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If you are wondering how much motorhome, RV, or caravan fridges cost, this article is what you have been looking for; I have put together a list with prices of 25 different Dometic and Norcold RV fridges for you!
After comparing 25 motorhome, RV, and caravan fridges from Dometic and Norcold, I can tell you that absorption fridges cost between 689 – 6,119 USD for 2.1 Cu. Ft (61L) to 18.3 Cu. Ft (518L) while compressor fridges cost between 996 – 2148 USD for 1.6 Cu. Ft (47L) to 8 Cu. ft (226L).
Since the difference in fridge size and prices are vast, those numbers aren’t that specific to anyone, so for you to get an idea of the price of the fridge you would need, I have made two different tables where I list the price difference for both absorption fridges and compressor fridges below.
How Much Does a Motorhome or RV Absorption Fridge Cost?
Here comes a list of 12 different Dometic and Norcold motorhome, RV, and caravan fridges ordered by the lowest price first; all those fridges are either 2- way or 3-way absorption fridges; the 2-way fridges can run on gas and 120Volts or 220 volts of power but not 12 volts. The three-way fridges run on gas, 12 volts, and 120 or 220 volts.
The two-way fridges seem to be a little bit cheaper than the three-way ones, but if it is only a tiny price difference, I recommend getting a three-way fridge so you can run it on 12 volts while driving.
| Fridge Model | Size Cu. ft and Liters | *Price in USD |
|---|---|---|
| Dometic CombiCool RF 60 | 2.1 cu. ft – 61 L | 689 USD |
| Dometic CoolFreeze 3-way | 3 cu. ft – 85 L | 1,529 USD |
| Norcold Polar 7LX | 7 cu. ft – 198 L | 1,589 USD |
| Dometic RM 8401 | 3.3 cu. ft – 95 L | 1,629 USD |
| Norcold Polar 3-Way 7 | 7 cu. ft – 198 L | 1,629 USD |
| Norcold Polar 8LX 2-way | 8 cu. ft – 226 L | 1,719 USD |
| Norcold Polar 3-Way 8 | 8 cu. ft – 226 L | 1,789 USD |
| Dometic RUA 5208X | 5.4 cu. ft – 153 L | 2,150 USD |
| Dometic Americana II | 8 cu. ft – 226 L | 2,679 USD |
| Norcold Polar 10 2-way | 10 cu. ft. – 283 L | 2,729 USD |
| Dometic RUA 8408 X | 7.9 cu. ft – 224 L | 2,751 USD |
| Norcold PolarMax Model 2118 | 18.3 cu. ft – 518 L | 5,059 USD |
| Dometic RM1350 | 13 cu. ft – 368 L | 6,119 USD |
As you can see, the price variation is enormous here, between 689 – 6,119 USD, but this is mainly since the two most expensive fridges on the list are massive, 13 and 18.3 Cubic feet or 368 and 518 Liters, as well the smallest and cheapest fridge is only 2.1 cubic feet or 61L.
So if we ignore those three options, the prices would vary between 1529 and 2751 USD, which is a more reasonable and ordinary amount most people would need to spend on a new good RV fridge.
Indeed other brands also make good RV fridges like Electrolux and Thetford, but the overall winner when it comes to fridges to me seemed to be Dometic, but if you look around, you can find other brands for half the price. Still, maybe they will only last half as long as well, or perhaps you are lucky and find an excellent cheap fridge from another brand.
Many people who use absorption fridges while they have access to electricity wonder If its best to power a motorhome, RV, or caravan fridge on propane or electricity, and this is something I cover in another article comparing the two ways, but in short my consensus was;
If you have access to electricity at an average price or if it is included in the campsite, powering your absorption fridge on electricity is a clear winner! Only when boondocking does the propane come at a clear advantage.
Many people who think about getting or already have an absorption fridge often wonder if they can drive while it is running on gas. I cover that more deeply in another article, but always know that you cannot run any appliances on gas while you are at a gas station since this means you have a burning flame in your RV while fueling up; this would be the same as smoking by the gas pump.
You cannot run any appliances on gas while you are at a gas station!
Another question people wonder is how long their fridge can run on propane using different-sized propane tanks; this I also covered in depth in another article that I recommend you to check out before buying a refrigerator since this might make you choose a bigger or smaller fridge.
How Much Does a Motorhome or RV Compressor Fridge Cost?
In the table below, I will go through the prices of the most common compressor fridges from Dometic as well as one from norcold; the compressor fridges are different from the absorption ones above because they cannot run on gas or propane but only on electricity, sometimes on 12 volts and 120 or 220 volts and sometimes only on one of those.
A compressor fridge’s most significant benefit is its energy consumption is much lower than an absorption fridge. You can run a compressor fridge on 12 volts from your battery bank and solar panels, but with an absorption fridge, that’s just not going to be possible.
| Fridge Model: | Size Cu. Ft and Liters: | *Price in USD: |
|---|---|---|
| Dometic CoolMatic CRX 50 | 1.6 cu. ft – 47 L | 996 USD |
| Dometic CoolMatic CRX 80 | 2.8 cu. ft – 78 L | 1,194 USD |
| Dometic CoolMatic CRX 110 | 3.8 cu. ft – 107 L | 1,999 USD |
| Dometic DMC4081 | 8 cu. ft – 226 L | 1,199 USD |
| Dometic CRX 65E | 2 cu. ft – 57 L | 1,317 USD |
| Norcold Polar | 8 cu. ft – 226 L | 1,339 USD |
| Dometic CoolMatic CRX 140 | 4.8 cu. ft – 135 L | 1,500 USD |
| Dometic CRX 110U | 3.8 cu. ft – 107 L | 1,826 USD |
| Dometic CRX 110E | 3.8 cu. ft – 107 L | 1,864 USD |
| Dometic CRX 110S | 3.8 cu. ft – 107 L | 1,892 USD |
| Dometic RUC 6408X | 6.6 cu. ft – 188 L | 2,137 USD |
| Dometic CRX 140S | 4.8 cu. ft – 135 L | 2,148 USD |
As you can tell from the table above, the price range of the compressor fridges listed is between 996 and 2148 USD with sizes from 1.6 Cubic feet or 47 Liters up to 8 Cubic feet or 226 Liters, so the compressor fridges are a bit cheaper on average than the absorption fridges, and they consume much less electricity.
One of the downsides about a compressor fridge is that you won’t be able to run it on gas or propane if you go off-grid boondocking or wild camping, but with some solar panels and a decent battery, you could do it anyway.
To learn more about how to power your fridge on 12 volts as well as how long you can power it using your 12 volts battery and how much your solar panels and generator charge your battery during different conditions and with other sized panels or chargers, I recommend you to check out another article where I go through this subject as well.
