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Subject:Re: Substitute for the RM182B
From:David Vickery
Date:Tue, 14 Aug 2012 07:38:16 -0700

Jermey, you aren't going to like the answer.� The temp will barely have budged in 2 hours.� My stock fridge works as well as any and in�the heat of summer�I don't expect it to get down below 40 degrees until the next morning.� Runnng on 110 vs gas doens't make much if any�difference.� Running it overnight on gas is a good way to get it cold before filling it with food/beer for a trip.�� I am mostly satisfied with mine.� It uses no electricity and very little propane.� I added a fan inside the side vent to pull the hot air out from behind which helps during the hottest times of the day.
�
If I got a portable, I would get a smaller one that fits behind the passenger seat.� Seems like most people opt for the large one but that looks to me like it takes up half the inside floor space.

________________________________
From: Jeremy Stovin <jjstov@YAHOO.COM>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM 
Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2012 8:14 AM
Subject: Re: Substitute for the RM182B

The portable fridge seems nice, but where would you put it?� Not alot of real estate in back. Then again, I am toting two kids and a wife also.� 
�
I have the original Dometic in my '87 Westy. I have not really had the opportunity to� test it out. If I plug the van into shore, how long would it take to actually cool?� Someone told me, hopefully jokingly, that it will take a couple of hours just to get maybe 30degrees below ambient.

From: Robert Stevens <mtbiker62@GMAIL.COM>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM 
Sent: Monday, August 13, 2012 8:22 PM
Subject: Re: Substitute for the RM182B

On Aug 13, 2012, at 8:33 PM, David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET> wrote:

Other than the shocking price, that's very good news for
long-term-camping Westy owners.� I'm sure people would be interested
in hearing more about the internal size and hot-weather performance
of this unit at some point.

If I hadn't already popped for my Vitrifrigo, I'd be doing this:
http://www.compactappliance.com/FP430-Compact-EdgeStar-Portable-Refrigerator-Freezer/FP430,default,pd.html

Using the Dometic/Vitri space for storage, and add a 50W solar panel on the pop top to run everything.

Top loaders are MUCH more efficient and can actuallly store suitable amounts of mass-quantities to be
"out there" as long as the 50W panel will allow (about 7-8 full dry-camping days without recharge of any
kind, except solar).

Of course, having 140-200 amp hour aux battery set up, supports that above example.

bob