Date: Thu, 19 Aug 1999 22:03:36 -0400
Reply-To: Bulley <gmbulley@BULLEY-HEWLETT.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Bulley <gmbulley@BULLEY-HEWLETT.COM>
Subject: Re: Dometic Fridge on my 84 Westy
The fridge is silent, except a cooling fan you will eventually hear come on
intermittently (if it still works) on the back of the fridge.
First, make sure it cools on 120v. Plug in the van, and turn it on MAX. Go
to bed. Check in a.m. Cold? Good. Let it warm up.
Switch to 12v, again on MAX. make sure both fuses are in the little holder
behind the driver's seat. Go for a drive for an hour or two. Cold in the
fridge again? Good. Ooops...you mean it isn't cold? 12v doesn't work.
Search archives for answers.
Have tank purged, then filled. One evening, in the late dusk, park so that
the inside of the fridge is dark. See that little port at the bottom left
rear corner of the fridge? That is your secret window into the combustion
chamber. You can see the lit flame through here, whether your little green
LED works or not.
Follow lighting instruction in owners manual. The archives have plenty of
mystical ceremonies that some folks do to make their fridge light, but mine
lights on the first click, with no pumping, so go figure. Be patient. Watch
for the flame. Try pumping a LOT of air, or a little. Try lots of
variations, and watch for the flame. You get the idea. Once lit, keep an
eye on it for about ten minutes. Until the exhaust stack warms up,
condensation can drip into the combustion space and quench the flame.
Re-light.
It will take about 30 minutes before it REALLY starts to cool, and a couple
of hours until it is cold. We pack ours with frozen 2-liter bottles the
night before we pack our groceries to pre-cool everything.
Have fun.
G. Matthew Bulley
Director
Bulley-Hewlett & Associates
www.bulley-hewlett.com
Cary, NC USA
888.468.4880 tollfree
-----Original Message-----
From: Matt Brickell [SMTP:bricknord@WEBTV.NET]
Sent: Thursday, August 19, 1999 8:51 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Dometic Fridge on my 84 Westy
Thank you all for the prompt and informative reply to my propane tank
question. I have another in what will become a bunch of questions for
all of you I am sure ( new westy/vanagon owner). I notice that the
fridge has 3 way power. I have no propane in the tank now but shouldn't
I be able to run the fridge on 12VDC? I switched it to the 12v setting
and have seen heard felt no results. Is there some trick to getting the
fridge going? Does it make any noise at all when operating 12v or on AC
power? Are the Dometic units known for good or bad service and are
repairs/parts still out there for this brand? I appreciate any fridge
wisdom that anyone can provide. THANKS EVERYONE...eventually I will get
familiar enough with this bad boy to bug you less!
Matt Brickell
