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Date:         Sat, 1 Jul 2017 21:50:30 -0700
Reply-To:     David McNeely <davmcneely40@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David McNeely <davmcneely40@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Death of a Dometic
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"

It was a great old box, a fine old box, But at last it met its end.

Its owner and a fellow Vanagon man did their best on two weekends.

But the fall from the work table, wow, That was its final bow.

I had the propane line reinstalled, hooked up, checked for leaks (none). It started up on propane immediately, with the flame visible in the site glass (thanks for teaching me how to view that, Robert).

I was getting things cleared away for reinstalling it and to check how well it would cool when the neighbor's dog, a Weimeramer kept for guard duty, appeared in the shop door, snarling and growling. He must've found a gate open or something. He came toward me, full voice, and I moved to put something between me and him, and to get a club into my hand. I bumped the table, and perhaps the refrigerator. At any rate, it fell over and onto the concrete shop floor.

The neighbor appeared, corralled the dog, and never so much as asked if everything was ok before departing without speaking a word.

After all the excitement, I hooked everything up. There was no 12 V. I checked over everything obvious, wires and so on, nothing pulled loose that I could find, no electrical parts obviously broken. I retightened electrical connections, and tried again, still no DC, no flashing light for propane, and more careful examination revealed also a crack to the burner box, and another around the brazing where the drain pipe connects to the burner box. The drain pipe was bent. Other components are likely damaged.

I installed it anyway, figuring that having it in place, and no propane leaks, is better for the upcoming camping starting after the 4th than having the cabinet space open but with the propane line exposed. I'll cap that off, figure a fix to cover the line and other connections (and the flue vent opening) after we get back.

I do know that GoWesty sells a kit for refrigerator decommissioning and making a finished look cabinet space, but I should be able to do the same job for considerably less money. We'll see. Or maybe I will buy the GoWesty kit.

I really don't like this, as I always liked having that little, inadequate refrigerator. It always worked great, especially on propane, until it started being hard to start and not staying lit just before I had to stop using it for a couple of years. We used to regularly stay out for two weeks, and keep eggs and other perishables in the refrigerator.

Well, I learned a good bit about the Dometic, anyway, thanks especially to Robert. I also confirmed what I knew from past experience, that my mechanical prowess is short of superb, and that a job that takes someone else a half day takes me two. Unfortunately, I also learned a little more about my neighbor. I always thought he was a nice person. I'll chalk his behavior up to not knowing exactly what to do in the circumstances.

mcneely


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