David,
You're right...
another mistake...
guess I should think a little more before answering...
Thanks for the corrections..
Bill
-----Original Message-----
From: David Beierl <dbeierl@ibm.net>
To: Davidson <wdavidson@THEGRID.NET>
Cc: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Date: Thursday, April 13, 2000 5:27 PM
Subject: Re: Westy Power Cord

>At 19:27 4/13/2000, Davidson wrote:
>>The fridge draws about 8 amps... the cabin light probably 2 amps... add
>>the amps of what ever else you want to run (the stock radio connection is
>>off the starter battery unless you change it)... total and then go look
>>for your power cord.
>
>I think you had a brain hiccup, Bill -- I know that you know that the
>fridge draws 8 amps at 12 volts, less than one amp at 110.
>
>The Westy circuit breaker is rated 15 amps -- the cord you get should also
>be rated at least 15 amps.  The Westy comes with a fairly short 14-gauge
>(maybe even 16 ga?) -- it's enormously thick, but that's because it's
>RV-rated wire that's expecting to be driven over sometime in its
>lifetime.  OK IMO to use regular outdoor cords, but you lose that margin of
>safety.  The actual wire gauge of the cord should depend on how long it is
>-- I run a 100-ft/30m cord and it is 12 ga to carry 15 amps that
>distance.  And since I've been known to use an electric heater, I sometimes
>use 15 amps.  But even if you never do, in order for the Westy breaker to
>properly protect the cord, it needs to be rated the same or higher as the
>breaker.
>
>Incidentally, I cut out one side of the aluminum shroud around the circuit
>breaker button, so that I could get a fingernail in and shut off the
>breaker -- the camper manual speaks of it as a power switch as well as c.b.
>but they made it impossible to use without a hooked tool of some sort.
>
>david
>
>David Beierl - Providence, RI
>  http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/
>'84 Westy "Dutiful Passage"
>'85 GL "Poor Relation"
>
>