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Date:         Thu, 1 Sep 2011 21:46:05 -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: Refrigerator lighting
In-Reply-To:  <201109020159.ALW68405@Colorado.EDU>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

When this thread started I thought it was about the interior light in the Vitris!

Some observations:

1) I don't recall any mentions of failure of the thermostat, but that might explain his original problems. If the flame is always "pilot" and never full on, staying "on" might be difficult. To get a Dometic going, you want the full flame. Maybe thermostats never fail--or almost never. He might have the exception.

2) I had a Dometic that worked very well. I did have to replace the thermocouple a couple of times and clean the burner box sometimes. But I never could keep those ice cream sandwiches frozen in the freezer compartment-- which I can with the Vitri.

The one thing that would blow out my Dometic was a semi going the other way when there was a cross wind. The beautifully tuned intake/exhaust system could handle almost everything--except a blast that popped your ear drums. Hwy 191 N of Moab was a typical spot for this. Strong wind out of the west and lots of semis going against you.

3) And I can find those ice cream sandwiches and other things in the dark 'cause when I open the door there is a light!

4) In the 'merican west, temps inside a Westy can go to 125+ (F) very easily in the afternoons. No hope for a Dometic. Volume goes by the cube, surface by the square. So if you increase the size of a fridge, you gain in efficiency. So the Class A RVs have Dometics with double doors, working freezer compartments, etc, etc. Same with big Servels we used to have in cabins in the backwoods of Colorado in the 50s.

The trouble with the Westy fridge is that it is too small! A 3-way that is twice as big internally will be a better fridge. A Vitri that is twice as big is good, too. And better for the ice cream sandwiches.

5) I loved my Dometic. I loved that I could light it and go on a multi-week trip and (almost) never have to worry about it. I have two propane tanks, so I was good-to-go. But I love my Vitri more--I don't worry about the temps at all, no matter how hot. If I don't park more that 48-60 hours, I don't worry about my aux battery voltage. If I weren't so cheap and bought some solar panels, I wouldn't worry about that either. I love the drawer below my Vitri that wasn't there with the Dometic, too.

6) The fact that one can make a Dometic work well after ~25 years is almost a miracle. Well, our Vanagon are miracles, too. Both Dometics and Vanagons were top-notch products. The closer your camping environment comes to N Europe, the better your Dometic works for you. Think Oregon and not Moab.

7) Anybody want some Barbie ice cube trays? I have two like-new ones--still in the plastic bag with the German stickers on it. P-mail me. ;-)

I just came back from 17 days to the California coast--Syncro Safari '11. 3170 miles. Pictures at the top link of http://jones.colorado.edu There were Engels, Vitris and Dometics--and ice coolers. We *all* had a great time! That's one more thing I like about my Vitri--I can go camping instead of pulling the fridge to clean the burner box, or....

Keep your cool!!

Richard


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