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Date:         Wed, 4 Apr 2001 12:34:33 EDT
Reply-To:     JordanVw@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         JordanVw@AOL.COM
Subject:      Adding overhead a/c system to Westy..frank..Got Pics??(was:Re:Odd
              A/Ccontraption
Comments: To: FrankGRUN@aol.com
Content-Type:  multipart/alternative;

hey FrankG and all - ok, well, i meant to say it wasnt a "bolt in application" :<) anything will work if you modify it enough.. i tried to retrofit this front overhead a/c system to a vanagon westy several years ago but gave up when i realized that the poptop latch would be covered by the evaporator housing.. but i guess you solved that prob!.. just for the average person, what you did ,while very ingenious, is rather labor intensive.. but where there's a will, there's a way.. :<) i was wondering how you were able to unlatch the poptop as the ac unit overlaps the latch area!!!.. frank, do you have any pics of this installation???id love to see it... i actually have this front mount a/c system in my sunroof van, and it overlaps the front of the sunroof opening about 6 to 8 inches or so... ive never seen another sunroof van with the dealer installed overhead a/c init like mine...i think it's a one-off..

chris

In a message dated 4/4/01 11:34:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time, FrankGRUN writes:

> Just to disagree here. I installed one of these units in my Westfalia. I > moved the power unit forward several inches so that it just cleared the > back of the head with the drivers seat fully extended. This left a 9 inch + > gap on the top of the AC unit to the edge of the poptop opening. I then > fabricated an oak cover to enclose the whole exposed area. I built the > cover with a series of 1 inch slats bolted together horizontally. This let > me match the contour of the van top and fit the edges to drop into the seal > track. I then bolted the cover to the seal track and the AC body. The cover > overhangs the edge of the AC unit by 0.5 inches. The result is a storage > shelf and sitting base when the poptop is open. > > I extended the poptop closure mechanism rearward to clear the cover, but a > hand clearance channel could also have been milled into the wood. I then > finished the wood with a clear marine sealer and varnish so that it matched > the wool paneling that I use for a headliner in the Vanagon. > > In the front, I used the Dremel tool to modify the contour to fit my wood > panel ceiling and shortened the transfer duct. I brought the AC lines up by > the drivers side post through the sink/stove cabinet. To clear the > stove/sink cover when opening, I used a router to open a smooth radius on > the cover. All hoses made by Hoseman locally. > > This was several years ago and the system has worked perfectly. On a trip > to the "tailend-of-the-universe" (AKA south Texas, former home of > she-who-must-be-obeyed) in 95 degree weather, both front and rear > passengers were kept cool. The mpg hit of running the AC seems to be a wash > against the drag of running the Vanagon with the windows open. > > Not bad for a former diesel. > > Oh yes, the access to the upper berth has been occluded, but I have no > difficulty getting up there. If your girth is measurably larger than mine, > you shouldn't be up there anyway. > >


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