Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2007 20:55:38 -0400
Reply-To: Karl Mullendore <groups@WESTYVENTURES.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Karl Mullendore <groups@WESTYVENTURES.COM>
Subject: New fridge replacement option for the Dometic
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A few years ago, I replaced my original troublesome Dometic 182 fridge
with a Norcold DC-0040 compressor fridge. It has been a key to lowered
stress levels on my many roadtrips. Turn it on, and ten minutes later
it's cold, forget it more or less until I get home and then turn it off.
But I always hoped for a better alternative, one that had true
multi-voltage ability and a lower sound level....
Today I installed the first of what I view as the answer, the best
little fridge replacement out there. It is manufactured in Italy, but
has a US presence and service network. The fridge uses a Danfoss
compressor, which is not only very efficient but so quiet that you would
need to touch it to tell it is running. The small circulation fan on the
cooling unit is the only audible sound, and there is absolutely no
vibration. Much better than the Norcold I have been using. Inside it has
two door shelves and variable-height main shelf, interior light, and
covered freezer section. It is designed to run on 12, 24, 110, or 230
volt current, automatically choosing the source depending on what is
connected. It consumes 2.8 amps on 12-volts, but runs so little that a
standard starting battery could run it 4 days, more on a larger
deep-cycle battery. No more headaches about pilot lights, propane, etc.
Usable space inside the fridge seems to be about double that of the
Dometic 182. And yes, it really does make ice, even in hot weather.
It does require minor trimming of the original fascia panel of the
cabinet, or optionally one could have a cabinet maker fabricate a new
panel to save the original. I chose to use the original since I had
already trimmed the hole to fit the Norcold. Also necessary is
relocation of the 110-volt outlet under the sink, as this fridge use the
entire cabinet space. A little trimming of the 1/8" plywood at the rear
of the fridge and you're set.
The only downside is cost: I would like to offer these to folks at the
deepest discount possible, which means I would need to become a dealer
for the company. To do so would mean I would need a minimum order
initially of ten units. This would bring the cost down to around $550
plus UPS/FedEx. (list price is $880, yikes!) SO, what I'd like to do
here is basically what I did with the Propex heaters: An initial group
buy, if there is enough interest maybe we can convince them to offer an
even better discount, but I'll need ten as a minimum commitment to get
this rolling. Photos of the fridge as pulled from the box and then
mounted can be seen here: www.westyventures.com/parts.html . Let me
know your thoughts and / or interest level. Thanks for reading this
long-winded note!
Karl
www.westyventures.com
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