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Date:         Sun, 23 Mar 2014 19:50:03 -0500
Reply-To:     mcneely4@COX.NET
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@COX.NET>
Subject:      Re: refrigerator question
Comments: To: Neil N <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <hB5H1n00b08X5Fr01B5KfS>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8

Thanks Neil. Right, I could not light the refrigerator back here in Oklahoma. The highest altitude we were in with the vehicle in BBNP was about 4500 feet asl, and the camp site where it failed is only at 2800 feet asl. Yes, propane stove worked fine. So far as temperature and operation, the refrigerator has always worked very well in the eighties F, including on battery. But we went for long stretches with the driver's side of the van in the sun, which is why I switched to propane for driving, as the refrigerator had warmed up to 10 C. It usually stays around 4 C when ambient is in the eighties F, or colder if ambient is in the sixties or below. Sorry for mixing units, but the thermometer I use in the fridge is a C thermometer. Four C is about 39 F. I did try to blow in the drain tube with a piece of tubing. Did not work. But the refrigerator went out and warmed up while parked, which has never happened for me before. Then I could not, and still cannot, relight it.

mcneely

---- Neil N <musomuso@GMAIL.COM> wrote: > My guess is that the intake/exhaust flue is designed to keep dust out > while driving but maybe enough got in that it worsened an already > dirty combustion box and/or intake-exhaust pipes? Or..... > > Since it was so dusty, could some have gotten in past the screen and > fouled LP tank regulator operation? But then I assume your stove > worked as per your LP amount comment. > > Even in the 80's F it should still cool at least somewhat on a given > mode (depending on cold/warm food management I guess) > > Did you try the old "blow in the drain tube" trick? > > I've wondered if high altitude has enough of an adverse affect on > flame size to cause the flame to go out and cause a hard or no start > on LP. IIRC, there are burner jets sized for high altitude. But then > your wouldn't light once back home correct? > > > > > On 3/23/14, Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@cox.net> wrote: > > >..... Going down and in the park it > > was quite cold at night, and terribly dusty as we traversed West Texas from > > Oklahoma. The back roads in the park were also dusty, but mostly a plume > > behind us. > > > > The refrigerator did not cool well during the daytime on battery driving the > > back roads in the park, and I switched to propane against my own prohibition > > on having the propane on while driving. Worked fine. The last day we > > hiked, we got back to the van to find that the refrigerator had stopped > > working on propane, and the food inside was warm, but not yet spoiled. I > > could not restart it. So, we worked it out and moved the stuff that would > > spoil most readily to the beer and meat ice box, where we had block ice > > frozen at home in jugs still cooling well with half the ice still there > > after six days (cold nights, remember). The days were quite warm (not by > > Big Bend spring standards, but in the seventies and even eighties). I tried > > several times to restart the refrigerator, no luck, despite plenty of > > propane available. I tried again a couple of times on the drive home, and > > again today. No go. It will not relight. > > > > Time to pull out the refrigerator and clean it up? Did the dust we drove > > through contribute to this failure? We did not have dust inside the van, > > but I suppose it could get into the refrigerator through the flu. > > > > mcneely > > > > > -- > Neil n > > Blog: tubaneil.blogspot.ca > > '88 Westy http://tinyurl.com/c8rlw6p > > '81 VanaJetta 2.0 "Jaco" http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/ > > Vanagon VAG *Gas* inline-VR Engine Swap Group: > > http://tinyurl.com/d7gd5ej

-- David McNeely


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