Reviews · Cab Kitchen

Dometic CFX5 35 for truck drivers (2026)

The Dometic CFX5 35 is a 35-litre 12V compressor fridge/freezer built for long-haul cabs. Real dimensions, 12V power draw, sleeper fit, and what it costs — every number from Dometic or our parent 12V cooler guide.

The CFX5 35 is Dometic's current flagship portable fridge, and it earned 18/20 — Best premium — in our parent 12V cooler guide. The case for it in a truck is simple: it is a genuine freezer, not a cooler that wishes it were one. You set any temperature from +20°C down to −22°C, and the compressor holds it there. Vacuum-insulated panels and 55 mm of polyurethane insulation mean the compressor isn't fighting the cab to keep food frozen. At 35 litres it holds 50 standard 12-oz cans — enough real groceries for a multi-day run.

• Capacity: 35 L marketed (50 x 12-oz cans; total volume 36 L per IEC 62552-3)
• Footprint: 69.4 x 39.8 cm — 27.32 x 16.02 x 15.67 in (D x H x W)
• Weight: 36.6 lbs (16.6 kg)
• Power: 47 W rated input; draws 7.6 A at 12 V / 3.4 A at 24 V; uses 1.11 Ah/h at 12 V DC (90°F ambient, 39°F internal)
• Noise: 41 dB(A)
• Inputs: 12/24 V DC or 100-240 V AC; both 6.6 ft cables included in the box
• Battery protection: 3-stage dynamic low-voltage cutoff so it won't drain your truck's battery
• Smart control: Bluetooth app tracks energy use and temperature, alerts if the lid is left open, shows history, and connects multiple coolers; high-resolution colour display plus a USB port
• Warranty: 5-year limited

Best for: 4+ night runs, stock batteries you can't afford to flatten, or any driver who wants a freezer that also works as a fridge.

This is the biggest box in our cooler guide, and you should plan for that. The 69.4 x 39.8 cm footprint eats a real chunk of sleeper floor — it fits where a mid-size cooler fits, but not where you used to stash a duffel. At 36.6 lbs empty, the practical move is what our parent guide says: slide it into the sleeper and leave it there. It is not a carry-it-inside-nightly kind of unit.

Power is the easy part. The rated draw is 47 W — about 7.6 amps at 12 volts when the compressor runs — which a standard 12V outlet handles. The included 6.6 ft 12/24 V cable plugs into a standard 12V sleeper outlet. The number that protects your starting batteries is the 3-stage dynamic battery protection: it cuts power before the cooler can drain your truck's battery, and it allows a deeper draw if you're running dual batteries. Set the cutoff level before your first night out.

The single zone is the one trade-off to understand: one compartment, one temperature. Run it as a freezer at −18°C or a fridge at 3°C — not both at once. If your week needs frozen and chilled simultaneously, that's a two-zone unit, which the CFX5 35 is not.

In the cab, the practical details land well: removable baskets and a wire divider keep food from sliding, the LED interior light matters when you're grabbing something at a dark truck stop, the drain plug makes defrost cleanup quick, and the self-folding aluminum handles stay out of the way when you're not moving it. The Mobile Cooling app is genuinely useful here — you can check and change the set temperature from the bunk without getting up — and the open-lid alert is a genuinely useful touch on grocery runs.

Dometic's own pages confirm the specs; on the road, a MensJournal summer test of a CFX5 recorded the unit reaching 38°F in 15-20 minutes out of the box, and it held cold in a 100°F-plus cab — the direction that matters in July is holding cold against cab heat, and the VIP insulation holds cold between compressor cycles.

On the TruckersReport forums, CFX-series owners put it plainly. One driver wrote of his CFX35 (the CFX5's predecessor) that it was "the best money I've spent inside the truck." Another, answering a "best mini 12V cooler/fridge" thread, put it this way: "If you want the best and money not a factor, look into Dometic portable refrigerator/freezer CFX series. Last cooler you'll ever buy." Those are individual drivers' words, not a survey — but they're consistent with what the spec sheet promises: this is the buy-once unit, priced like it.

On price: Canadian dealer RackUp+Go had the CFX5 35 in stock at $1,446.58 CAD as of October 4, 2026. Our parent guide noted a $1,307 CAD Amazon.ca listing in September 2026 from a third-party seller. Price and seller both vary — this is a premium unit and it never pretends to be cheap. Prices checked October 2026 and will change.

The discontinued Dometic CFX3 35. Our parent guide is explicit: the CFX5 replaced it, and if you see a CFX3 35 listed, buy the CFX5. Leftover stock doesn't get a recommendation just because it's cheaper.

Prices checked October 2026 and will change. We don't hands-on test; scores and fit notes come from published specs and buyer reviews.