Furrion Chill Cube – Product Review and Installation

[jd1923]

From the YouTube channel Mortons on the Move, by Tom & Caitlin Morton who previously tested the Greenland Turbro have more recently tested the Furrion Chill Cube. They now have the Turbro unit cooling the living area of their RV and the Furrion Chill Cube cooling their bedroom!

Honestly, I wish I had seen this video prior to my purchase of what turned out to be a defective Turbro product. I believe I would have changed my purchase decision. Turbro refunded my money, so this model could be in our future, TBD Spring of 2026.

This is my take after watching this review. I LOVE Tom's knowledge and ability as a electrical engineer coupled with their family RV experience!

The PROs – so many benefits!
- Variable speed compressor and efficient dual brushless DC fan motors, though not truly an inverter compressor it achieves similar energy efficiencies
- The HUGE low-speed evaporator fan in the non-ducted unit is the game-changer, adding to cooling efficiency and allows for extremely quiet operation (see 14- and 24-minute marks on the video)
- It becomes even more efficient, producing higher EER, When cooling demand is lower
- Interior air handler is mounted flush to ceiling allowing for more headroom and clean interior appearance
- Small 29x29” rooftop footprint at 60% the weight of standard A/C units
- Unique oscillating vent for greater air movement which can also be set to one stationary position
- The follow-me remote puts the thermostat reading wherever you want it
- A simple remote key will turn off all control sounds and interior lights
- Low-energy, eco and gear modes to efficiently run the AC at 50% or 75% power levels for longer runtimes when running on inverter/batteries
- The evaporator condensate is channeled to the rear where a water wheel on the condenser fan brings water up to soak the condenser coils for more efficient cooling, which also minimizes condensate drip down the body of the trailer (in dry climates condensates should fully evaporate)
- Can run easily on 2KW generators or inverters, no soft-start required

The CONs – the disadvantages seem much smaller in comparison (to me)

- With its unconventional looks at 14.5” tall it is 3.25” taller than the Dometic P2 and close to 5” taller than low profile A/C models
- Only a simple A/C unit without heat pump capability
- IR remote works line-of-sight only in close proximity of unit
- No app for monitoring and control
- No thermostat interface on the non-ducted version

We’re OK without heat-pump, since in 3 RVs we either did not have one or use it. Prior owner had replace the reportedly “noisy” Suburban furnace in our Oliver with an Atwood model that now that I have deleted the bedside duct and added an intake filter, runs well and is quiet enough to my noise-sensitive ears. Here is the Mortons on the Move blog post and YouTube review:

https://www.mortonsonthemove.com/furrion-chill-cube-variable-speed-18k-review/

Edited Sunday at 05:02 PM by jd1923

[Snackchaser]

 Jd, have you looked into running wire for a DC unit?  I'm fairly sure I could get a couple #4's into the attic space, although I v'e yet to actually confirm it.  I've read comments that some people have been unable to fish wires down the wall.  However, Iv'e done it a good number of times.   The trick is to use a stiff fiberglass sectional rod made for this purpose (Ace or Amazon). They won't follow the curve and go off track like the flexible fish tapes. The gap on the corners is a little wider, one just has to make sure the rod tracks straight down, and add rod sections as you go.

It might be harder to get the wire from the attic to the unit.  Although it certainly wouldn't be hard to put a small hole through the attic ceiling/roof, then 3-d print a short/shallow wire channel/cover that could be caulked to the roof right up to the unit. But I'm curious to hear from someone like you who's had the unit out.  Is there's enough gap between the ceiling and the roof where a couple #4 wires could be fished from the attic to the unit?  

Then there's the bigger question. Has anybody has done the research to know if there is any significant advantages to a 12 volt unit over a 120 volts?  Happy new year's!  Geoff

 

[jd1923]

1 hour ago, Snackchaser said:

The trick is to use a stiff fiberglass sectional rod made for this purpose...

 Geoff, if anybody could do it... It would be you or me or perhaps another one of our highly capable OTT Forum compatriots! 😂

I've never looked seriously at 12VDC A/C products, thinking they are designed for the Van-Life sorts, but who knows...

I truly like this special Furrion model and I could spend money refunded to... 😎

Happy New Year to you and your family.
I would relish the day where we could camp, our families together! JD

[Geronimo John]

2 hours ago, Snackchaser said:

The trick is to use a stiff fiberglass sectional rod made for this purpose (Ace or Amazon).

Lots of broken fiberglass light weight fishing poles out there.  Cast off small end section is easy to find.  Just cut off all but the end "Eye" and go fishing in a different manner.  You generally only need 4+feet of it to fish the walls.  JD knows how to get from the refergerator to the upper cabinet. 

 

2 hours ago, Snackchaser said:

It might be harder to get the wire from the attic to the unit.  Although it certainly wouldn't be hard to put a small hole through the attic ceiling/roof, then 3-d print a short/shallow wire channel/cover that could be caulked to the roof right up to the unit. But I'm curious to hear from someone like you who's had the unit out.

This is how I got my Houghton thermistor from the rooftop back into the cabinet over the stove area.  If you figure out or know a source for a very white cover to run a 1/4" thermister over the roof let me know!  At this point I may just use some of the Gutter materail with the opening facing aft. 

GJ

[CRM]

Easiest way I found to fish the walls is by using a long length of ball chain and a magnet. Used this method recently to add a fan switch circuit to my ac unit. Pushed the chain with a small piece of wood from the AC opening until I heard fall over edge of the curve in the roof. Then used a magnet taped to the end of a short piece of romex to retrieve it from above the cabinet. Used this same method a while back to fish a coax between the hulls for a new TV antenna too. Kits like this are available on Amazon and the included flexible magnet would probably work better than a magnet on the end of romex does.

[jd1923]

We watched the Morton's video again (with Chris) and she said "buy one!" So I did.

I have not seen a review that does not report this is the most efficient and quietest RV A/C unit in the marketplace! I will install ours this weekend and hope to get a chance to test it some in Quartzsite! 😎

The standing height and no heat pump doesn't bother me at all. I think it has a cool shape and should look cute up on our Oliver!

After reading what @CRM had to do with his Turbro, the fact that it's not very quiet, and what Turbro Support put me through, my broken unit will be sold for parts or junked. Lost my patience with it, where normally I would be first to repair it to save $$$.

Here's another positive review and he's testing the Ducted unit. The Non-Ducted model is even more quiet and efficient. Can't wait!

Edited Thursday at 05:47 PM by jd1923

[CRM]

4 hours ago, jd1923 said:

We watched the Morton's video again (with Chris) and she said "buy one!" So I did.

I have not seen a review that does not report this is the most efficient and quietest RV A/C unit in the marketplace! I will install ours this weekend and hope to get a chance to test it some in Quartzsite! 😎

The standing height and no heat pump doesn't bother me at all. I think it has a cool shape and should look cute up on our Oliver!

After reading what @CRM had to do with his Turbro, the fact that it's not very quiet, and what Turbro Support put me through, my broken unit will be sold for parts or junked. Lost my patience with it, where normally I would be first to repair it to save $$$.

It would be nice if all the best features of the Chill Cube and Turbro could be combined into one unit! 

Love that the Cube has an actual variable speed blower motor instead of a 3 speed like the Turbro. I'm sure it's also quieter due to better internal ductwork located outside of the RV instead of in the inside cover like on the Turbro. Being able to lock in in 50% or 75% power is another biggie.  Don't know why they rate the Cube at 18k though when it only puts out 9k-9.5K Btu's. That's a big difference from the 12.5K Btu's that Morton's testing showed on the Turbro. Hope that doesn't become an issue in the desert... 

 

[jd1923]

3 hours ago, CRM said:

It would be nice if all the best features of the Chill Cube and Turbro could be combined into one unit! 

Love that the Cube has an actual variable speed blower motor instead of a 3 speed like the Turbro. I'm sure it's also quieter due to better internal ductwork located outside of the RV instead of in the inside cover like on the Turbro. Being able to lock in in 50% or 75% power is another biggie.  Don't know why they rate the Cube at 18k though when it only puts out 9k-9.5K Btu's. That's a big difference from the 12.5K Btu's that Morton's testing showed on the Turbro. Hope that doesn't become an issue in the desert... 

That would be a great combo, the best of both for sure! IMHO, either is better than an A/C unit that has the standard ON/OFF compressor. Why do these units take 3 minutes to kick in the compressor, BTW. 

The 9.5K Btu does not bother me and I've learned to ignore marketing hype, Marketing the second oldest profession! 🤣 I always thought that's all you need in the small cubic ft space of the Oliver, well insulated, with hard fiberglass walls keeping the cool inside. Regardless of Btu, it appears this unit pushes more cool air than most.

I'm going to love the low settings and power reduction Gear settings. We don't camp in Yuma, nor Tampa or Houston in the Summer heat! I'm hoping to rarely exist in campgrounds!

Yes, your rationale for quiet is true, but also it's about the huge internal fan operating at much lower speed. A fan turning faster will of course produce more noise. You can hear the difference in the Morton's video.

May the Dometic Penguin II rest in peace forever! 😎

[Tideline77]

Will you be making a thread on the installation of the chill cube for those of us that want to follow along ?

and once you get it on the roof we would like to know the final increase in height above the stock dometic unit !

 

[jd1923]

40 minutes ago, Tideline77 said:

Will you be making a thread on the installation of the chill cube for those of us that want to follow along? and once you get it on the roof we would like to know the final increase in height above the stock Dometic unit !

Yes, working this installation today! Wish temps would be a little better, high of only 45F today (furnace ON) but al least it's another sunny day in Arizona. I'm hoping the remaining snow will soon melt off the top, or we're brushing off snow first.

Also, I do plan on measuring total height so that I know what bridge heights we can travel through. Our hull is likely already 1/2 - 1" taller due to the Alcan Springs. I'll also measure height of the body at the wheels. With the Furrion being 3.25" taller and some additional spring height, we should be about 4" taller overall. 

Thanks, I'll add to this post with installation pics and measurements. 😎

[jd1923]

She's up top and installed, running ever so quietly...

I'll write more on the installation soon and total height measurement. It does appear a bit tall, though I took the picture from higher ground. I ran the furnace during the Bears game (love when the Packers get beat, it's so sweet)! Then Chris and I went out to check on the Oliver...

The cabin was at 74F and with the Chill Cube set to 60F it cooled quickly (but true testing can not be accomplished during the winter)! When it kicked in, it started drawing only 2A, OMG! We're always on inverted battery power, no shore line. it took a few minutes to ramp up. Highest reading was 18A. The Dometic Penguin II needed over 150A to make that freight train sound and would take 2-3 times as long to cool (how does that work)?

I didn't measure total usage this time, but at the high draw of 18A (which sounds crazy, but it would certainly draw more on a hot summer day) I could run this A/C for 50 hours! I'm thinking with 900 Ah LiFePO4 batteries we will be able to run this on at least 3-5 hot afternoons when boondocking, get a hook-up after a week out. Out west you rarely need to run A/C overnight. A/C in the afternoon, furnace by dawn, so yes if they ever sell an upgraded model with heat pump and Bluetooth it would kill the market.

Then it settled down at 10A, in AUTO mode the fan was running a low-medium speed (as recorded, run movie). The fan can run even slower/quieter! The huge evaporator fan in the Non-ducted version of the Chill Cube is the secret, and it's what sold me. When turned off the oscillating vent goes back to closed position, love how the air handler hangs <1" below the ceiling! I'm 6'2" and when the vent was full down, standing tall it was still 2-3" above my head. Love how it pushes a lot of air up and down the Oliver hallway but does not blow directly on the beds.

Living in the Southwest, and especially after living a few years in South Florida, Summer has become our least favorite season (more so for Chris). I have a feeling that Summers in the Oliver are going to be pretty decent running this A/C unit! 😎

Furrion Chill Cube Running.MOV

Edited Sunday at 04:08 PM by jd1923

[Mike and Carol]

47 minutes ago, jd1923 said:

She's up top and installed, running ever so quietly...

 

Furrion Chill Cube Running.MOV 990.54 kB · 2 downloads

 

That’s encouraging!  Will be interested in installation details.  My old Dometic is begging for replacement!  It’s nice to have more options these days that are efficient and quiet.

[Geronimo John]

On 1/11/2026 at 5:55 AM, jd1923 said:

so yes if they ever sell an upgraded model with heat pump and Bluetooth it would kill the market.

With an internal drain and remote thermistor and they would OWN the RV a/c world.

GJ

[CRM]

2 minutes ago, Geronimo John said:

With an internal drain and remote thermistor and they would OWN the RV a/c world.

GJ

I *think* the thermistor is in the remote itself, just like how many mini-splits do it. And they don't need an internal drain since they use the condensate to help cool the condenser coil through evaporative cooling to increase efficiency. 

 

[jd1923]

1 hour ago, Geronimo John said:

With an internal drain and remote thermistor and they would OWN the RV a/c world. GJ

GJ, I'm sure you have not had time to study this relatively new model. Even though the video below is 6 months old. I just watched it for the first time two weeks ago...

Who knows re the thermistor... I'm not up on the ME as you are. Maybe they have designed and positioned it appropriately, who knows, TBD.  🤣

Re the drain... This model may not need one!

Watch the video which I have copied again here...
FF to just before 10:00 minutes...

 

Edited 14 hours ago by jd1923

[CRM]

10 hours ago, jd1923 said:

Who knows re the thermistor... I'm not up on the ME as you are. Maybe they have designed and positioned it appropriately, who knows, TBD.  🤣

Just took a peak at the manual and it looks like it has one thermistor in the unit itself, and one inside the remote too. You can activate the one in the remote by using the "Follow Me" function. This is an awesome feature to have! 

[mossemi]

FYI, if anyone is curious about the cost of this new product.

Mossey

[jd1923]

1 hour ago, mossemi said:

FYI, if anyone is curious about the cost of this new product. Mossey

Thanks MosseyI In a way I made in impulsive buy, and maybe could have waited for better pricing. Though I noted list prices of about $1400 for just the main unit (ABD required) and thought the current Amazon prices of $987 ($1,006 today) and $138 ($143 today) for the ADB was good enough (saved $24 plus tax vs. buying today):

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DM6YMJNY/?th=1

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F1464FSX/?th=1