Date:         Mon, 27 Aug 2001 12:41:10 -0400
Reply-To:     doug.alcock@HEWITT.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Doug Alcock <doug.alcock@HEWITT.COM>
Subject:      Re: exhaust from refrig...
Comments: To: Robert Coon <bobcoon@IU.NET>
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

>Some advice from the Westy Faithful would be helpful...I had a '75 and a
>'81 but the '85 that I just acquired is the first with the propane stove
>and refrig.  I had some trouble lighting the refrig, but it is working
>both on 120 v. ac and on gas.  It does not vent to the outside very
>well...the fumes after having it on all night (no one in it) are really
>bad.  This is not normal I hope!  Any help from someone who may have
>dealt with this is greatly appreciated.
>Thanks

I'm guessing you've got a blockage, hole or both in your chimney. You could try
hooking some sort of a thin flexible tube to a shop vac, removing the chimney
cover from the side of the van and seeing if you can vacuum out the chimney this
way. Pay close attention when taking the chimney cover apart --- it's rather
funky and non-intuitve to re-install. This might help your fume problem.
Otherwise you've got to pull the fridge. Here's a good link that will tell you
how: http://www.type2.com/bartnik/fridge.htm  and a link that will tell you
about general cleaning maintenance while you've got it out.
http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/fridge.htm You can hook it to a BBQ tank on your
bench and look for leaks --- other listees have posted that you can repair the
chimney with muffler tape (if you find holes/cracks). I'd hate to think how much
this part would cost --- given that a replacement wire shelf it 70 bucks......

Good Luck........


Doug Alcock
'84 Westy "BlueBelle"
Toronto, Canada