Review of the Vitrifrigo DP150i DC Compressor Refrigerator for Boats and RVs

One of the great things about owning a modern truck camper is enjoying the amenities away from home. Without a doubt, the modern, DC compressor refrigerator is one of the best these amenities. Indeed, few things are better than enjoying a cold beverage or a bowl of ice cream on a warm, summer day. We all know how important solar power and the lithium battery are to an enjoyable boondocking experience, but the improvements to refrigerator technology over the years, specifically to DC compressors, have been just as big.

It wasn’t that long ago when the ammonia absorption refrigerator was the only choice for recreational vehicles. Unlike the compressor refrigerator, or the refrigerator found in your home, the ammonia absorption refrigerator uses neither a compressor, nor does it have any moving parts. It works through a process called absorption. Basically, the ammonia absorption refrigerator uses heat to operate. The source of this heat comes from either a propane flame or from electricity (110 volt AC or 12 volt DC). This heat starts a chemical reaction and the process of evaporation and condensation causes the refrigerator to cool. While these refrigerators work well on propane and on 120 volts AC, the same can’t be said for 12 volt power when 400 to 500 watts is the norm.

All this changed in 1998 with the release of the Danfoss compressor. Consuming far less power, and significantly smaller in size, this compressor was a game-changer. Suddenly, 12 volt refrigerator operation was something that was not only feasible, but desirable. For years, Danfoss made these amazing-little compressors until Secop, a German company, bought the operation in 2010. Today, nearly all DC compressor refrigerators in the RV and marine industries use these compressors with the BD35F, the BD80CN and the latest, the BD Nano, being the most popular models. As a matter of fact, today’s Secop DC compressors are so efficient and cool so quickly that ammonia absorption refrigerators are being phased out by many RV manufacturers entirely.

At this point, you may be wondering what a compressor does. What’s its purpose? Basically, the compressor does two things: it raises the pressure of the refrigerant vapor used in the refrigerator and helps to maintain the vapor’s flow rate. Unfortunately, the process of compressing gas and raising pressure requires a lot of energy. This is why refrigerators that employ vapor compression refrigeration technology typically use a lot of electricity. All that changed with the Danfoss compressor, which was able to accomplish both of these tasks and use far less power than previous compressors and the standard, three-way RV refrigerator operating on 12 volts. Unfortunately, battery technology wasn’t able catch up with this advancement until 2018 when the lithium battery arrived enforce.

Rolling with a DC compressor refrigerator in your rig has other benefits as well. In contrast with the ammonia absorption refrigerator, which must be level in order for it to operate efficiently, the DC compressor refrigerator can temporarily operate up to 30 degrees out of level without risk of damage. This is a huge plus for overlanders and boondocking enthusiasts as getting a perfectly level campsite can sometimes be difficult. Another benefit, of course, is that there’s no propane pilot light. This means you can run a compressor refrigerator while driving without having to worry about the pilot light blowing out. This also means you can run it while fueling up at a gas station without concern of an explosion. Moreover, the DC compressor refrigerator takes only a couple of hours to reach its set operating temperature. Gone are the days of having to turn on your absorption refrigerator the day before your trip to ensure its cold.

It’s no surprise that the best refrigerator manufacturers today are using Secop (Danfoss) DC compressors. These manufacturers include the biggest names in the industry, including Dometic, Nova Kool, Norcold, IndelB, ICECO, ARB, National Luna, and Vitrifrigo. Over the years, we’ve owned several DC compressor refrigerators. Without the doubt, the best we’ve ever owned is the Vitrifrigo DP150i, a 150L (5.3 cubic foot) two-door refrigerator-freezer. This is a review of the Vitrifrigo DP150i, which is found in our 2025 Kingstar KRUZR 8 luxury truck camper.

The Vitrifrigo DP150i DC Compressor RV Refrigerator

Vitrifrigo is an Italian company. Founded in 1978, Vitrifrigo not only makes compressor refrigerators and freezers for RVs and boats, but also portable refrigerators, refrigerated drawers, minibars, and other cooling devices. The factory, located in Motecchio, is a full 29,700 square meters in size and employs over 300 people. In 2005, a North American division of the company was formed, making these excellent refrigerators more accessible to Canadian and US markets.

We would classify the Vitrifrigo DP150i as a medium-sized refrigerator-freezer. As a matter of fact, it’s the largest RV refrigerator we’ve ever owned. Part of the Vitrifrigo’s Airlock Series, the DP150i refrigerator-freezer features a capacity of 5.3 cubic feet or 150 liters and measures 43 inches high, 20 inches wide, with a depth of 21 inches. The unit weighs 95 pounds and features top and bottom doors with the top door accessing the freezer and the bottom the refrigerator. Particularly welcome is the size of the freezer, which offers 1.0 cubic feet or 30 liters of volume. The refrigerator portion consists of two wire shelves, two transparent crisper drawers, and three, plastic door shelves where drinks and small jars can be stored.

With a single control knob, the Vitrifrigo DP150i is incredibly easy to operate. Located behind the right-hand crisper drawer at the bottom of the refrigerator, the control knob not only turns on the unit, but also controls the temperature. The temperature and on-off condition is activated by turning the knob counterclockwise. We typically operate the refrigerator at the 6-o’clock or 7-o’clock position during the summer and at 4-o’clock position during the winter.

The Vitrifrigo DP150i uses the Secop BD80CN compressor. The BD80CN is a hermetically sealed, variable speed compressor, widely praised for its robust and durable performance. Owners of refrigerators with this compressor describe it as an extremely reliable, long-lasting unit. The compressor is highly regarded for its low power consumption, especially when running on lithium batteries in RVs and boats. Its variable speed technology (Adaptive Energy Optimizing mode) adapts to cooling demands, which further maximizes energy savings and extends battery life even further. Like all Secop compressors, the unit is effective at maintaining stable temperatures and has a good “pull-down” time (how quickly it cools down when first turned on).

The Vitrifrigo DP150i is excellent for boondocking. The standard door color is black though our manufacturer, Kingstar Campers, outfitted our unit with stainless steel panels to coordinate with the interior of our camper. The refrigerator is rated for 68 watts with the LED lights inside consuming another 1.5 watts. The variable-speed compressor, however, doesn’t run continuously. Called duty cycles, it runs only when needed in order to maintain the preset temperature. These cycles can run as high as 100 percent at start-up in warm weather or 0 percent at night when the refrigerator door isn’t being opened or when camping in cold weather. Such extremes are rare though. Typically, duty cycles of 30 to 50 percent during daylight hours are the norm as the refrigerator works to maintain its operating temperature.

While today’s DC compressor refrigerators, like the Vitrifrigo DP150i, are incredibly efficient, you’ll still need a sizeable battery and charging system to operate one, especially in the summer. At a minimum you will need a 200 amp hour lithium battery system with a 400 watt solar power system to operate one off-grid. Naturally, smaller refrigerators will require a smaller system, while larger refrigerators will require more. Our Kingstar KRUZR 8 is equipped with an Epoch 416 amp hour lithium battery and an 800 watt rooftop solar power system. This system provides more than enough power to run the Vitrifrigo DP150i refrigerator, but we have other needs too that includes running an air conditioner, microwave oven, and induction cooktop, all of which demand a larger system.

So how does the Vitrifrigo 150i perform off-grid? What are some real numbers? We evaluated the refrigerator’s performance in August at an elevation of about 5,500 feet in north-central Colorado. With an outside temperature of 82 degrees, we noted a consumption of 81 watts on our battery monitor, which was pretty typical. In comparison, we saw the consumption drop to 73 watts at 61 degrees at sunrise. Predictably, opening the refrigerator door will cause a spike in consumption. At 81 degrees outside we noted a consumption of 111 watts and 101 watts at 61 degrees.

Similarly, with the variable-speed compressor running (the compressor produces a barely audible hum), we noted a consumption of 101 watts in temps ranging between the 40s and low 60s in early morning. Even though the refrigerator is rated for 68 watts, we never saw a reading this low during the summer though it came close in early morning when temperatures were cooler. We did, however, note a reading of 34 watts at 40 degrees during a recent winter outing to Death Valley. With regard to our 416 amp hour battery’s state-of-charge (SOC), we typically saw a drop of 10 to 12 percent overnight.

So what’s the bottom line? Is owning the Vitrifrigo DP150i outfitted with a state-of-art Secop BD80CN compressor worth having? Absolutely. The previous DC compressor refrigerators that we owned were about 3.7 cubic feet in size and were made by Dometic. Now the jump to 5.3 cubic feet may not seem like much of a difference, but the increase in capacity has been most welcome on our truck camper adventures. Probably the biggest differenc—and improvement—is the size of the freezer, which is a full 1 cubic feet in volume. This overall increase has reduced the amount of time that we spend at the grocery store, which is always a plus. When you couple this increase with a minimal increase in power consumption, the Vitrifrigo DP150i has been a winner. Better yet, we’ve encountered zero problems with its operation, though some areas, primarily along the refrigerator’s back wall, will invariably be colder than others.