A Westy refrigerator doesn't work well in 12V mode if you don't have an
auxiliary battery to keep it running during fuel stops, lunch breaks, etc.

Campers that don't have a second battery normally have a relay that shuts
off the fridge when the engine isn't running.  The fridge uses almost as
much power as a pair of headlights, so it would drain your battery in
pretty short order with the motor off.

The fridge takes a while (20 - 40 minutes, in my experience) to start
cooling after it is turned on.  If you're stopping every couple of hours,
it'll be spending a lot of time restarting and less time refrigerating.

The 12v and 120v modes both use 85 Watt heating elements, so, all else
being equal, they should work the same.  In 12v mode, the fridge should
draw about 7 Amps of current.  If it doesn't, check for a blown fuse, bad
heater element, switch, or wiring.

A more subtle difference between 12v and 120v modes could be the way we
use them:  We use 120v mode when camped, 12v on the road.  When we camp,
we look for shaded spots;  shade is rare on the road.  Sun shining on the
fridge side of the van is sure way to melt your cubes.

Hope this helps
Steve Green, Folsom CA
Zefram, 1984 Wolfsburg Westfailia

On Tue, 26 May 1998 16:16:23 -0400, you wrote:

>My Westy refrigerator works incredibly well in both the propane and the
>110 volt ac mode, but not so well in the 12 volt dc mode. Is this
>typical?