Date: Sun, 2 Jul 2017 08:54:38 -0700
Reply-To: Neil N <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Neil N <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Death of a Dometic
In-Reply-To: <CACvdLxNQ01AmFmQ_NfJWCAJZW7DQPn_bFWav41Rc17tn3LkHxw@mail.gmail.com>
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That's just "cruel". Too bad. Sorry to hear.
Heres' a 182B fridge I linked to earlier:
https://seattle.craigslist.org/oly/pts/6183993947.html
On 7/1/17, David McNeely <davmcneely40@gmail.com> wrote:
> 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
>
--
Neil n
Blog: Vanagons, Westfalia, general <http://tubaneil.blogspot.ca>
1988 Westy Images <https://picasaweb.google.com/musomuso/New1988Westy>
1981 Westfalia "Jaco" Images, technical <http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/>
Vanagon-Bus VAG Gas Engine Swap Group <http://tinyurl.com/khalbay>
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