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In our view this idea should get the Innovation Award
for 2003 as it is just such a fantastic solution to an ongoing
problem - that of trying to dry towels etc. when it has been raining for
three days etc. Now there isn't a great deal of space in a Coaster
and this makes this idea even more innovative as we haven't come across
anything slightly like it in any of the big brand names. What Kel has
done is to use the exhaust heat from the Electrolux fridge
to dry the washing PLUS at the same time solve the ever
present problem of getting the fridge to work cold enough as you move
up north. It works fantastically well. It also solves yet another problem
of exactly where to hang wet tea-towels - they always look untidy! This
way they are well out of sight and are ALWAYS dry when next
used no matter what the weather. |
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First up we can't actually give you a step by step guide on this one as Kel had the job well and truly finished when we stumbled across it. What Kel has done is put a small cabinet directly above his floor mounted Electrolux fridge. The cabinet has a door matching the rest of the interior and from the outside gives absolutely nothing away. The photo above shows the cabinet in the closed position - to the right of the TV. Blends in well doesn't it? |
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| The photos above show the top and bottom detail. Kel uses a small pull out drying rack at the top of the cabinet. We thought this was a very good move as it makes loading it up much easier. Above this he has a medium sized mushroom vent. The paper towels in the bottom just stops any loose water slopping around during transport. A tiny improvement one could make here could be to have a sloped metal bottom with a small drain tube to the outside. |
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| The photo on the above right shows the fans in the rear mounted above the condensor. AS mentioned above these also solve the problem of getting rid of excess heat from the condensor. Kel has used simple computer fans available for around $10.00 each. It you are a perfectionist the ball bearing models cost upwards of $20.00. If you absolutely hate noise we suggest you go for the 24 volt models as these run a lot quieter on 12 volts. Electrolux in Brisbane put us onto this little trick - great guys! |
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This is the view from the outside - looks quite spunky
don't you think? It simply fits into a window opening and is very easy
to remove and replace quickly. Kel actually did this mod before the
new vents came out on the 2002 Winnebagos. They use zero top vents so
it would save a few dollars if the top two in this case were left off
as they don't do anything. The Winnies by the way use no fans at all,
BUT the fridges are the newer tropicalised models. Just
digressing for a moment - ours was running at minus 3 degrees
on a 43 degree heat wave day in Sydney in December 2002
- well worth every cent of the upgrade cost. We have put up four very
full pages on the other great ideas used in the Coaster conversion.
Just click
here! If you have any questions we are pretty sure that
Kel and Betty Banks
- CMCA 1048, will try and help you. Don't expect an immediate
reply as these two are avid motorhome enthusiasts and so they are on
the road a lot of the time. We would love to hear from anyone trying
this idea, so please email us with pictures if possible. |
| HEALTH WARNING:- Kel took quite a few precautions to stop hot air coming into the motorhome as the fumes could be dangerous to your health if the burner is a little on the dirty side and not using all the gas. It is critically important to ensure that burnt gases can escape unhindered through the roof. |
