hit a major snag!!

[daisymini]

View attachment 11873View attachment 11874

Hit a real big headache of a problem...erghhh!!!!!
The big recessed groove you can see in pic 1 falls right in the middle of where the lower vent needs to go for the fridge!

Ive already had to position the top vent higher than i would like to avoid an aluminium structural bar...

And now it seems right where i want to put the lower vent there is an aluminium sheet behind the fibreglass panel inside...!!!

Will it be ok to cut a hole in this aluminium panel?..it wont weaken the structure will it?...and also is repairing and moulding with fibreglass relatively easy? As i can see im going to have to use my artistic talents to do some re-moulding on the exterior where the vents need to go...!!!

 

[Aladdinsane]

You can vent through the floor, saves messing about with re doing panels etc.

 

[jogguk]

You can vent through the floor, saves messing about with re doing panels etc.

I was just going to suggest this too. The larger hole in the floor will also act as the gas vapour drop vent as well.

Did not say if the fridge was sitting on the floor or not? You could jack it up a bit on bits of 3 X 2, may help with your exhaust line up.

Edit: You do not even have to have a top vent on the outside either. If you can make a false panel on the wall above the fridge with a bit of a gap say 45mm and vent out of the roof with a american roof fridge vent.

Obviously all this needs to be reasonably air tight to create a natural chimney draught effect

John

 

[molly 2]

dont panic

Hi can you pack it it level with with some polycabonate or some other white plastic , or maybe some painted plywood.

The ally sheet would have been added after the the van was built ,have a good look to see why it was fitted with a veiw to removing or cut out
may be get some advice from your local bodyshop . baz

 

[daisymini]

Thanks for the ideas folks...im liking the idea of putting the lower vent in the floor. The fridge is an rm2262 which has a cutout at the back for a wheel arch but im not placing it over the wheel arch now so have built a support frame for back of fridge and i guess the vent could go there?? So as long as its all sealed the air circulation should be ok??

 

[n brown]

perfect.either cut a couple of holes with a holesaw or jigsaw or drill a lot of 10mm holes,you can picture the amount needed from the vent size,then screw a bit of mosquito net or mesh over it to stop tarantulas and toads getting in

 

[daisymini]

to near exhaust??

View attachment 11881

Possibly hit another problem with venting via the floor, As you can see from the pic I want to put the vent as shown but the exhaust is on the same side, I was also going to vent the top one to inside the van instead of cutting holes in side of van, Do you think this is possible or is it too near the exhaust???

 

[Tony Lee]

I was also going to vent the top one to inside the van instead of cutting holes in side of van,

Is this a gas fridge?

 

[daisymini]

Is this a gas fridge?

Yes its a dometic rm2262 3 way fridge, I was going to vent on the side of the van but its an old ambulance with a fibreglass body and fibreglass panels on the inside and when it came to cutting hole for lower vent there is an aluminium panel that seems to run the length of the van. Therefore someone suggested venting through the floor, also because the fibreglass is moulded on the outside right where the vent needs to go someone also suggested putting the top vent so it vented inside the van, there in lies my concern that exhaust fumes from the van will be sucked up and vented to the interior.

 

[jogguk]

View attachment 11881

Possibly hit another problem with venting via the floor, As you can see from the pic I want to put the vent as shown but the exhaust is on the same side, I was also going to vent the top one to inside the van instead of cutting holes in side of van, Do you think this is possible or is it too near the exhaust???

Looking at the pic is there a join in the exhaust pipe tailpipe to silencer? Could you not put and 90 bend and new tailpipe out the passenger side?

I would not worry too much, anyway how airtight do you think the rear van body door is which is right over the tailpipe


Of course it is not an absolute must to have any outside vents. (only fridge exhaust pipe) But you must create good air flow up the back of the fridge. Jack up the fridge 3" put grille here full width of fridge 3" high. Keep at least 2" clear space behind fridge. Whatever level the worktop is ( I'm assuming a worktop) dictated by the fridge exhaust, put a similar size vent i the back of the worktop. Downside of this arrangement is that the heat generated by the fridge adds a wee bit to the internal temp of the van.

You can't just have one external vent, must be a pair, either through the floor (good as the underside of a van is usually cool even when the upper side vent is on the sunny side, and as hot air behind the fridge rises it sucks the cool air in)

John