Date: Fri, 29 Sep 2000 21:06:19 -0500
Reply-To: John Rodgers <inua@HIWAAY.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: John Rodgers <inua@HIWAAY.NET>
Subject: Re: heat in VW Vans
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
I had a '68 Bus in Alaska that I drove a lot of years. Gave good service,
handled well in the snow, always started on coldest days....but for the
very coldest I had a good block heater. At the time a really good element
heater was available to install at the oil screen. The nuts holding the
screen in place also held the heater. If I forgot to plug it in at
night...she would not start, but if I plugged it in not a problem. So far
as "Cabin Heat" was concerned I found the heater system off the engine to
be woefully inadequate. Even those few people I knew that had gas heaters
had problems with heating, mainly because in our kind of winters the
heaters were twitchy and prone to not lighting off. I solved my problem
of heat by installing a propane tank that fit under the van, like a Westy
tank, and putting a Suburban propane heater in the van on the floor
behind the drivers seat. The combustion air intake and exhaust was
through the side of the van. It was a 30,000 btu unit, had electric
ignition, and the thermostat was mounted on the door post slightly above
ear level behind the drivers seat. I used the type that had an OFF
position. That way the thing could be shut completely down. Yet be ready
to go on a moments notice. I often would pull into a place and stop, turn
the thermostat to off, and get out and go about my business. The flame
would be out, but the fan would continue to run for a few minutes to cool
down and clear out unburned fumes and fuel. Then it would shut off. That
heater was wonderful. In ten minutes on the coldest days you could begin
to melt the snow off the van....from the inside. I put a bench over the
heart on the floor just to protect it and have a place to sit or put
things. I had no middle seat to worry with. I had often thought about
putting a timer on it to turn it on 15 to twenty minutes before I would
begin a drive, like before going to work in the morning, or just before
getting off work in the evening.
I had an 85GL for a number of years in Alaska after the '68 Bus. There
were times when it would have been really nice to have the Suburban
heater installed. The extra heat would have made travel a bit more
pleseant. Especially if it was a day to be in the cold or
snow......snowshowing or X-country Skiing. Getting back into the van with
the Suburban running would have been expecially nice.
I now drive an 88GL. It's plenty adequate here in the soulth in winter,
but if I decide to go back north, I will install a Suburban on the floor
before I go.
One thing about having the propane heater....in winter, if you have a
problem and have to spend the night out somewhere...the propane heater
could be a lifesaver.
One more thing, if you ever go the route I did and install a Suburban or
similiar like I did, you need to install a deep cycle auxillary
battery....marine type...to provide power for more than just a few hours.
The draw on the standard car battery will pull it down in just about 2
hours to the point it won't work well, then it may shut off. A deep cycle
will allow it to run until next day. I never did do it. But will for sure
next time around.
John Rodgers
88GL Driver In Birmingham, AL where for a couple of days I have for a bit
had to have the heater on in the early morning driving hours.
Hydesmith wrote:
> VW bus and the northern winters....
>
> Someone asked about heat in VW vans. Well, I live in Manitoba and
> I'll tell you that it takes a hardy soul wearing a parka and warm
> boots to drive about in the aircooled VW. The auxiliary gas heaters
> suck way more fuel than you thought imaginable for their task, with
> insignificant results when it gets really cold. We tried everything
> with our 73 bus. We put an insulated bra on the front, and sealed off
> the front interior with see-through vinyl and piped the gas-heater
> heat to the front. Still nearly unbearable so we just resigned it to
> blocks for the winter. Now, I just bought a 83 Vanagon Westy,
> watercooled, and I am hoping for the best this winter! There seems to
> be heat there but we'll see when it gets really cold out there.
>
> Observations: the fins inside the old aircooled VW heat exchangers
> can become corroded or otherwise blocked. You'll get much better heat
> if these are serviced. The air-cooled vans start quite reliably
> despite the cold, and plow through snow rather well because of their
> excellent clearance. Also, as far as I know, there is no way to
> install a block heater, even in the Vanagon water-cooled models as
> there are no frost plugs. Block heaters are something you southern
> folks won't know anything about, but they are high wattage 120volt
> plug-in heaters which warm your engine blocks and are required if you
> want to be able to start your vehicle once it drops below -20 degrees
> C overnight ... my diesel Jetta likes to be plugged in once the
> mercury falls just a few degrees below freezing) as there are no
> frost plugs. I am looking into installing a circulating heater into
> the coolant system. Any advice.
>
> Ch-ch-ch-ch-cheers.
> --
> B Hydesmith/83 Westfalia/Winnipeg/MB/Canada/hsc@mac.com
> _____________________________________________
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