Date:         Thu, 28 Jun 2007 12:13:22 -0700
Reply-To:     Keith Ovregaard <kovregaard@COMCAST.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Keith Ovregaard <kovregaard@COMCAST.NET>
Subject:      Dometic Fridge Mod Update
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

For those of you interested in the results so far on the mods I did to 

the fridge...

Problem:
Not cold enough during warm daytime temps, would not start on LP very 
easily, fan in the back was not working at all, lots of heat coming 
from the vent in back of the stovetop heating up the van too much.

Mods done:
Added 4 fans (one exhausts hot air out the 
what-used-to-be-city-water-inlet, two are cooling the fins in back of 
the fridge and one circulates inside air), cleaned burn chamber, 
cleaned orifice, blew out intake/exhaust/drain tubes, added check valve 

to pump, reamed out pump outlet, added extra pump inlet hole, wrapped 
intake and exhaust flues and burn chamber with fiberglass insulation, 
added foil-backed foam insulation to back, bottom and sides (had to 
remove it from one side to fit), replaced thermal mastic with Radio 
Shack silicone-based heat sink compound, insulated area in back of 
cabinets with 2 layers of foil bubble insulation.

Enough already!

Results:
Disappointing:-(
After re-installing the fridge, I turned on the AC mode, the temp 
control to maximum cooling and let it chill down over night. It is 
empty for this test. This morning the temp inside the fridge was 28°F. 

Outside temp was 65. So, a 37° differential. I switched to LP mode. 
Started right up! Just as before, I could hear the flame very clearly 
at the flue. Right now, the temp inside the fridge is almost 41 and 
outside is 75, a 34° differential. The exhaust fans are doing an 
amazing job of cooling and almost NO warm air is coming out of the 
vents behind the stovetop or to the left of the cabinet. I can feel 
cool air going into the area under the fridge and warm air coming out 
of the new exhaust port outside the van. Ventilation is working fine.

Question is, why is this thing not working any better with all of these 

"improvements"!

Any suggestions? Roger? Anyone?

Keith O