Date:         Tue, 17 May 2005 00:48:08 -0400
Reply-To:     Dana Showers <dshowers@CPDS.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Dana Showers <dshowers@CPDS.NET>
Subject:      Re: vanagon Digest - 16 May 2005 (#2005-397)
In-Reply-To:  <E1DXtMJ-0003pT-ND@matt.xitocreations.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

A similar material to car sun screens can be found at one of the big box
stores.  It is house insulation and basically amounts to two layers of
bubble wrap covered with aluminum foil.  The aluminum layer is very delicate
stuff.

The best insulator is trapped air.

Dana
85 Westy 1.9TD
04 Beetle TDI Pump Duse


-----Original Message-----
Date:    Mon, 16 May 2005 20:58:28 -0700
From:    Rocket J Squirrel <j.michael.elliott@ADELPHIA.NET>
Subject: Behind the reefer

I'm looking to improve the insulation between the rear of the reefer and the
outside wall of Mellow Yellow. It can get pretty hot when in direct
sunlight. This bakes the rear of the reefer and greatly reduces the ability
of the refrigerant to remove heat from its interior.

Right now the reefer is pulled, its combustion chamber cleaned; its fins
cleaned; its mickey-mouse little fin-cooling fan removed and a larger unit
mounted (with JB Weld ); the fan's thermal switch removed,
thermally-conductive heatsink compound applied and then remounted; I have
removed the pressurized water inlet and mounted a waste heat exhaust fan in
its place; the now useless  pressurized water hose line to the faucet
removed and the fitting on the faucet sealed with a 1/2''
flanged cap.

There is presently a couple-three inches of fiberglass insulation on the
wall at the rear of the reefer cabinet.

I'm thinking to put some panels made of a cut-up windshield sunshade between
the reefer and the insulation --  to further block heat from the rear of the
reefer when the side of Mellow Yellow is in sunlight.

Does anyone have something better to recommend for this application?

--
Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
83.5 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana") KG6RCR