Date:         Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:42:10 -0700
Reply-To:     Rocket J Squirrel <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Rocket J Squirrel <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Out goes the Norcold, in goes the Vitrifrigo
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Last week my Norcold refrigerator went to Tim Evans, who has posted some
questions here about its installation. Today my son came over and gave me
a hand installing my shiny new Vitrifrigo.

The hinges needed swapping over to the other side because I like the door
to open with the hinges aft. This is a significantly more PITA job on the
Vitrifrigo than on the Norcold. The instructions are sketchy and better
diagrams would be useful, especially when changing over the bits inside
the latch to right hand operation. And there are no markings on the door
to tell you where to drill the two holes for the latch affixing screws, so
it ended up a little out of place, making the door a bit difficult to
open. I can fix that later with a rat-tail file.

We also immediately lost the latch spring.

P-ting!

"What was that?"

"I don't know. Wait -- what happened to the spring?"

My son had to drive to where he works, a lock and safe company, to find a
replacement.

The opening on the front of the stove cabinet had already been opened up a
bit from the Dometic days to accept the Norcold, and it had to be opened
even more to take the Vitrifrigo. But with a little pushing and shoving
and a real big rubber mallet, it went into place.

It's real quiet, which was my main beef with the Norcold. The latter
thrums when running, causing everything on or around the stove to rattle.
I spent much time chasing down rattly things whenever it kicked on. This
thing, all I can hear is the muffin fan blowing air through the condenser.
And the fan is in the right location to blow that heated air out through
the vent on the aft side of the stove cabinet.

It draws 3.6A when running, the Norcold pulled 2.5A, so it may hit the
battery harder -- until I go camping, I can't tell how many minutes per
hour, thus ampere-hours it will consume. Wait and see on that one.

But I sure am happy with how quiet it is. Roomier inside, too.

--
Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
74 Westrailia: (Ladybug Trailer company, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.)
Bend, OR
KG6RCR