Date:         Tue, 24 Aug 2004 12:04:12 -0700
Reply-To:     Vince S <gipsyflies@COMCAST.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Vince S <gipsyflies@COMCAST.NET>
Subject:      Re: Interior lighting for the vanagon LED and CCF link to the new
              fridges
Comments: To: Doug in Calif <vanagon@ASTOUND.NET>
In-Reply-To:  <003c01c48a09$5448ea60$49d2ea42@ttower17def>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

The Dometic gas absorbtion refrigerator may be an old technology. It is
still the most viable method of keeping food cold in a RV/camper. There
is more than efficiency to consider such as run time.

Compressor based dc refrigerators have made significant improvement in
the last few years benefited from dc motor technology. However at 3A you
will not have very long run time and will need to recharge the battery.
It will work well if you plan to camp where there are shore utilities.
You won't be able to run the refrigerator for more than a day and the
battery will be totally drained. It is very hard to beat the long
operation duration of the propane even it is significantly less (about
3x) inefficient.

I am quite happy with the factory 3-way refrigerator. The only complaint
I have with it is Westfalia should have provided external intake and
exhaust vents for the heat generated instead of circulating it within
the cabin. This makes for very hot interior temperature in the summer. I
suspected this was not done probably due to VW engineers' objection.


- Vince

http://gipsyflies.home.comcast.net
1989 Vanagon GL Camper
1993 Mazda Miata
1996 Land Rover Discovery
2005 Mini Cooper S (almost here)




-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
Of Doug in Calif
Sent: Tuesday, August 24, 2004 11:37 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Fw: Interior lighting for the vanagon LED and CCF link to the
new fridges


Sorry try this link for the fridges.
You can also find these on e/bay now at a better price.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/horizontal-item.jhtm
l?id=0019192515473a&navAction=jump&navCount=0&indexId=&podId=0019192&cat
alogCode=2UE&parentId=&parentType=&rid=&cmCat=search&hasJS=true


Doug


----- Original Message -----
From: Doug in Calif
To: vanagon.com
Sent: Tuesday, August 24, 2004 11:25 AM
Subject: Interior lighting for the vanagon LED and CCF


Has anybody been playing around with CCF cold cathode flourescent
technology for the vanagons?

I have been doing some lighting research and found out the LED
technology only produces about 23 lumens per watt.
Where the CCF produces in the 80 lumens per watt range.

I am very reluctant to run two batteries in my westy conversion. I have
done it in the past in my other vanagons and feel it was overkill for my
use. I am now considering running a deep cycle marine battery which I
can buy locally in the main battery compartment and just be careful to
not run it down

Also I have seen some really efficient fridge's have come onto the
market that will literally run off your battery and freeze your beer if
your not careful.
I am not all that impressed with the westy fridge and have not yet cut
the vent hole in the side of my conversion as I may consider going with
newer technology.

Here's a link to the CCF lighting.

http://www.cetsolar.com/ccf.htm

Here's a link to the new technology refers

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/horizontal-item.jhtm
l?

Doug