Date:         Sat, 30 Jun 2007 17:52:48 -0600
Reply-To:     Richard A Jones <jones@COLORADO.EDU>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Richard A Jones <jones@COLORADO.EDU>
Subject:      Re: Free battery and Fridge For Sale
Comments: To: paul@TAKINGFLIGHT.NET
In-Reply-To:  <20070630040645.1FD635A08C0@mx11.Colorado.EDU>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

> I have come to the conclusion that it is best to become our own expert on
> how to make your old Dometic perform at its best with good maintenance and a
> few enhancements mentioned in the archieves of this list.

I have been running my Dometic ('87 Syncro Westy) for about ten
days now as a test.  Worst case--in the sense the van is parked
with the driver side to the west--full Colorado sun in the afternoon.
It has windows slightly open--more like "locked up, hiking" than
"wide open, drinking beer."  Boulder temp is 92 degrees now at
5 pm, 6/30/07.

It is running on 115V, with a Fridgemate fan inside.  Thermostat
set to about 11 o'clock.  Thermometer on the floor of the fridge.

Empty fridge: about 28 degrees in the fridge in the morning, with
the interior of the van below 65 degrees.  When the interior of
the van heats up to 115 or above about 5pm, the inside of the fridge
will go up above 45 degrees.

Better fridge: 4 1-liter bottles of water in the fridge to add
thermal mass.  Inside fridge temp 32 degrees in the morning and
41 degrees in the afternoon.  This performance satisfies me.
Proves that more beer is better....

How would it perform on propane?  I may switch in another day and
see, but why should it not be the same?  That is, why would a
Dometic engineer not design the three ways to be equivalent? Would
be easy to pick orifice size, heater wattage, etc, to match, no?
The 12V heater is 7A = 84 watts; I think the 115V heater is 85 watts.
Anyway, if propane performance is much different from 115V, there
is probably a problem with the orifice or pressure or the flue.

There were millions of Servel gas fridges used in the 50s and 60s.
And today--the Servel name is owned by Dometic and they still make
gas--and kerosene!--fridges. Today there are millions of RVs
with gas fridges--with freezers.

I think our Westy problems are the small size of the fridge--my
test above demonstrates that thermal mass gets you through the
hot afternoon--and the smaller size of the Vanagon.  I have seen
121 degrees inside--not air temp, but the temp of the interior--
cabinets, etc.  To have 41 degree beer with a temp differential
of 80 degrees to the outside--is pretty amazing.  Just remember--
every beer you drink means decreasing thermal mass in the fridge--
and so the next one will be slightly warmer.  ;-)

Richard
Boulder