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Date:         Sun, 23 Apr 1995 19:22:11 -0700 (PDT)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         David Schwarze <schwarze@io.nosc.mil>
Subject:      '73 Safare update: Propane install

Hi again, This is a report of what I did *last* weekend. I ripped the sink, closet, stove, and fridge units out of my camper. I did this with much regret, as they were what made the Safare so unusual, and different. But, the cabinets were falling apart, and they took up tons of floorspace. The setup was similar to the early westy, with the fridge/stove behind the passenger seat and the sink/closet/water tank behind the driver. This looked very cute but the fridge/stove blocked access to the sliding door handle from the inside, and took up more than half of the entrance way when the sliding door was open. Also, when the bed was folded out, there was only a small space in the aisle in which one could stand. Not even enough room to dress comfortably. The closet, while veeery convenient (it was 5 feet tall, good for coats and things) blocked the view behind the driver. Last but not least, the fridge was about to fall apart - the plastic mounts were cracked off and the seals were shot.

So, I decided to go with a setup similar to the late model Westy. I drew out a diagram of a cabinet for behind the driver which would house the new fridge (well, it was used but in great shape, thanks Marcus!) and the stove. There was not room for the sink in the cabinet, so I decided to forget about the sink, since I never used it anyway. Ditto the 10 gal. BLACK water tank. Well, I think I might find a use for that water tank a little later (hint hint rhymes with flower, Martha). The problem was that the hookup for the propane tank comes up through the floor right behind the passenger seat. How to get propane over to the drivers side for the stove?? Also, I figured I would have to build a small cabinet behind the passenger seat (say, 6" deep) to cover up the propane hookup. That's okay, I will need the storage anyway, and Safare cut a huge hole in the metal wall behind the passenger seat for fridge ventilation - the cabinet will hide this too.

So back to routing the propane. The original line to the stove was copper pipe, so I figured I would just extend it. Under the carpeting and linoleum there is a layer of 1/2" plywood - I figured I would cut a notch in it and lay the pipe there. So, I head off to Home Depot and buy 10' of copper pipe and some compression fittings. Also a tubing cutter. I cut the original pipe, laid in the new pipe, and installed the fittings. Looked good. Turned on the propane, and got nothing. Hmmm... Gauge says I am out. That figures, I remembered being low at Red Rock. So, I head over to La Mesa RV across the freeway, and get 3 gallons of propane. It's 98 cents/gallon but with a 5 gallon minimum. The lady at the register was nice and only charged me $3. I don't think I've ever paid for more than 3 gallons, even when places have 5 gallon minimums. Maybe they feel sorry for me cause my van is so ugly.

Back at the farm, I again turn on the propane, and again I get nothing. Press in the gauge to test, and I hear gas running through the line. Release the gauge, no gas. It's not supposed to work that way. I notice that there is mud completely covering the tank and regulator. I theorize that dirt got into the gauge and clogged it somehow. Take the gauge out and clean it, reinstall and still no flow unless I press the gauge in. Grrrr! The stupid gauge was only 2 years old, but I reluctantly take it out and install the regulator directly into the tank, like it used to be. Now the gas flows freely. And the fittings leak! This day was rapidly going to hell.

Back at Home Depot, I try to find someone that knows about propane. One guy says, "Yeah, propane fittings are all reverse threaded. We don't have none of that stuff". At Camping world, they say I have to use flare fittings, and flare the ends of my pipe. They can't tell me how I can do this, though.

ASIDE: Camping World is an amazing place. Huge store, huge parking lot. They have special (?) 110v RV microwaves for $300, RV couches, RV lounge chairs, RV double-door refridgerators, RV backscrubbers, RV eggholders, RV washer/dryers, etc.. All this stuff looks like what you could find at Target for your home, but with "RV" in front of the name and an extra digit in the price. I hate this place. But, they have a sale on propane tank gauges ($19), and they don't have the funky "press to check" feature! I pick one up, along with a new cap for the propane tank filler nozzle ($6, ouch!) and get the hell outta there. Funny thing, I ask the girl behind the counter if they have the caps for the propane tank filler nozzle and she says, "You mean the yellow ones?" Either ALL of them are yellow or she is clueless. Hmmm, maybe they *are* all yellow?

Anyway, I go to a trailer supply place up the street from my house. Little tiny place, run by a couple of good ole boys. I figure there is no chance they can help me. WRONG. One of them made me a custom hose, 8 feet long, with the correct fittings on each end, for $18. When I ask them about leaks, they point me towards some sealing gunk in a little can for $6. When I groan at the price, he tells me to use the teflon tape instead, it's only $1/roll. Then he gives it to me for free! What a pal. They also had a free booklet of every KOA campground in the US. That should prove handy on GNATT when everyone is tired and dirty and wants to sit in the jaccuzi. Yep, lots of those KOA's have jaccuzis - it's in the book!

Home again, I install the gauge and the hose, and everything works great! Now I just need to build the cabinets to house the appliances. It was about this point I realized that I suck at carpentry. Anyone wanna help me build some cabinets? :)

-David

============================================================================= David Schwarze '73 VW Safare Custom Camper (Da Boat) SAIC Comsystems '73 Capri GT 2800 (Da Beast) San Diego, California '87 Mustang Lx 5.0 (Da Bruiser? Soon...) schwarze@nosc.mil http://papaya.nosc.mil/~schwarze =============================================================================


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