Date: Thu, 1 Sep 2011 16:52:38 +0000
Reply-To: Marius Strom <marstrom@MICROSOFT.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Marius Strom <marstrom@MICROSOFT.COM>
Subject: Re: Refrigerator lighting
In-Reply-To: <318C3080-62E4-4D17-BCDE-9625990629E7@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
My experience:
Bought my rig in March 2010, so I'm a relative newcomer. It's the 182B, non-auto-igniter one that came on my '88 Westy.
Always worked well on 120V and pretty well on 12V, but was completely unable to get it to light on Propane. Removed fridge, cleaned out burner box (which was actually pretty clean), and replaced the air check valve. The GoWesty instructions that came with the new check valve said to put the new one on the line, but said nothing about pulling the old in-line one out. I pulled the old one out, and could not get air to move through it in either direction. It was definitely dead, and I see this is a glaring omission in the GW instructions.
Since replacing the check valve, I've been able to light my fridge within 2 minutes every time I've used it. Some say it helps to have it pre-cooled before lighting it, but I'm not sure. Mine now seems to light easily whether the fridge is below freezing (on 120V overnight) or whether the bus has been sitting in the sun all day and has a 100 degree fridge temperature. Lights right up.
Moral of the story for me: replace that blasted check valve, and make sure you pull the old one out. I wish I had taken photos when I did it, cause the original in-line one is actually inside the hose and I bet most people don't spot it or remove it, which does a fat-lot-of-good when you put the new one on there.
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Jim Kim
Sent: Thursday, September 01, 2011 9:21 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Refrigerator lighting
I think Don is onto something here. Perhaps it's all part of the Vanagon ownership experience. If we wanted to have a vehicle that always worked as we expect them to, then we would've gotten ourselves a Toyota Camry or something. But we got ourselves VW Vanagon Westfalias. These have a way to shape us into a certain way. Although mine (stock Dometic unit on my 87 Westy) lights each time I don't know why it does or when it will stop lighting. It's a nice metaphor for life I guess. We define ourselves by how we solve the problems.
On Sep 1, 2011, at 8:02 AM, Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> This is not a constructive or instructive reply, but rather an
> observatory reply....No, Scott...not Observatory like Palomar or Mt.
> Wilson..for star-gazing, but an anecdotal observation of what
> happens with my Dometic fridge..
>
> Mine works. Dependably, for the most part, but without a
> predictable sequence of behavior.
> Mine sometimes requires lots of patience to get lit but not always..
> Sometimes it fires up and stay lit right off... No logic to why or when.
> When it is being stubborn about lighting and staying lit...I
> think..."This is it, the time it just won't work"....but if I persist,
> it always has, so far. It may help if that side of the van is in the
> sun when lighting the flame...I think that may start the chimney
> drawing a little better...probably my imagination....I shall have to
> consult my vanagon-specific Ouija Board...
>
> I have cleaned everything. It is just 'cantankerous' and unpredictable.
> Better than the other vehicles that we own with Dometics, however.
>
> Once lit, I can usually drive a thousand miles without losing the flame.
> But not always. Sometimes it blows out.. Sometimes, rarely, it even
> goes off when the van is just parked.
>
> Once lit and running the Dometic I have works very well indeed. It
> keeps stuff well and lasts about 3 weeks, full time, on a 5 gallon portable tank.
> These just seem to be 'fussy' fridges. I have never encountered one
> that behaved. (I've owned or been around about half a dozen)
>
> Don Hanson
>
>
>
> On Thu, Sep 1, 2011 at 5:42 AM, Leonard Sitongia <sitongia@onebeam.net>wrote:
>
>> On Aug 31, 2011, at 11:08 PM, neil n wrote:
>>
>>> Are you certain the drain plug is clear? If so.....
>>
>> The condensation drain? Yes, I can pump air into it.
>>
>>>
>>> This takes patience, but if you can see when the flame is dying,
>>> open the drain. Or, pump the air pump. Anything to introduce more
>>> air into
>>
>> I have a small hand pump for blowing up fit balls and stuff like
>> that. It fits nicely into the drain pipe. If I pump while the flame
>> is on, it goes out.
>>
>>> the burner box. If either keeps the flame alive, either the air
>>> in/exhaust out cycle isn't happening or your intake tube is still
>>> clogged. If no change, it *may* be a fuel delivery problem. Clogged
>>> burner jet, LP line, etc. Also.....
>>>
>>> The flame will be 2 different sizes when fridge operating normally;
>>> no
>>
>> Ah, I didn't know that! Makes sense.
>>
>>> cooling needed, smaller flame, cooling needed, larger flame. Since
>>> your LED doesn't work and that it can be hard to see the flame via
>>> the viewer, you may think it's out but the flame is just at the
>>> smaller size (unlikely though given that flame likely in full size
>>> mode to cool down the fridge) A cardboard tube held up against the
>>> viewer is great or seeing if the flame is alive. Especially during
>>> daylight hours.
>>
>> I'll try that.
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>> ==Leonard E. Sitongia
>> One Inextricable Beam
>> http://www.onebeam.net/
>>
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