Date: Fri, 20 Aug 1999 08:24:09 -0800
Reply-To: Brian Walch <bwalch@RESDAT.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Brian Walch <bwalch@RESDAT.COM>
Subject: Re: Dometic Fridge on my 84 Westy
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Question about operating fridge from a relative newbie...
There is a center dial (maybe dial "C" according to the diagram) that looks
like a thermostat. However, it has a propane symbol next to it so I
understood it to mean that the propane setting was adjustable, but that the
12V and 110V options were either on or off. Meaning, if you had the option
switched to 12V, and the van running, the fridge was on, regardless of the
"propane thermostat" setting. Same thing if the van was plugged in and the
option switch set to 110V. Is that center switch actually a thermostat for
ALL 3 settings?
Thanks.
Brian
'85 Westy
-----Original Message-----
From: S Sittservl [mailto:Ssittservl@AOL.COM]
Sent: Thursday, August 19, 1999 5:48 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Dometic Fridge on my 84 Westy
You'll probably get lots of replies - the fridge is a
popular topic.
The fridge always works silently (propane, 110V, or 12V),
except for one
thing: a coil fan behind the fridge, that cools off the rear
coils. It turns
on when the coils get hot (about 110 degrees), regardless of
whether
the fridge is on or not. It runs off the "pump" fuse,
whereas the 12V
cooling mode works off the "fridge" fuse.
12V only works when the engine is running. There's a relay
under the
driver's seat that shuts off the power if the engine is off.
Otherwise,
the fridge would drain the battery very quickly (something
in the 5 to
10 hour range, if I remember right).
The fridge generally takes a few hours to get cool, but you
can usually
feel that the interior fins are cold within an hour. It's
best to put cold
things in the fridge, rather than put in warm things and
expect the
fridge to cool them.
The fridges are very reliable, except for two things:
(1) The coil fans frequently quit working. This makes the
fridge
cool less well. Solution: replace the fan. Testing
your fan:
run the fridge on a hot day (80 or 90 degrees) with the
van
closed up. After a few hours, you should be able to
hear
the fan through the vent beside the rear table.
(2) Many people have trouble getting the propane to light,
or find that the fridge cools poorly on propane.
Typical
solutions: various lighting tricks, or clean the burner
and/or flues, or replace the propane regulator if it's
not
supplying enough pressure.
110V almost always works, and is usually the coldest. 12V
almost always works, but is usually the least cold.
Most of the fridges aren't as cold as people would like them
to be, especially in hot weather, but I think most people
find
them to be adequate most of the time. Only a fortunate few
are able to make ice. Some people believe performance is
noticably improved with a little interior fan, to move the
cold
air around.
Parts are pretty easy to find, but service is not -
Volkswagen
dealers and RV repair places often won't touch it. Doing
the service yourself isn't too difficult, though.
-Steven Sittser