Date:         Sun, 5 Jul 2015 07:22:34 -0700
Reply-To:     Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Batteries and solar panels!
Comments: To: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@hotmail.com>
In-Reply-To:  <BAY405-EAS1382843C5BFEE13010BD47A0940@phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

As usual, Dennis is the pro.  Yep, my propane install is probably not
 fully 'safe'...whereas Westfalia Vanagon's are,  The factory stock gas
bottle under the van complies with the law.   RVs or campers are required
to have the propane outside...If I were working on someone else's camper,
I'd do that...and I'll say here that MY own personal installation is not
what I am telling anyone else to do, but only what I have done... for my
own use..In order to be "legal"...I'd have to cut the side of the vanagon
and put in an external door and call it "outside the living space"    I'd
likely be required to have that type modification inspected and approved
and certified, too..My Alaskan camper has an installation like that.
   The small standard starter-sized battery' won't run the Dometic long
without the engine being on and keeping up with the draw..."a day"  I
posted, but use Dennis' figure for your own figuring...he's the pro.
   When I am parked and stationary, I often supply my Aux battery with a
simple small direct-drive solar panel.    The small-ish standard-sized
battery is......small. It'll draw down..  Seems to work for my needs,
however.    I find it effective to be able to interchange my 'abused' aux.
battery with my starter battery and I get a brand new starter battery when
I must, when the  aux battery gets too tired to hold a charge...
  YMMV...


On Sat, Jul 4, 2015 at 10:12 PM, Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@hotmail.com>
wrote:

> What Dometic fridge do you have? The Westy Fridge uses ~7 amps and from
> experience will only run off a group 41 battery about 4 hours before the
> voltage drops enough to cause the fridge cooling to stop.
> The holes in the floor to let leaking propane out also requires holes up
> high for air to enter to  replace the propane. The regulator can also vent
> under some conditions. Both need to be outside the living space.
>
> Dennis
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
> Of Don Hanson
> Sent: Saturday, July 4, 2015 11:33 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: Batteries and solar panels!
>
>    I have turned on my Dometic on 12v and it'll go about a day before it
> drains the small starter-sized battery.....but mine happens to work quite
> well on propane, which I have in a normal tank under the sink, with vent
> holes drilled through the floor (propane is heavier than air) in case it
> springs a leak...a 'regular' tank last me about 3 weeks.  I leave it on all
> the time when I am camping or traveling or at a bike race...Much easier to
> fill, you don't have to take the whole van to a hose...
>