Date:         Fri, 9 Jul 1999 23:44:04 -0400
Reply-To:     Jim Cain <jcain@MINDSPRING.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jim Cain <jcain@MINDSPRING.COM>
Subject:      Re: Bentley fridge mod (and Syncro thrills)
Comments: To: Brent Christensen <bchristensen@ROCK-SYSTEMS.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <01d301beca5c$a4b85b60$6f6f6f6f@aptiva>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

>At the risk of rekindling the springtime fridge threads,...
>---------------
>After working beautifully since I got it, the fridge suddenly became
>noticeably less efficient at cooling during the latter part of our
>just-completed 2,500 trip through the Southern Cascades/Northern Sierras.  I
>think it may have something to do with a stunt I pulled on a STEEP off-road
>trail.  While trying to "see what it'll do" I got the Syncro to stick both
>pax side wheels up in the air (no joke - about 6" up front and about 1" in
>back).  At this apex of this thrilling moment (while things seemed to stop
>in time, including my heart) I heard a "thunk" from the vicinity of the
>fridge.  This could have been a can of beans shifting position, but I know
>that the fridge doesn't seem to work as well now.  It will cool down to 37
>degrees or so, but only if the outside air is less than 70 degrees.  With
>the air temp at 85, it will only cool to the high 40's/low 50's.  It used to
>cool right down to 30 degrees or so, and a high of about 45.  Propane/AC/DC
>all seem to have been affected - that's what seems strange.

My dad had a 3rd party refridg in his 71 Westy and it used to stop
occasionally.  He would pick it up and turn it upside down then back right
again and it worked ok .  Something about the way it works with the heat
evaporating the coolant.  If to much of the coolant gets on the wrong side
of the thing it doesn't work right.  You had to turn it the right direction
to get the fluid to flow back to the correct side.

Sounds like you could have upset the balance of the coolant with your
circus act.