Date:         Sun, 11 Nov 2001 11:26:58 -0600
Reply-To:     Joel Walker <jwalker17@EARTHLINK.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Joel Walker <jwalker17@EARTHLINK.NET>
Organization: not likely
Subject:      Re: Dramatically Improving AC capacity
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

> I haven't done this yet but would like to...How about painting the
roof
> white to reflect the sun's heat?  Seen this on lots of serious
desert
> vehicles.  I think it's called a safari top.

in my own experience, this makes a world of difference in the inside
temps. i had a white 86 bus and it was noticeably cooler inside,
during alabama summers, than even my light blue 88 bus.  but it might
look a bit odd to have a white top on some of the later colors. ;)

if you'll remember, vw sold all the buses in the u.s. with white tops
from 1968 to about 1977 .. except for pickup trucks and kombis, back
in the 68-70 years. might have been because it was cheaper to paint
them all white, then add the lower colors, though. :)

it also helps to tint the side and rear windows. i, personally, don't
advise tinting the front door windows ... too much hassle from the
cops and i prefer to be able to see clearer at night out of those
windows. tint the rear hatch window also ... if you pick the right
tint, it doesn't affect the rear window defroster .... unless you
later try to take the tint off (then you have to be really careful).

one list member got better service out of his a/c by making sure the
air channels were straightened ... that is, no corners and dead side
spaces for the air to blow into. apparently, there isn't a lot of nice
smooth channels for the air inside those overhead units.

the problem with our buses, as i see it, is the amount of glass ...
it's basically just a rolling greenhouse. :(  the a/c is adequate IF
you could stop additional heat coming into the bus. but try driving
into the afternnoon sun on a july day, and you can feel the heat
overpowering the a/c.   now compare that windshield size to something
like a honda ... our glass size is much larger (allowing more
sunlight/heat in) and the interior volume of air is probably five or
six times larger. i would imagine a panel van (without side and rear
windows) would be cooler, if it had a/c and had the walls insulated.

joel