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Subject:Re: Instructions for fridge removal
From:phil stanhope
Date:Sat, 28 Jul 2001 08:26:57 -0700

Bryan, I did this , its easy. Heres what malcom S
emailed me:

In my post about stripping everything out of my
Canadian 91 Westy, I was
 asked about my procedure for removing the sink/stove
top.  I particular like to
 remove this so as to gain better access when removing
the fridge.  Here
 goes:

 1)  Get some masking tape (or baggies or jars) and a
pen.  Use this to wrap
 all screws and nut/bolts and LABEL them.  Also use it
to label all wires -
 maybe my brain is addled, but several days later - I
can't remember what
 was screwed to what.

 2)  Remove the camper fuses - on the driver's side
door pillar behind the
 driver's seat.  Turn off the outside propane valve
(at the tank) and light the
 stove to burn the fuel in the line.

 3)  Removal of the sink/stove cover lid - easy.
Unscrew the bolts that hold
 each end.  The left hand side has a two stage nut
system with washers on
 either side of the flange holing the top.  Remove and
label the nuts/bolts.

 4)  Removal of the metal face plate:  there are three
small screws that screw
 up! into the bottom of the face plate from the front
of the cabinet (look up at
 the bottom of the face plate from below); extreme
right and left sides and one
 about middle.  unscrew and label.  Screwed in from
the right hand panel
 (front of van) of the cabinet (the panel facing
forward in the van and behind
 the
 driver's seat) is a covered screw about 1 inch back
from the front of the
 cabinet - level with the face plate.  Also  another
one opposite that one
 screwed in from the right side of the cabinet (side
facing the rear/back of van
 just above the storage cabinet).

 Pull off the stove knobs,  unscrew the large
dough-nut bolts that are behind
 the stove knobs. (I used a pair of pliers for this).
unscrew and label.

 Unscrew the two screws holding the water tank level
lights (and battery
 condition lights).  remove the face plate and push
the plastic part (with the
 guts) back under the stove.

 The front face plate is difficult to remove, Pull
away the bottom first - only
 an
 inch or so, then slide it down. The bottom lip of the
stove top (as it curles
 over the edge down into the face plate) goes down
into a channel in the face
 plate, so be careful !

 Now there are two more screws that hold down the
front of the stove knob
 bracket assembly.  unscrew and label.

 5)  Look behind the stove, (left side of the van)
just below the window, there
 is a swiss-cheese metal covering going the length of
the stove top.  In about
 the middle, there is a rivet or screw holding it
tight to the stove top, remove
 the rivet (drill it out). You can replace it with a
nut and bolt or another
 rivet
 upon re-installation.

 6)  on the right hand side (and top) of the cabinet
just above the sink, there
 is
 a rubber moulding along the top.  It is held in place
by friction (pressure) and
 can be pulled up/out just enough to get the sink out.
 (There is also a
 bracket coming from the right side face (front of
van) up the outside of the
 cabinet (near the side of the van) and up and over
the top - this held the cover
 hinge.  It is not necessary to remove this bracket,
but you can, and it is a
 PITA as the bolts are up under and behind the sink
trap.)  Now as you work
 the rubber moulding off the side be CAREFUL as there
is a small plastic filler
 piece just as the moulding turns the corner and goes
down the front of the
 cabinet.  You can leave the moulding on the left top
side.

 7) Turn off the outside propane valve - and light the
stove. (put out your
 cancer stick too) get two open ended wrenches and
remove the propane lead
 to the stove - follow the pipes.

 8) While your under there, get a bucket and then
remove the two water feeds
 to the faucet.  Be careful not to crack the faucet
flanges!!.  Better to cut the
 hoses off than to break the faucet flanges!!!!  If
you cut, plan your cut so
 that
 you can splice in a repair later.   I broke the
exterior water mains flange on
 the faucet some time ago (I never use it so I don't
much care - but you
 might).  Also unscrew and drain plug from the sink
trap - or the floor end.

 Your just about ready to remove the sink/stove.
Raise the right side and
 work it out around the obstacles, the left side just
slips out.

 While it is out, you might consider taking out that
swiss-cheese metal cover
 that runs the length and if it is rusted, wire brush
it down to bare metal and
 spray it with rust-inhibitor paint and then I used
shoe paint to put on the top
 coat as I found a perfect grey colour match.  Same
for the metal face plate
 and the side access plate to the rear of the fridge,
the cover at the bottom of
 the fridge and the arm holding on the sink/stove
covers.

 So I think that's it.

 Re-install in reverse order - I hate it when people
say that  :-)

 And now you know why you labelled all of the tiny
screws and wires!!

 Any additions or corrections, I'd be glad to hear.

 Good luck.   Malcolm S

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