Date:         Tue, 15 Jul 1997 22:03:40 -0700
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Lindblooms <lindbloo@ix.netcom.com>
Subject:      RE: EV LP gas ignition woes

Well sounds like I'm definately not the only one.   I tried a different 
dealer and had some luck :-), after the second time in..:-(.
The first time they diagnosed the problem as me not turning on the propane! 
 I straightened them out...

The LP appliances are working much better..

For the Norcold fridge, Model # 3163G,  they adjusted the flame sensor. 
 This must turn off the gas if it thinks the flame has gone out, and if it 
is out of adjustment....

I also discovered that the fridge dial in the owner's manual did not match 
the dial on my fridge.  The manual has the start position at 2:00, mine is 
labeled at 12:00.  I called Norcold and they told me that the start 
position is actually at 11:00. The manual has off at 12:00, could that be 
what it really is? #$!@$  How many times did I try to start it in the off 
position?

We were at Yosemite a few weeks ago and still could not get the fridge to 
light.  After trying and giving up, I mistakenly left the dial in start 
position with the switch on propane mode,  when I came back it had lit 
itself!  Not sure if this is safe or not, but it worked on more than one 
occasion.   It would not stay lit through the night though, seems that it 
went out around 4:00 am. Perhaps when the outside temperature drops.

For the suburban furnace, which would never relight before, they replaced 
the safety valve(?) and relighter.  Furnace seems to work fine now, but I 
haven't tried it in real cold temps, worked fine in Yosemite at around 6400 
ft..  Sorry but they did not list any part numbers on my invoice.

This is our second summer with the rig, at least it is working better than 
last summer when it didn't work at all.  We did a 5,000 mile trek in three 
weeks last summer to Yellowstone, Glacier, Banff and ran into alot of other 
EV's with ice in their fridge.

I am going to go back to the dealership for round 10(?), this time to get 
the altitude problem fixed, maybe see if I can talk them into this "vent 
kit".  Just waiting for my blood pressure to go down from the last visits.

I hope that some of this may help others.  Why don't they do a recall? What 
can we do collectively? How may owners don't have or know of this list and 
are cussing as we speak?

You're not alone,  (slogan borrowed from my company, very fitting..)

Kevin Lindbloom
95 EV Camper


On Tuesday, July 15, 1997 11:01 AM, Andrew Mera 
[SMTP:am1973@monika.ds.boeing.com] wrote:
> (re-mail with corrected title)
>
> While Kevin Lindbloom was complaining on 11.jun about his Norcold fridge
> not starting at high altitude, two of us EV owners were comiserating 
about
> the same problem in the Utah National Parks at 8000 ft.  Effectively we
> were roasting at 90+ degF, had to throw the food away.
>
> >From discussions with Norcold and Winnebago the starting and burning 
problem
> in an oxygen-poor environment is already known; depending on fuel 
pressure and
> mixture achieved, individual units may exhibit the problem at different  
 elevations;
> I don't know whether the temperature has any effect.  No recall by 
Winnebago,
> but a vent kit is now made available to those who have hurt enough and go
> to the trouble of complaining to the right place.  A not very safe temp. 
fix:
> turning the fridge to LP while driving at lower elevation.
>
> Have any other listees experienced this problem while above 5000 ft? 
 Anybody tried
> out the suggested fix?  Anybody (Rick Gordon's 12.jun post)) tried out 
their system
> under these conditions and had no trouble?  I wonder what made the 
difference?
>
> A possibly related problem:  we left the heat of southern Utah and went 
to
> Yellowstone, were caught in a snowstorm at 7900 ft;  now the LP furnace 
wouldn't
> work at night;  the airblower kicks in but no heat.  We tried it several 
times
> the next day, again the altitude seems to be the culprit.  The Winnebago 
rep.
> thinks this is only a fuel pressure problem.  The dum thing: I can take 
it in
> for repair, but they cannot duplicate the environmental conditions.
>