Dometic Absoprtion Fridge (3 way) Performance

[maybeachinook]

Hi folks.
Will be looking at a 1977 Chinook tomorrow.
Searched a little using "dometic" but didn't see any complaints about this.

In general, will a properly operating stock Dometic 3 way Chinook fridge keep items
down to at least 40º F even if ambient temps in Chinook are in upper 90's or higher?

I know that ventilation for heat at rear of an absorption fridge is crucial
and that ambient temps and "fridge management" (e.g. adding hot items)
can have a large negative effect on the fridges cooling capacity.
Parking with fridge side not at sun sure helps too!

I see AC/DC type fridge conversions here, not unlike what happens
with VW Westfalias. But. The 182 Dometic in the Westfalia was really
hampered by size and lack of sufficient cooling at fridge rear.
So, my fridge experiences may be "apples to oranges".

Thanks

Neil.
(currently a Vanagon Westfalia owner-operator )

[Blue~Go]

For myself, I probably shouldn't answer, as I never used the Dometic refrigerator in my rig before removing it. That said, I have a friend with a similar setup (same size refrigerator freezer, same general installation) in a non-Chinook rig, and he has no complaints. This is speaking of the "full sized" unit like in later Chinooks though, not an under-counter sized one like I see in the Dodge. I've eaten rock-hard ice cream over at his place many times, so I can vouch for the reefer. The one he has now is a Norcold, but he previously had a Dometic. The Dometic died, but I think while it was working it worked fine. IIRC, there was just some little detail he liked better about the Norcold at the time he bought the replacement.

I used to have a small trailer with an under-counter 3-way and (perhaps like the Westy) it suffered from a poorly designed ventilation system. Two vents on the side just don't work that well. The Chinook (at least in my era) is more like "bigger" trailers and RV's in that the top vent is on the roof. So you have a true chimney - having used woodstoves, I can't imagine the draft would have been very good with two vents on the side as opposed to the roof chimney!

The reasons I didn't want the 3-way refrigerator were as follows:

1) The thing was HUGE (the one in the Dodge is not nearly as large). It jutted out into the already narrow hallway, and just made things tiny and constricted there, IMO. This was the #1 reason for me, and outweighed all the following reasons (but again, Dodge has smaller reefer, but then who knows, you may look at a later Chinook).

2) The lower vent is a notorious leak point. It can be improved, but will never "not be a hole in the side."

3) I never camp in such a way that it would be too un-level (as it would be too crazy of an angle to live comfortably), but many times I PARK in un-level pullouts and such -- sure I could have turned it off, but it's just one more thing.

4) There is some fire risk/hazard. Of course that holds true for a compressor refrigerator as well, but it's less (there is no flame, etc.)

In the past, there would have been no easily obtainable way to power a non-propane refrigerator when boondocking, which is the way I normally camp. But now with affordable solar and efficient 12-volt DC refrigerators, it IS possible. So I went that route. That took care of #'s 1-4 for me, so I prefer it.

But I do think that an absorption refrigerator in Chinook can work well. Especially if it has a roof vent for the upper vent for good chimney effect.

Now maybe someone who has actually run the one in their Chinook will respond

[Blue~Go]

PS: I used to have a camper van, and the biggest thing I miss from it is the big side door (PLUS the rear doors). Totally changes the feel of "opening your living room to the campsite."

On the other hand, I certainly do like other things that I have now that I didn't have with the camper van. Such as the ability to "walk around inside like a room" when it's raining, or when I'm in a spot where I don't necessarily want to open my living room to the world. The rear door does allow for a very efficient interior layout, so I can see why they chose it.

There was a side door Chinook option for a couple of years (around 1997 or 1998), but (to my mind) unfortunately instead of "just" making it a side door layout (but keeping all the other features), they used it to provide a full-time, double bed in the back. That's great and all, but it meant only a tiny dinette in the living room, an even smaller kitchen, less storage, smaller propane tank, water tank outside (can freeze), bathroom door opened into living room, and etc. etc. If you really wanted that big permanent bed, great (I'm sure some people would). Otherwise it just reduced everything else. I'd have liked the same layout as the rear door model, but maybe take away the forward club chair (for the door) and make the passenger seat swivel to make up for it. Oh well, they forgot to ask me

I can easily load and carry 14-foot lumber though!

[Scott]

I'd have liked the same layout as the rear door model, but maybe take away the forward club chair (for the door) and make the passenger seat swivel to make up for it. Oh well, they forgot to ask me

Your front seats don’t swivel? Huh. Both of mine do. I figured that was standard. My Premier’s previous owner didn’t know that the seats swiveled until I showed him on the day I bought it. Now you have me thinking that my swiveling passenger seat kind of makes the forward club chair less important…

[Blue~Go]

Your front seats don’t swivel? Huh. Both of mine do.

No, neither of mine swiveled as-built. I did have both driver and passenger swivel seats in my last rig (camper van). In that, they were essential parts of every day camp life. In the Chinook, I considered adding swivels but didn't see the use for my way of using the Chinook. To expand on that....

I tend to block off the cab at night, when it's hot and sunny, and when it's cold. So if I had my comfy chair there (swiveling passenger seat), it'd be out of the loop much of the time. Like you, I have a club chair (which I have actually replaced with a more comfortable chair) just aft of the passenger seat. A swiveling passenger seat would sort of conflict with that one, and the club chair position is actually "in" my living room -- even when I have the cab blocked off. So I prefer to make that my primary comfy chair. In the camper van the swiveled passenger seat was "THE" seat, as there was only that and the couch.

The driver's seat I suppose might be okay (I used to swivel the one in my van 90º just so I wasn't staring at the seat back), but I happen to lean against it often when sitting "lengthwise" on the couch. And I don't really "need" that extra visual space as much as I did in the (much more cramped) camper van.

So upshot is, for me, no real need for swivels on driver or passenger seat.

On a side note, when I'm traveling solo I remove the passenger seat and instead have a box that holds tools (or whatever I put in it). It fastens down where the seat bolts are, and has space on top for maps or etc. which I can reach while driving. The base box opens to the side door side since I've always felt a bit "short on doors" as compared to my camper van. Gives me an easy way to get tools in and out. When I have a passenger, I remove that and put the seat back in. Not that this negates a swivel seat base, but just since we are on the topic.

One last note is that in "later" Ford van cabs (this may be after 2006 so may not apply to any of us), the RCM (restraints control module) of the airbag system was under the driver's seat. This may affect the ability to have it swivel (I have noticed that in later camper vans only the passenger side seat swivels).

[Skillet]

How difficult is it to remove and replace the passenger seat? I keep thinking of doing that to give a little more room for my dogs but I also have a passenger on the rare occasion.

[Blue~Go]

How difficult is it to remove and replace the passenger seat?

It's not too difficult. Basically four bolts, which you can reach fairly easily (the Ford seat base is "hollow" underneath). Then the seat and its slanted base come out together (along with the seat belt pre-tensioner, which is attached to the seat as well). You have to unplug the pre-tensioner, but that is also easy (is on floor under center of seat).

Here is where it got complicated for me, but would be simple for anyone else:

Researching this ahead of time, I found that if you "just" unplug the airbag from the passenger seat, then the system will register an error code, the airbag light will come on, and now you have no airbags at all. Unacceptable for me.

Well, then ensued tons of research, but it's a bit tricky. Because I mean you can't just call up Ford, say you want to disable the passenger airbag, and would they mind helping you out. Ha, right.

And also, different generations of airbags work differently (they seem the same in a 2003 cutaway as in my '99 tho). Newer ones (past the Chinook era) can be turned off, etc.

Anyway, long story, including following a Ford bulletin and replacing the crash sensor module as directed. No, that didn't work. Finally it turned out to be super simple! The airbag sensor under the passenger seat just wants to see a certain resistance. I think I could just have plugged a resistor into it and been fine. But I wanted something slightly more official and "repeatable" without wearing out. So I ordered a "dummy plug" that is used in the industry for isolating the seat vs. the plug in order to do repairs. I'm sure it's just a resistor, but it's inside something with electrical contacts that you can easily use. As a side bonus, the company that sells them double checked my research (he had a diagram of the system) and agreed it would work. And the dummy plug was only like $29. So I bought it. Then I went one step further and attached it to the "seat end" of a spare (junkyard) airbag plug. So now I can easily either have the seat plugged in (seat in place) or the dummy plug in (seat out). Either way the airbag system works just as it is supposed to. No lights, no codes, no loss of function.

(Side note is that the same company also has an airbag switch, that can be used by itself or in conjunction with the plug. The use for the switch alone would be with seat in, but no airbag desired [child in seat, etc.] I don't have that situation, so no need for switch.)

You'd want to make sure your system was the same, but a buddy with a 2003 E-450 cutaway has the exact same system (the pure vans might have advanced at a different rate than the cutaways that we have).

So to summarize:

1) Four bolts to remove seat+base.
2) Unplug airbag plug on floor (leads to seatbelt pre-tensioner).
3) Pull seat/base/pre-tensioner out side door in one piece.
4) Plug in pre-made dummy plug.

5) In my case, put in custom tool/whatever box with upper map/snack tray

Standard warning: Do any of this at your own risk, I'm not an expert, I don't work for Ford, etc.

[kdarling]

There was a side door Chinook option for a couple of years (around 1997 or 1998)...

Good memory!

So far, I've found pictures and articles about Concourse SE (side entrance) models from 1996-1998.

If I didn't have the need to carry a lot of people at times, and it was just my wife and me, I think its dedicated mattress would be a lot more comfortable to sleep in than the rear entry model's sofa or dinette.

Kev