The Dometic: More details and photos for the refrigerator.

Copper hood before patina

This little fan is now mounted below the coils behind the refrigerator.  It  helps ventilate.

Our all time low was 38 degrees in the box and 28 degrees in the freezer!  The refer was empty too.  This is one of two temperature monitor alarms.

Copper hood after the patina.  Sweet!

Cardboard pattern development for the funnel/scoop for the flu gases.  

Original funnel.

New installed funnel.

I'll just throw in a photo of the new Performing Arts Center!  Woops.

New vent cover for refrigerator.   He didn't make this piece, but purchased it from Inland RV.  The vent cover also has a roof flashing for the penetration through the roof.

The original flashing for the 1 1 /2 " hole!

This is the original hole after the vent cover was removed.  Tiny little hole.

Derald cut a 5" x 22" NEW hole for ventilation.  

Refrigerator issues...continued

mcculloughcorey said...

That IS great news. I'm embarking upon a refurbishment of a 1962 Safari as well and am hoping to preserve the original pink Dometic fridge. Were you able to locate any product manuals?

Corey

Corey:  We did locate a service manual for the old gal.  You can download it fromhttp://gasrefrigeration.net/dometic_manuals.htm

The standard ventilation does not efficiently provide good ventilation, which seems to be a key to making it cool down.  Plus the flame is a little tricky to burn properly.  Those two have been the game changer.  Derald cut a larger hole (1 1/2" hole original, to a 5" x 22" hole!)  All the hot air is vented through the roof instead of in to the cabin.  He also added a great copper 'hood' to help that heat from escaping in to the cabin.  See photos.

I will post more photos of the refrigerator venting.  I guess I am falling behind in posting!  I hope this helps.

Installation of the AC

The lift (350 lb limit) rented for $60/ day

Transporting from the garage to the Airstream.

It looks like it is ready to fall, but it was on well.

Raising the AC up over the hole in the roof of the Airstream.

John in inside, and Derald is getting on the top of the roof.

One man in and one out, they wiggled the AC unit until it was lined up properly.

AC installation

Derald has opened up the wall/ceiling inside the cabinet with an elongated hole to reduce the exit angle for the soft vinyl tubing hose to prevent kinking (avoiding a 90 degree turn that would require a fitting).

Notice the gentle curving of the tube in the bottom cabinet corner (avoiding fittings again).

The hole is chipped out for the hose and wire to exit the bottom of the cabinet.  Both holes will be 'finished' off with a smooth edge.

The tube will come down out of the bottom of the cabinet behind the refrigerator.

The tube is in the upper left corner (blue area), showing the exit from the bottom of the cabinet to the location behind the refrigerator.

The wires are dangling from the area that will be the AC.  The hose travels from the AC to the cabinet upper right corner, down the wall and across the bottom of the cabinet over to the refrigerator, then down through the bottom of the cabinet and behind the refrigerator.

LOVE and the AC

Derald surprised me with this heart he made to cover a small hole for the TV antenna wire.  LOVE

This is where the change up is happening for the AC.  The Fantastic Fan will be moved and the AC cover will reside there, partially covering the brass sheet metal that is covering the original hole for the light fixture.  It look weird now, but with the fixture there it is reflective and great.  Most of the metal is actually covered with the AC.

LOVE

KCPAPA

62 Safari Airstream Renovation: Airstream painting: "I painted at Loose park and brought the painting home. I asked Derald 'what is it missing'? His answer 'an Airstream in the woods'. So,..."

Airstream painting

I painted at Loose park and brought the painting home.  I asked Derald 'what is it missing'?  His answer 'an Airstream in the woods'.  So, I added one.

Refrigerator issues.

GREAT news on the refrigerator front.  After hours and days of fiddling around with the 1962 Dometic refrigerator it is finally working!  Derald had done everything short of turning that baby upside down, and she came alive last night.  He said it was a combination of venting, leveling, FLAME control (and a few of my prayers thrown in).  Derald has done some amazing magical transformations on that unit.  I am so very pleased it's a keeper and working better than we imagined.  Now if it will only freeze his ice cream.....maybe that is asking too much!  If you want information on this transformation, I have posted lots of photos of the interior repairs.
Oh, and to ice the cake on this old gal, after running 30 hours, she shuts down in a DEFROST mode for 30 minutes.  No kidding.

The Dometic has arrived! Now for the installation...

Derald ordered it and it was delivered 2 days later!!!

The light is going to have to be moved.  One of the vents would be blocked, or 'redirected'.

The unit for the roof wasn't as huge as I expected.

Doing his 'measuring thing' of course.  Once a sheet metal man, always a sheet metal man.