Ugh, sorry.

d

On Sun, Jul 2, 2017 at 12:50 AM, David McNeely <davmcneely40@gmail.com>
wrote:

> It was a great old box, a fine old box,
> But at last it met its end.
>
> Its owner and a fellow Vanagon man
> did their best on two weekends.
>
> But the fall from the work table, wow,
> That was its final bow.
>
> I had the propane line reinstalled, hooked up, checked for leaks (none).
> It started up on propane immediately, with the flame visible in the site
> glass (thanks for teaching me how to view that, Robert).
>
> I was getting things cleared away for reinstalling it and to check how well
> it would cool when the neighbor's dog, a Weimeramer kept for guard duty,
> appeared in the shop door, snarling and growling.  He must've found a gate
> open or something.  He came toward me, full voice, and I moved to put
> something between me and him, and to get a club into my hand.  I bumped the
> table, and perhaps the refrigerator.  At any rate, it fell over and onto
> the concrete shop floor.
>
> The neighbor appeared, corralled the dog, and never so much as asked if
> everything was ok before departing without speaking a word.
>
> After all the excitement, I hooked everything up.  There was no 12 V.  I
> checked over everything obvious, wires and so on, nothing pulled loose that
> I could find, no electrical parts obviously broken.  I retightened
> electrical connections, and tried again, still no DC, no flashing light for
> propane, and more careful examination revealed also a crack  to the burner
> box, and another around the brazing where the drain pipe connects to the
> burner box.  The drain pipe was bent.  Other components are likely damaged.
>
> I installed it anyway, figuring that having it in place, and no propane
> leaks, is better for the upcoming camping starting after the 4th than
> having the cabinet space open but with the propane line exposed.  I'll cap
> that off, figure a fix to cover the line and other connections (and the
> flue vent opening) after we get back.
>
> I do know that GoWesty sells a kit for refrigerator decommissioning and
> making a finished look cabinet space, but I should be able to do the same
> job for considerably less money.  We'll see.  Or maybe I will buy the
> GoWesty kit.
>
> I really don't like this, as I always liked having that little, inadequate
> refrigerator.  It always worked great, especially on propane, until it
> started being hard to start and not staying lit just before I had to stop
> using it for a couple of years.  We used to regularly stay out for two
> weeks, and keep eggs and other perishables in the refrigerator.
>
> Well, I learned a good bit about the Dometic, anyway, thanks especially to
> Robert.  I also confirmed what I knew from past experience, that my
> mechanical prowess is short of superb, and that a job that takes someone
> else a half day takes me two.  Unfortunately, I also learned a little more
> about my neighbor.  I always thought he was a nice person.  I'll chalk his
> behavior up to not knowing exactly what to do in the circumstances.
>
> mcneely
>