Today I finally found time to install my new Norcold electric fridge! I
decided a few months ago that I really had enough of the idiosyncrasies and
poor hot-weather performance of the old Dometic, so found a new Norcold
DC0040 on eBay for $325. This model is 1.7 cubic feet in capacity, 12 or 24
volt, and the dimensions make it a perfect fit into the Vanagon Westy
cabinet. The unit is much deeper and shorter than the Dometic, and has a
real freezer section not unlike the small office fridges you find at the
local Home Despot store. I removed the cabinet front where the original's
door hinged, and removed all hinges, latches, and the plastic inner trim,
then slightly enlarged the opening's width [1/4"] and squared the round
lower corners of the opening. There was about a three-inch space remaining
at the top with the fridge mounted, so I filled that with a section of the
original door, minus the plastic interior bit. My plan is to later construct
a set of tracks behind that, and place a slide-out cutting board / table
there. The bottom of the unit required a couple 1.75" thick wood blocks to
support the bulk [40 lbs], and then four screws into the face board held it
in. To secure the face board, I added two more small metal angle pieces like
the one at the top right corner. For now, the fridge is wired directly to my
80 a/h auxiliary battery, soon I'll install the larger deep cycle under the
rear seat or elsewhere.  The fridge draws 2.5 amps, so with the short run
times I've seen so far, should easily go a few days before needing the
battery charged. How's the performance, you ask? Well, within an hour, the
interior was down to 35, an hour later 23. This with the thermostat set in
the mid range and 75 degrees inside the van. I can't wait to try it in hot
weather, just crank and go, no more silly Dometic issues and worrying about
spoiled food. I'll have some photos later when the cutting board is done, if
anyone should like to see the finished job.

Karl Mullendore
'87 Westy Syncro TD
today, 468,000 km.