Date:         Wed, 12 Sep 2007 17:04:58 -0400
Reply-To:     Bill Glenn <idahobill@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Bill Glenn <idahobill@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Atwood Furance

>Anyway, has anyone installed one of the Atwood furnaces? Comments good or
bad?
>
>Thx,
>
>Troy

An older 12,000 BTU Atwood furnace was present in my Syncro when I bought
it a few years ago.  I removed it and the fridge to inspect the interior
side of the utility outlets and the van wall below for leakage and rust, as
well as to confirm that the installation of the furnace complied with good
practice with respect to venting, gas piping, and the electrical
connections.

As a consequence of removing and re-installing the furnace, I can tell you
that, yes, the furnace fits nicely in the lower cabinet space to the rear
of the fridge, but it's width requires the removal of the rear-side
divider, which separates that space from the space containing the 120v
electrical outlet (not a problem).  Further, the furnace is approximately 1-
1/2" longer than the space is deep (from the front of the cabinet face to
the exterior side-wall of the van), due to the inward curvature of the van
wall as it extends downward to the rocker panel.  On my van, this extra
length was provided for with a 1-1/2"-thick frame around the cabinet-face
cut-out; practical and workable, if a bit unsightly, especially since the
grille on the face of the furnace adds another 1-1/2".

Given the proper tools, it would be possible to remove 3/4", but no more,
of the sheetmetal from the lower rear of the furnace housing, to conform
more closely to the curvature of the van wall.  The frame at the cabinet
cut-out could then be reduced to 3/4" in thickness.  It appears that
GoWesty, rather than frame the opening, furrs out the entire wall section
between the front of the seat base and the fridge, to a height just above
the furnace, but not high enough to interfere with the bed in the extended,
flat position.  I had acquired a spare gray table with the edge trim
intact, for just this purpose, even before I became aware of the GoWesty
installation; they are likely using melamine-faced plywood or MDF edged
with the replacement T-molding that they sell, unless they too happen to
have a supply of surplus tables.

The above-described modification is on my to-do list, together with some
other changes to the installation to provide for ease of service and
removal.  If you, or anyone else, decides to go with an Atwood, I could
provide some notes on installation to ease the process.

As to the comment about the Atwood consuming excessive propane; I would
remind you that it is rated at 12,000 BTU, versus the 6,500 BTU of the
Propex (9,500 BTU Propex also available), so it naturally consumes propane
at a higher rate.  However, being thermostatically controlled, neither the
Atwood nor the Propex uses any more gas than what you are asking for in the
way of temperature when you set the thermostat.

Cheers,
Bill