Date:         Wed, 15 Aug 2012 12:57:01 -0400
Reply-To:     David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Subject:      Re: Dometic failure on propane, one time
Comments: To: mcneely4@COX.NET
In-Reply-To:  <20120815100228.QYZJ8.1229196.imail@eastrmwml206>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

At 10:02 AM 8/15/2012, Dave Mcneely wrote:
>What down time would you suggest is reasonable for switching?  When
>I follow the fifteen minute rule, the fridge seems

If you really insist on flipping back and forth, instead of just
running the fire continuously as 90% (figure pulled out of my hat) of
Volks do and the fridge was designed for* and VW/Westfalia were
perfectly happy with until some corporate lawyer in charge of
preempting lawsuits above all else came along and stamped "Dry clean
only" on your manual - do as I did and open up the outer door in way
of the control panel so you can reach things without opening
it.  That will leave the upper rim of the door rather thin so you'll
want to rout out two windows with a pillar in the middle.  That's the
benefit of hindsight - I put in a dowel to support the middle.

*I seriously contend that there is *no* measurable increment of
safety gained by not using the flame underway *unless* the external
supply valve is closed.  If the valve is open, the significant danger
is the exposed position and easy unlock of the stove knobs which can
flood the van with propane.  The open supply valve itself is of
little-to-no consequence in an accident, since the POL spud attached
to the regulator by which it attaches to the supply valve is of the
type (is required to be of the type) known as "excess-flow."  This
opaque terminology means that if either the regulator is knocked off
or its output tubing damaged and allowed to flow freely, an internal
valve inside the POL spud will close and seal the tank.  The fridge
flame is sealed up in a heavy-gauge steel can with access only to the
outside; and any conceivable leak in the flue system which might
allow gas flowing from a stove burner to enter and ignite will only
be a danger when the vehicle is stationary,  because any wind will
then blow the flame out.  This last fact allows me to sincerely argue
that operating the flame underway is the safest possible practice,
since it will automatically detect any leaks in the flue system that
could conceivably cause a danger while camping.

Yours,
David