Date:         Fri, 25 Aug 2000 23:36:49 -0500
Reply-To:     "Roy O." <keepsake@pangea.ca>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "Roy O." <keepsake@pangea.ca>
Subject:      Westy Mods
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Listees;

This summer I acted upon two ideas that originated in past postings. The results
were more than satisfactory!

1. Made a "pillow board" for the upper bunk. After using it for the first time
during a three week vacation this summer, I highly recommend this mod to tall
Westy owners who sleep in the upper bunk. You will no longer have to sleep in
the "Z" position to prevent your pillow from falling to the floor below! It was
simply a matter of cutting a 10" X 48" piece of three quarter inch plywood to
fill in the void between the pop-top roof struts and the expanded bunk. Using
quality auto upholstery fabric and 2" upholstery grade foam, I fabricated a
cushion of the same dimensions which I place on the board. Both the board and
the cushion store nicely in the upper bunk just aft of the bunk when it is
folded.

2. Made the A/C duct more efficient. This took all of fifteen minutes. Now, with
judicious adjusting of the A/C vents, the driver and front seat passenger
actually feel a comforting cool breeze in the front of the vehicle, even at the
lowest A/C blower speed setting. The theory behind this easy mod is to create a
more direct route for the cool air to follow on its way from the blower, through
the A/C cabinet and out into the van cabin. The A/C cabinet is much too large,
allowing for the air to bounce all around in this large cavity looking for a way
out. If you remove the A/C vents and peer inside, you'll see where A/C air can
even find its way into the closet! To make things more efficient, I removed the
A/C cabinet vents and inserted a length of 1 1/4" dia. Rubatex tubing into the
cabinet such that is ran from the rear of the cabinet, all the way to the front
where the vents are situated. I ran one length of tubing on either side of the
cabinet so that the two outermost vents were blocked. The diameter and density
of tubing make for a snug fit to keep it in position and to prevent air from
leaking where I don't want it to go. Rubatex is a brand name for dense foam
tubing used in the heating/air conditioning trade.

Roy O.
'87 Westfalia GL
(till death do us part)