Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2001 09:22:08 -0800
Reply-To: Matthew Pohlhammer <the_squidboy@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Matthew Pohlhammer <the_squidboy@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Long, but true, saga of Galley Space
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<P>I'm just now in the middle of a project of installing new drawers in the space below the galley range & sink in an '83/'93 Westacy. The Dometic is gone (Leon has it if you need parts), and the cabinet & shelves on the right are gone, all the way down to the sheet metal on the floor. I finally got tired of thinking about how unfortunate the locations for the sink drain hose outlet, and the propane copper lines are, and rerouted them BEHIND the the thin plywood sheet in back, right up against the fiberglass insulation next to the body sheet metal. I had to cut 1 hole in the floor sheet metal with a hole saw in order to route the H20 hose down, and then pulled out that ubiquitous plastic cap in the vertical side of the steel box-shaped tube that runs the length of the van to make a 90 degree turn with the clear vinyl water hose. I mounted the stock white plastic fitting with the screw cap to that existing hole by drilling two small holes for the mounting screws. The cap is now facing away from me as I face the driver side of the van, but it's a little closer. I still have to crawl under to open & close it, so no additional skin off my nose. The clear vinyl hose is 3/4" I.D. & 1.0" O.D., so I used a slightly larger hole saw bit to allow the hose to bend but not collapse, and put an extra length of split hose around the outside of the new line to keep the cut edge of the sheet metal from chafing the new hose.</P>
<P>I removed the copper propane lines and flare fittings altogether. Since the Dometic is gone, I only needed to run on replacement gas line back up to the range. I cut another hole in the floor sheet metal & elongate an existing oval hole in the vertical side of the box tube just large enough to route a Dormant Mfg Co. Model #10 (3/8"I.D./1/4"I.D.) Model #1625 N x 48" inch long corrugated stainless steel line ($14.49 at Ganahl Lumber Co.). It's the type of flexible gas line used on water heaters, stoves, & clothes driers which meets the ANSI Z21.24-CGA 6.10 Connectors for Gas Appliances specifications. It's approved for both indoor & outdoor use, but carries some fine-printed "Additional Instructions For Outdoor Installation", including #2. "Connector is not to be used for a.) connection to an LP-gas container mounted on or adjacent to a park trailer or the manufactured (Mobile) home. b.) within a vehicle (recreational trailer, RV, etc.)" Technically, the connections inside the Westy at the back of the range, and outside at the tank, would allow this company's lawyers to argue that the main cause of death was stupidity, not Dormont's negligence, should I ever wake up dead due to a leak. Propane, runnin' all 'round my brain... I did a careful soapy water leak check, and ran a split rubber hose around the stainless line through the sheet metal holes and down to the brass flare fitting underneath, then taped over it all with electricians tape to give additional protection from chafing, gravel, or any road debris which get passed the stone shield below the tank.</P>
<P>For this project, I removed the propane tank & stone shield, which I now know was originally painted WHITE by the manufacturer (Manchester in CA), and has labels explaining what each fitting & valve does. My tank & shield had a THICK coating of road dirt + grease, which I removed with engine degreaser, plus a thick, viscous coating of something the color and consistency of almost-dry varnish, which I removed with gum turpentine. All that accumulated "gunk" probably provided a barrier to corrosion & anti-"PING" sound deadening, but I'll try the clean tank & valves approach for now. Bye the way, if anybody has an annoying rattle which seems to be coming from INSIDE the range, it may NOT be the dish-drain tray or burner elements. I found that the rigid steel gas line leading out of the back of the range makes a LOUD METALIC RATTLING/BUZZING NOISE when disturbed. I cut a short length of 1/2" rubber hose and gently wedged it in between the steel gas line and the top of the stock plywood piece below the range to dampen (at least), and hopefully eliminate that rattle. It had been quite unnerving at low idle in Drive with the brake pedal depressed. Some sort of harmonic vibration made it sound like the exhaust had broken loose!</P>
<P>All this effort was to permit installation of drawers which maximize & optimize the space under the range, all the way back to the side of the van. I've divided the space in halves, and built drawers out of Baltic birch plywood in the following dimensions:</P>
<P>LEFT side drawers are all 16" deep & 15 3/4" wide. Heights 3", 5", 7", 9" + cutting board</P>
<P>RIGHT side drawers are 15" deep & 16" wide. Heights 6", 8", 12". The top right drawer has annoying, but required, cut-outs in the back for the sink drain trap, gas line connection, and seat belt pulley.</P>
<P>The local hardware store carries regular ball-bearing slides for around $13, but Leon has a source for the latest & greatest SELF-CLOSING ball-bearing slides, which feature a spring mechanism to retract the slide, and are rated to support 100 lbs. per pair. I think that I may still want to engineer some method of keeping the drawers from sliding open whilst the van is underway. Long staring & deep thought necessary on that...</P>
<P>Thanks to the member (Jim? Bill?) who suggested using a G.F.I. outlet ($7.99 for contractor grade) instead of trying to find a suitable circuit breaker replacement (Boater's World carries a similar-looking 15A c.b. for $6.99, but it's rated at 250VAC/28VDC, and would still be vulnerable to breakage if mounted in the stock Westy location.</P>
<P>Wheh! Gotta go thin some varnish.</P></DIV></div><br clear=all><hr>Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at <a href='http://go.msn.com/bql/hmtag_etl_EN.asp'>http://explorer.msn.com</a>.<br></html>
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