Date:         Fri, 3 Sep 2004 00:24:54 -0700
Reply-To:     Westyman <syncrowestytd@MINDSPRING.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Westyman <syncrowestytd@MINDSPRING.COM>
Subject:      Re: New fridge installed! Yippee!
Comments: To: Wetwesties <wetwesties@yahoogroups.com>,
          VanDwellers <VanDwellers@yahoogroups.com>,
          Syncro list <syncro@yahoogroups.com>,
          Diesel Vanagon List <Diesel-Vanagon@yahoogroups.com>
In-Reply-To:  <JBEOJOBKGBDBEAIBOCBEAEJODJAA.syncrowestytd@mindspring.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Oh, I forgot to mention, the fridge has a shelf on the door that holds
half-gallon containers! And the door is reversible!

Karl

>  -----Original Message-----
> Today I finally found time to install my new Norcold electric fridge! I
> decided a few months ago that I really had enough of the idiosyncrasies
> and poor hot-weather performance of the old Dometic, so found a new
> Norcold DC0040 on eBay for $325. This model is 1.7 cubic feet in capacity,
> 12 or 24 volt, and the dimensions make it a perfect fit into the Vanagon
> Westy cabinet. The unit is much deeper and shorter than the Dometic, and
> has a real freezer section not unlike the small office fridges you find at
> the local Home Despot store. I removed the cabinet front where the
> original's door hinged, and removed all hinges, latches, and the plastic
> inner trim, then slightly enlarged the opening's width [1/4"] and squared
> the round lower corners of the opening. There was about a three-inch space
> remaining at the top with the fridge mounted, so I filled that with a
> section of the original door, minus the plastic interior bit. My plan is
> to later construct a set of tracks behind that, and place a slide-out
> cutting board / table there. The bottom of the unit required a couple
> 1.75" thick wood blocks to support the bulk [40 lbs], and then four screws
> into the face board held it in. To secure the face board, I added two more
> small metal angle pieces like the one at the top right corner. For now,
> the fridge is wired directly to my 80 a/h auxiliary battery, soon I'll
> install the larger deep cycle under the rear seat or elsewhere.  The
> fridge draws 2.5 amps, so with the short run times I've seen so far,
> should easily go a few days before needing the battery charged. How's the
> performance, you ask? Well, within an hour, the interior was down to 35,
> an hour later 23. This with the thermostat set in the mid range and 75
> degrees inside the van. I can't wait to try it in hot weather, just crank
> and go, no more silly Dometic issues and worrying about spoiled food. I'll
> have some photos later when the cutting board is done, if anyone should
> like to see the finished job.
>
> Karl Mullendore
> '87 Westy Syncro TD
> today, 468,000 km.