Date:         Wed, 25 May 2005 17:53:21 -0700
Reply-To:     Michael Elliott <j.michael.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Michael Elliott <j.michael.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Fridge....should it stay on...
Comments: cc: mark drillock <drillock@EARTHLINK.NET>
In-Reply-To:  <42951065.4010505@earthlink.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

Well, my fridge is, I think, working and my experience is more similar
to Stan's than yours.

The thermal switch on the back works (tested it), it kicks in the fan
when the waste fins get hot (tested), the rear fan works - put on a
larger Volterra one; I have an internal CPU fan on the cooling fins;
I've installed a waste heat fan on the (now unused) city water inlet
thing, I have 1'' of additional white styrofoam insulation behind the
reefer (smooshed into the two spaces where the original yellow
fiberglass lives;  and the internal rear vents on the cabinet are
unobstructed.

Running on 120VAC, the thermal probe I have taped to its back wall says
it gets down to 39F in the evening. During the day, 50F is more like it.
Propane performance is similar.

If it's not working up to its full potential then maybe I am overlooking
something.

--

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



--

On 5/25/2005 4:55 PM mark drillock wrote:

> Good grief, if your fridge is broken,why not fix it? Both my Westys have
> fridges that work fine on propane and 12 volts. I have never used 120.
> We have kept food in them for a week or 10 days without it spoiling. The
> fins frost over solid after a few days but that does not seem to create
> any problems. We have camped in the Baja desert dozens of times relying
> on the Westy fridge to keep things cool. It does have it's limitations
> but if you keep within them it is a fine appliance. I rarely drive far
> with the fridge running on propane since I can't trust it to stay lit
> and 12 volts works good.
>
> Mark
>
> Stan Wilder wrote:
>
>> The refrigerator is one of the most laughable things about a Westy.
>> ....................
>> The Westy fridge is a good way to keep flies off your hot dogs and keep
>> stuff in a dark place but I'd never trust it to preserve food for
>> more than
>> 48 hours unless it was in a can, box or didn't even need refrigeration.
>>
>>
>