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 Robo
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| posted on March 5th, 2003 at 07:56 AM |
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3 way fridge installation
Hi Guys
I want to build a cupboard for a three way fridge for my bus.
I have no idea what is required for ventilation, heat escape ect, I have seen on some old buses that there has been a hole cut into the floor, where
the fridge used to be.
The other thig I need to know about is where the flue is supposed to go (exit ) the hot air to.
Also how safe is the gas operation side of this appliance, is it better to disconect the gas and just run it on 12.V or 240 mains.
Any advice on the construction of the cabinet and the vents would be of great help!
Thanks
Rob....
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micbec
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| posted on March 5th, 2003 at 10:46 AM |
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I'm pretty sure it's very dangerous if not illegal to run your fridge on gas whilst running your bus. Use 12 Volt whilst running around, and
switch over to gas when you stop, setup camp etc.
The gas is a good option if you camp in remote area (ie no 240V).
As for ventilation distances and the rest, it can vary depending on the make and model, the manufacturer should be able to supply you with these
details.
Good Luck!
:beer:beer:beer
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Purple Martin
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| posted on March 5th, 2003 at 01:44 PM |
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I've got an old 3-way electrolux in my kombi. Basically, there are big vents in the side of the kombi where the back of the fridge is (the vents
are the horizontal grille type - I'll attach a photo in a few days if I can get around to it).
The fridge is built into the cupboards/bench interior, and sealed all around the front edge with silicone so that any gas/fumes can't get around
the fridge into the cabin.
The bench above the fridge used to get very hot so I took out the fridge and filled the gap between the top of the fridge and the underside bench with
heat-resistant insulation, which fixed that problem.
There isn't a flue - the hot gas just vents out of the top of the element column into the space between the fridge and the vents. You're
not supposed to add a flue for the old fridges - it can mean the element column doesn't get hot enough to make the fridge work, and can also make
the flame blow out in the wind.
Some advice about basic maintenance: the element column is supposed to get very hot, that's what drives the ammonia throught the pipes.
There's no need to do any maintenance on the electrical bits, the only thing that might not work efficiently is the gas burner. If the gas
burner is dirty the flame won't be strong enough or hot enough to heat up the element column sufficiently. Spiders love the smell of propane and
will build their nests all around the burner. To clean the burner, all you have to do is blast it with compressed air: do this before every camping
trip (even if it's only a week since the last one, spiders can work fast) for a good hot flame.
1959 red & white Beetle
1975 Kombi camper
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Robo
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| posted on March 5th, 2003 at 02:56 PM |
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Thanks for the info guys, I may try to have a look at a couple of vans that have them installed, I would still like to have a look at the photo's
if you can do it!
thanks
Rob.....
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mnsKmobi
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| posted on March 6th, 2003 at 07:49 AM |
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The hole in the floor is to allow gas to escape if you spring a leak (gas is heavier than air). Mine is covered with flywire which tends to get filled
up with dirt over time.
I have the installation instructions for my Electrolux fridge which say that the fridge should be vented to the outside and sealed from the inside -
well the installers got the first bit right! The vents are supposed to be right at the top and bottom to encourage air flow - hot air escaping out the
top draws cool air in at the bottom.
I should say that my fridge is behind the driver's seat with the back towards the kombi's side.
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Robo
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| posted on March 6th, 2003 at 09:01 AM |
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Yes this is one of the reasons I have asked! in the westfalia conversion's that I have seen on the U.S sites, the fridge is positioned behind the
drivers seat (passenger in the US) with the door facing the back of the van, I fail to see any ventilation grille on the top of the cabinet that it is
in, I would like to position my cabinet the same way, so I am thinking that gas may not be an option, because of the difficulty in sealing the unit
off, the only other concern is getting rid of the heat, with the cabinet this way it would have to be vented into the interiour of the van, might be
good in winter, but summer would be murder, and possibly dangerous! I have two fridges, an Electolux three way, and a new Waco fridge master, a little
retro looking thing, this only operates on 240 or 12V, it is small, 15 litres, but I only put milk and butter in the fridge any way, so I may just
install this, it is new and portable, I will ask some more questions and make up my mind!
Thanks
Rob.....
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Purple Martin
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| posted on March 6th, 2003 at 11:10 AM |
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Here are some pics of my fridge. Like mnsKmobi's, it is behind the driver's seat with the back towards the kombi's side. I remember
that last time I had it out I saw a label on it that specified the minimum clearance distances, have a look on your fridges in case they have similar
labels.
From the inside:
From the outside, showing vents:
From the outside, what's behind the lower vent (wich is removable, the top one isn't):
1959 red & white Beetle
1975 Kombi camper
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Robo
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| posted on March 6th, 2003 at 12:08 PM |
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Thanks for the photos Mr Martin, It looks like your fridge is installed the proper way! plenty of ventilation, and esy to get at the back of it.
I think I may have to give the three way a miss and stay with the two way, the gas is the big problem, I think I will put the 3 way into a camper
trailer I have been building! how long does yours take to get cold on 240.
buy the way what are the weight numbers for, never seen them on a camper before?
Thanks
Rob.....
[Edited on 6-3-2003 by Robo]
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Purple Martin
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| posted on March 6th, 2003 at 01:02 PM |
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It takes a good 8 hours (overnight) to get cool(ish) on mains, and at least as long on gas, during summer. You should try to only open the door when
you need to, opening it too many times makes it difficult for the fridge to stay cold. It'll run on a 4.5kg gas bottle for a full week! Even in
40c summer! I love having a fridge, cold beer makes even desert road trips bearable.
The weight numbers are there because it wasn't originally registered as a camper, it was registered as a 2-person goods van, so it would have had
the axle and tare weights (I think that's what they are???) put on it then. It's got a bench seat in the back now it's been converted,
and the bench seat folds up to make a double bed  , but there are no
seatbelts in the back so it's still registered as a two-seater. It's a bit of a pain that I can't carry more than one passenger, but
on the plus side I'm allowed to park in loading zones!
1959 red & white Beetle
1975 Kombi camper
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KOM123
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| posted on March 6th, 2003 at 08:51 PM |
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Purple Martin, what sort of seats are they in the front and do you have any more pics of them?
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Phil74Camper
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| posted on March 7th, 2003 at 12:04 AM |
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Westfalia campers were never sold in Australia. The 'official' VW Campmobiles were converted by the Adelaide-based Sopru company. They had
branches in all capital cities in the '70s. VW even listed Campmobile parts in their catalogues, which had a special CMP prefix.
Soprus generally had their fridges mounted behind the passenger seat, with the door facing the rear. The 3-way Electrolux RAM-24 has the flame at the
left rear, which is easy to check in that layout. The fridge/stove cabinet had a small flap, which you would see at the very bottom left as you open
the sliding door.
Soprus made before 1973 had two small 1kg gas bottles mounted on a shelf behind the front passenger seat - between the back of the seat and the metal
wall! A hose went through the metal wall to the fridge and stove behind. No outside venting at all! Later Soprus had a larger 4kg bottle mounted in a
fibreglass box under the sink, with access only from the outside.
VW Australia's Campmobile handbook from 1973, which I have at home, says that you CAN drive with the fridge operating on gas. But I would NEVER
do that! Gas for camping, 12V for driving, 240V for caravan parks and initial setup.
I replaced the heating element in my fridge, and on 240V it chills down in about 3 hours. I've added a 12v electric fan (like a large computer
fan) at the rear to blow air over the heat exchanger, which greatly increases the fridge's performance.
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Purple Martin
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| posted on March 7th, 2003 at 08:14 AM |
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| Quote: | Originally
posted by KOM123
Purple Martin, what sort of seats are they in the front and do you have any more pics of them?
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They're Volvo seats (a previous owner put them in). They're the standard seat that was in all big Volvos 15-20 years ago, you can pick them
up cheaply from Volvo wreckers (I know this because I got replacement knobs for them recently). The're high-backed, they're really comfy,
they have adjustable lumbar area (the shape of the bit behind the small of your back changes as you twist one of the knobs), and they bolt straight on
(I put some big spacer washers under the outside runner to make them level). One small problem is that if you slide them backwards quickly the main
knob hits the seatbelt thingy and the knob can break (hence my recent trip to the Volvo wreckers). I've done a big 4000km road trip and been
very comfortable the whole way. My girlfriend isn't so keen on them because she's short and so her feet don't reach the floor, she has
to put a fat cushion on the floor.
From the inside showing lumbar adjustment knob:
From the outside showing spacer metal under runner:
1959 red & white Beetle
1975 Kombi camper
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KOM123
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| posted on March 7th, 2003 at 12:47 PM |
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Thanks for the info, they look really comfy Any idea on what a similar
set of seats might cost from the wreckers?
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Purple Martin
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| posted on March 7th, 2003 at 01:57 PM |
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lol, that would depend on the wrecker, and what mood he's in! Your best bet is to drop in and try not to look desperate. Good luck!
1959 red & white Beetle
1975 Kombi camper
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