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Date:         Fri, 29 Mar 2002 22:21:01 -0600
Reply-To:     Stan Wilder <wilden1@JUNO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Stan Wilder <wilden1@JUNO.COM>
Subject:      Re: Air conditioner for camping
Comments: To: tjhannink@earthlink.net
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

In considering the installation of an AC under my Westy rear seat it would have required a simple cut for an opening for the exhaust heat the width of the AC case, In effect two vertical cuts, one cut at the floor line and just pushing the sheet metal out (hinge effect) and simple flat metal duct to send the exhaust out. I had great mental pictures of building a new front panel for the seat (saving the OEM) but even though I went as far as marking off the areas to be cut I just chickened out when I picked up the drill to make the pilot holes for the sawzall. I just don't think I'll ever be able to cut any holes in my Westy. In most of the units I considered, only the front four or five inches are cold and everything else is hot. That leads me to think that drawing that heat off is going to require a lot of moving air. On my cheesy little hang on unit I can feel the heat blowing off the rear coil from six feet away and since its a cheap AC unit its not all that quiet. I think I might get quieter operation by mounting the AC in rubber isolation pads but haven't experimented with it. With a little creative cardboard ducting I think you'll be able to sort things out and get the results you need before you invest in acceptable long term parts. If my AC is running full bore it cools my Westy with the Pop-top up in 90-95 temperatures but when its humid and 100 degrees I have to drop the top to get the temp down to 72-75 degrees F. I've noticed that it holds about one inch of water in the pan and some of the coils are submerged (might get a little boost from this) and I get soaked pretty good when I jostle it around in the un mounting process.

Stan Wilder 83 Air Cooled Westfalia

On Fri, 29 Mar 2002 22:30:42 -0500 Tim Hannink <tjhannink@earthlink.net> writes: > The output of the condenser would be vented up to the opening in the > left > sliding window. The seat bottom flips up and forward and will be in > this > position when the AC is used. One end of the duct will fit over the > opening > in the jumpseat (18" x 18") while the other end will connect to the > window > opening. Fresh air for the input of the condenser will come from a > separate > duct. The AC unit has a large (12"d) built-in condenser fan that > should be > able to move the air through the condenser and the duct to the > window > opening. > > Thanks for your input, > > Tim Hannink > Winter Park, Florida > Goldibox - 1987 Vanagon Camper, Wolfsburg Edition > http://home.earthlink.net/~tjhannink/ > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Stan Wilder [SMTP:wilden1@JUNO.COM] > Sent: Friday, March 29, 2002 9:55 PM > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > Subject: Re: Air conditioner for camping > > With a little engineering and some high volume (but silent) vent > fans > that could be ducted through the dead space in the drivers side > under > seat secret compartment and out from there this would be a viable > AC > implant. Tim Hannink has a good idea and I commend him for his > efforts. > It is certainly a neat appearance and won't adversely effect your > hernia > like my hang on unit does. > I saw one unit in a Mexico (license plates) van that was mounted > under > the sink with the evaporator showing through the side of the van. It > only > extended out about two inches and the opening was very neatly > dressed > out. Its one of the few permanent installations that I could > consider > living with. > I experimented with the possible placement of an AC unit under my > rear > Westy seat and various other locations. After I got dimensions on > about > five units I created cardboard boxes to those sizes and tried > different > placements of my box selection. > Since I've got an Air Cooled, I found that many of the units could > sit > above the spare tire carrier (Panisonic units) but it came around > to > making wiring jumper sets and ducting into my fresh air ducts. The > only > problem that couldn't be solved was that I never found a filter > that > could be serviced with a unit mounted there. > > Stan Wilder > > > > On Fri, 29 Mar 2002 15:35:06 -1000 Ed Sato <edsato@JUNO.COM> > writes: > > Tim > > No way would this work! Is this a Friday joke or are you really > > serious? > > Aloha, Ed > > > > > > > > On Fri, 29 Mar 2002 19:41:42 -0500 Tim Hannink > > <tjhannink@EARTHLINK.NET> > > writes: > > > My latest project is installing a window air conditioner that > can > > be > > > used > > > while parked in a campground. It is now installed under my > > jumpseat > > > as > > > shown in the following photos: > > > > > > http://home.earthlink.net/~tjhannink/photos/CampingAirConditioner1.jpg > > > > > > http://home.earthlink.net/~tjhannink/photos/CampingAirConditioner2.jpg > > > > > > http://home.earthlink.net/~tjhannink/photos/CampingAirConditioner3.jpg > > >

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