[VAC] Re: Successful Refrigerator Burp

["Fred Coldwell" <Agrijeep@xxxxxxxxx>]

   For those with old trailers and old appliances, here is a
ray of hope. I just successfully burped the non-original
Instamatic model RV-4 refrigerator in my 1957 Flying Cloud. 
Before burping, it did nothing when the electricity was
turned on (the propane is not yet connected).  Now, it cools
down inside.   Before burping, it did not cool at all.  

   "Burping" is turning a recalcitrant refrigerator upside
down so the cooling solution inside the coils is remixed and
refreshed.  I removed my fridge from it's snug cavity, left
in upside down on the floor for 36 hours, righted it then
plugged it in.  The cooling coils got hot and the interior
got cool.  I have yet to check the interior fridge and
freezer temperatures with a thermometer to see if adequate
temperatures can be reached and maintained. Until that test
is passed, I will not know whether the burp was fully
successful.        

    I have two mushroom style roof vents to release the warm
air generated by the refrigerator (my trailer is the first
1957 Flying Cloud in RJ's VAC model year photo archives). 
Before I reinstall the fridge, I will put a 12 volt 5 inch
(or thereabout) diameter muffin fan in one of the two vents,
to create a draft on hotter days.  The other vent will
remain unimpeded for convection drafts.  Eventually, the
muffin fan will be powered by a solar panel, and controlled
by a temperature driven on-off switch.  

    Although the thermometer test is indicative of success,
the real test is wholly empirical:  I'll put a Left Hand
Canyon amber ale in the fridge to see how well it cools.  A
successful burp will thus be confirmed and celebrated at the
same time. 

Fred Coldwell
Denver, CO
1957 Flying Cloud