Vitrifrigo 230L Door Fridge Freezer DP2600 iX

Cheaply built design, a joke as a fridge combo – I received a Vitrifrigo DP2600 IX (x apparently for stainless, for marin environment) with a 2009 build motorhome. This is a cheap design, that presents a fridge, but is a joke in functioning. 1. Start with the worst, it doesn’t have two separate cooling units. How it works is, that the freezer on top gets cooled, and the cold air from that cooling unit is simply falling down into the fridge area, to cool there. So no Temperature can be set to either, freezer or fridge, just a turn knob in the back to adjust the thermostat. 2. Like so many, its only having a thermostat, it can not hold a set temperature. On a summer day it might keep 7 degreeC, at night, it will be at 3-4 degrees, the compressor runs at night unnecessary, waisting energy. A good fridge will be able to use a thermometer on its thermostat (it does not has to be digital) but measure the actual temperature inside, not just run by “colder and warmer”. 3. The fridges inside temperature depends very much on the outside humidity, you will adjust the thermostat often to stay around 7C, and not at 10 or 3. 4. The freezers cooling unit (see photo) is exposed to the fridge, so every “fridge door opening” lets warm air raising up. You will have to defrost it often! A thick ice layer will form around the cooling unit and block its cooling efforts. 5. The fridge door hinges had to be redone (in stainless) as they were bending down, cracking, could not hold the doors weight. 6. the rubber door seals dry out and stay in position, let cool air leak out. I added a silicone seal tape from Aliexpress. 7. the frame that holds the fridge in place, in its slot, is weak, if used in a motorhome. 8. heat distribution through a small coil at the compressor, where a small 120mm computer fan is blowing air through. I added and replaced with 2x quality 120mm Noctua (nf-f12), one blowing one sucking. 9. the 2 door locks are flimsy, leaves fridge door open at times, swinging around during drive. Only one point lock on the large fridge door is not enough to seal securely against leakage. $47 AUD it was once to replace. If they are made for marine, why doesn’t the heavy door lock in at least two places? a joke! The freezer drawer version “lock” is even worse, only a pin at a corner!

Why are so many Vitrifrigos in the market? Because camper builders get such a great margin between RRT (thats what we pay) and their dealer discount. So much profit to be made, same for Fiat chassis in motorhomes. Only when customers complain too much, warranty claims cost too much, dealers will pick better quality items! Advise: Buy a RV fridge with separate cooling units at least, where you can set 2 “colds”. Not sure if the Bushman DC230X does it. This one uses a large grit at the rear to discharge its heat, not a small one with fan (Vitrifrigo). More efficient if you have good air circulation at rear. If wall is not insulated some add a fan on top, to suck air out.

I was impressed seeing white condesing “steam” coming out of my friends Bushman freezer (-15 degree C) when he opened its door. My freezer in the Vitrifrigo reaches -5 degreeC..