We always use hookups so I cannot say what it would be like off grid.

 

[Stuart]

I left our CF26 plugged in for 6 days this summer by mistake, and it was still running fine. Of course it wasn't opened in that period so easier for it to stay cold.

Using it more normally I've done 3 days with no issues.

 

[Borris]

Same setup here although a Waeco CF26. Mostly keep it under the multiflex, except when cold /wet camping when it moves to the living area. I can answer your other questions if the CF26 is of interest?

Thanks Stuart,
The CF26 looks like a nice fridge. I've just had a look at a Youtube clip of it. However, as we have eight grandchildren the fridge will also be used fom time to time for picnis etc. Hence the need for a slightly bigger capacity.

 

[Stuart]

Yes, only 4 of us using it. 8 grandchildren would need a bigger capacity!

 

[Borris]

Yes, only 4 of us using it. 8 grandchildren would need a bigger capacity!

Yes, they frequently have their little beaks open demanding food. We obviously don't carry them all in the Beach at the same time but often meet up for picnics etc. I'm just hoping that the CFX35 isn't too big externally.

 

[CannonDale]

Hello Folks,
Mrs B and I have a seven seater Beach. When we go away camping, we always have it in five seat mode with the multi flex board and VW Comfort mattress stowed behind the rear three seat bench. I am now thinking of buying a Waeco/Dometic CFX35 litre 24/240v fridge for our prolonged trips away. Do any of you fellow Beach owners have this set up? If you do I would really appreciate your views on the following questions please:

1. What are your impressions of the Waeco/Dometic CFX35?
2. How to you stow it in your Beach?
3. Does its size present any issues?
3. How to you secure it in position?
4. Does it hammer the leisure battery?

All views of this fridge/Beach combo are very welcome.

Moderators, I hope I have entered this thread on the right Forum. If not please accept my apologies.

CFX 28 is a perfect fit and you can have a quick release kit so it cant move around the van

 

[Borris]

We have this setup but with a CF35. In normal use the fridge sits in a home made slide out which I detailed in another thread. It works fine but takes up boot space. When we are going away, we move it to the rear of the front seats and pull the rear bench forward to increase boot space. It does not hammer the leisure battery as it is a compressor fridge which is not running all the time. We pre-cool it as well prior to leaving and this helps prolonge battery life. We always use hookups so I cannot say what it would be like off grid.

Thanks,
I have just had a look at a CF 35 on Youtube and unsurprisingly it seems roughly the same size externally as the CFX35. I also had a quick measure up earlier today and whilst the CFX35 will fit under the multiflex board it does take up quite a lot of space. Still its got to go somewhere. I also intend to make a full width pull out tray for all the stuff in the boot so it should be easier to access.

Do you tie your CF 35 down when its behind the front seats? If so how?

It's good to know that these fridges don't drain the battery too much. We also use hook ups where ever possible.

 

[Borris]

CFX 28 is a perfect fit and you can have a quick release kit so it cant move around the vanView attachment 27249

The CFX28 is slightly less bulky so might be a very good compromise. I am currently rather torn between the CFX35 and the CFX28.

Is the quick release kit something that you have made? I had intended just using a couple of tie down rings from the club shop. They fit into the floor rails. I'd use them as anchor points for a small rachet strap.

 

[CannonDale]

The CFX28 is slightly less bulky so might be a very good compromise. I am currently rather torn between the CFX35 and the CFX28.

Is the quick release kit something that you have made? I had intended just using a couple of tie down rings from the club shop. They fit into the floor rails. I'd use them as anchor points for a small rachet strap.

CFX28 quick release plate is an accessory from Dometic/Weaco and cost me £59. I bolted the release kit to an old cupboard door sprayed black and used VW rail fixings to hold it in place.

 

[Borris]

CFX28 quick release plate is an accessory from Dometic/Weaco and cost me £59. I bolted the release kit to an old cupboard door sprayed black and used VW rail fixings to hold it in place.

Brilliant. Thanks

 

[Amarillo]

The CFX28 is slightly less bulky so might be a very good compromise. I am currently rather torn between the CFX35 and the CFX28.

Is the quick release kit something that you have made? I had intended just using a couple of tie down rings from the club shop. They fit into the floor rails. I'd use them as anchor points for a small rachet strap.

We have been away over 120 nights, with a 28 night break.

We have a CFX28 behind the front passenger seat, strapped to the front passenger seat so it cannot shift. It plugs into the 20amp socket above the three pin hookup electric socket. It also has a USB point, and into that is plugged the van's mifi.

The 3 seat bench is positioned on the rails in the position needed to lower it into the bed position. We no longer move it forwards or back while touring.

The multiflex is positioned just shy of the rearmost position so the boot 12v socket is available for external lighting.

The boot space is therefore ginormous and everything for a 12 month tour for four people plus dog fits like a dream with a very restricted rear view mirror view, but just enough to see tailgating vehicles.

Perhaps oddly, we put the lower berth mattress forward of the multiflex, and reverse the multiflex pad so that it protects the sheeted mattress on the top and at the back. The driveaway awning then sits on the uncovered multiflex, and if wet, doesn't soil the mattress. It works.

12 consecutive nights, no hookup, in El Puerto de Santa Maria, in high 20's daytime and high teens nighttime and the fridge performed perfectly - however that might be in tribute to Roger"s amazing solar panels - we have 2x100w panels - rather than the fridge or Beach leisure battery. Over 120 nights away, all except the first night without hookup, we've only once had an electric issue, and fridge outage, when we parked directly below a heavily leafed tree - duh!

In conclusion, I can wholeheartedly endorse the CFX 28 in conjunction with Roger's solar panels for a Beach, and you will have the option of strapping the fridge behind the front passenger seat, making the fridge accessible to the front or rear passengers for cool snacks on long road trips. As a FREE added bonus, at night you could have a 7'6" giant sleeping on the lower berth, fully stretched out, with feet resting on a well padded cushion on the fridge.

The only downside is that the passenger directly behind the fridge has restricted legroom. It's fine for a child on a booster, but, perhaps not for a 7'6" giant.


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[Rich20]

Thanks,
I have just had a look at a CF 35 on Youtube and unsurprisingly it seems roughly the same size externally as the CFX35. I also had a quick measure up earlier today and whilst the CFX35 will fit under the multiflex board it does take up quite a lot of space. Still its got to go somewhere. I also intend to make a full width pull out tray for all the stuff in the boot so it should be easier to access.

Do you tie your CF 35 down when its behind the front seats? If so how?

It's good to know that these fridges don't drain the battery too much. We also use hook ups where ever possible.

No we don't tie it down when behind the seats as it is fairly tightly packed in allowing for airflow.

 

[Borris]

We have been away over 120 nights, with a 28 night break.

We have a CFX28 behind the front passenger seat, strapped to the front passenger seat so it cannot shift. It plugs into the 20amp socket above the three pin hookup electric socket. It also has a USB point, and into that is plugged the van's mifi.

The 3 seat bench is positioned on the rails in the position needed to lower it into the bed position. We no longer move it forwards or back while touring.

The multiflex is positioned just shy of the rearmost position so the boot 12v socket is available for external lighting.

The boot space is therefore ginormous and everything for a 12 month tour for four people plus dog fits like a dream with a very restricted rear view mirror view, but just enough to see tailgating vehicles.

Perhaps oddly, we put the lower berth mattress forward of the multiflex, and reverse the multiflex pad so that it protects the sheeted mattress on the top and at the back. The driveaway awning then sits on the uncovered multiflex, and if wet, doesn't soil the mattress. It works.

12 consecutive nights, no hookup, in El Puerto de Santa Maria, in high 20's daytime and high teens nighttime and the fridge performed perfectly - however that might be in tribute to Roger"s amazing solar panels - we have 2x100w panels - rather than the fridge or Beach leisure battery. Over 120 nights away, all except the first night without hookup, we've only once had an electric issue, and fridge outage, when we parked directly below a heavily leafed tree - duh!

In conclusion, I can wholeheartedly endorse the CFX 28 in conjunction with Roger's solar panels for a Beach, and you will have the option of strapping the fridge behind the front passenger seat, making the fridge accessible to the front or rear passengers for cool snacks on long road trips. As a FREE added bonus, at night you could have a 7'6" giant sleeping on the lower berth, fully stretched out, with feet resting on a well padded cushion on the fridge.

The only downside is that the passenger directly behind the fridge has restricted legroom. It's fine for a child on a booster, but, perhaps not for a 7'6" giant.


Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu

A very comprehensive reply. Many thanks.

Do you find the CFX28 has a big enough capacity for your families needs?

 

[Amarillo]

A very comprehensive reply. Many thanks.

Do you find the CFX28 has a big enough capacity for your families needs?

Absolutely, yes. We tend to stay in each place for four nights before moving on, buying food for three days on the day we move on (the night before we move on we usually eat out so we can pre pack). The fridge has enough space for milk, butter, meat for 3 evening meals, cold meats and cheeses for lunch, yoghurts a limited amount of beer, and a bottle of wine. As the fridge empties we stock with water. But note: we rarely have fizzy drinks, and with two little boys, have little alcohol - just a glass or two of wine or a beer most evenings. We also don't store things like root vegetables, eggs, jam or mustard in the fridge. Pizzas are difficult too - we tend to eat those on the day of purchase.


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[Borris]

Absolutely, yes. We tend to stay in each place for four nights before moving on, buying food for three days on the day we move on (the night before we move on we usually eat out so we can pre pack). The fridge has enough space for milk, butter, meat for 3 evening meals, cold meats and cheeses for lunch, yoghurts a limited amount of beer, and a bottle of wine. As the fridge empties we stock with water. But note: we rarely have fizzy drinks, and with two little boys, have little alcohol - just a glass or two of wine or a beer most evenings. We also don't store things like root vegetables, eggs, jam or mustard in the fridge. Pizzas are difficult too - we tend to eat those on the day of purchase.


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Very helpful. Thanks.

 

[Bigted]

We are a family of 5 and have a CFX28. It's big enough for 2 to 3 days provisions inc a couple of beers. It sips power and we have gone 3 days without starting the engine and no hook up a couple of times. It needs to be set to low battery protection if using the socket behind the passenger seat due to the voltage drop of this socket. It travels behind the front seats in ours tied down to the eyelets in the outer rails using tie down straps. Another bonus is the flat top and it makes a handy small low level table.

 

[Crell]

For those of you with the fridge behind the passenger seat, do you move it when you park up overnight? Does it not get in the way of rotating the front seat, or block the legroom for someone sat in the front passenger seat when swivelled round? Cheers

 

[Borris]

We are a family of 5 and have a CFX28. It's big enough for 2 to 3 days provisions inc a couple of beers. It sips power and we have gone 3 days without starting the engine and no hook up a couple of times. It needs to be set to low battery protection if using the socket behind the passenger seat due to the voltage drop of this socket. It travels behind the front seats in ours tied down to the eyelets in the outer rails using tie down straps. Another bonus is the flat top and it makes a handy small low level table.

Thanks Bigted,
After looking at both the CFX 28 and 35 models we have decided to plump for the CFX35 but only because we sometimes have big family gatherings, picnics etc and that extra capacity will come in useful. It is obviously bigger externally but not by that much. Having listened to everyones advice and read the reviews, I have just purchased one online.
Your tips on the power setting and how to secure it down are very useful. For most of our trips away it is just the two of us so it will probably sit behind the passenger seat although I do plan to get one of those pull out trays for the boot area, so it may sit in there instead.

 

[Amarillo]

For those of you with the fridge behind the passenger seat, do you move it when you park up overnight? Does it not get in the way of rotating the front seat, or block the legroom for someone sat in the front passenger seat when swivelled round? Cheers

Front passenger seat won't swivel without moving fridge. We rarely move the fridge to swivel the front passenger seat. Our dining area is usually outside or in the driveaway awning, occasionally in the safari tent - rarely in the van.


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[Borris]

For those of you with the fridge behind the passenger seat, do you move it when you park up overnight? Does it not get in the way of rotating the front seat, or block the legroom for someone sat in the front passenger seat when swivelled round? Cheers

There is usually only the two of us when we go away so whilst we haven't used our new fridge yet we have experienced the same set up but with the VW Cool box clamped behind the passenger seat instead. We haven't found that it gets in the way that much but we don't usually swivel the front seats if we are only stopping one night. Cooking is normally done outside but on one night stops we would usually go to the pub. If we are camping for any longer we stick the awning out and attach the Comfortz awning sides. The fridge can either go out there or be transferred to the boot once space has been made available.

 

[kave]

Tom: thank you for your detailed information.
I usually leave the sofa at its sleeping position since it saves us work at evening time and we have the same space in the rear when folded. However, the table is slightly worse setting up inside when sofa is this far to the front. Do you find you can open the fridge when table is up inside?

 

[CannonDale]

For those of you with the fridge behind the passenger seat, do you move it when you park up overnight? Does it not get in the way of rotating the front seat, or block the legroom for someone sat in the front passenger seat when swivelled round? Cheers

I can still rotate the front seat but my legs won't go between the seat and the fridge so I use it as a foot stool. I can slide the fixing plate up and down the runners if I need to.

 

[Amarillo]

Tom: thank you for your detailed information.
I usually leave the sofa at its sleeping position since it saves us work at evening time and we have the same space in the rear when folded. However, the table is slightly worse setting up inside when sofa is this far to the front. Do you find you can open the fridge when table is up inside?

I've never tried fitting the table with the lower berth made up.

We eat outside, in the driveaway awning or in the safari tent. Tonight we might be eating in the van for the first time with outside temperatures forecast at -5C. If we do we will make the bench and swivel the driver's seat. I'm not expecting to be able to access the fridge.


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