Date: Mon, 22 May 2006 13:51:43 -0700
Reply-To: Jake de Villiers <crescentbeachguitar@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Jake de Villiers <crescentbeachguitar@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Dash A/C in a T3, cool dreams
In-Reply-To: <44721E3D.9070301@earthlink.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Mark, have you considered the overhead type from an early Vanagon? My 84 has
this and it leaves the dash entirely stock. It did an okay job of cooling
and would be even more effective in a smaller air volume.Our 86 has the Behr
in-dash, which works fine but completely removes the fresh air provision in
the dash vents. I really miss being able to direct fresh air at my face from
the end vents. I have grown fond of the dash-top mounting for the CD player
though!
Jake
On 5/22/06, mark drillock <drillock@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
> My need for A/C is rare unless I am traveling out of my area. I would be
> happy to have an indash unit that cooled mainly the 2 front seat
> passengers. Under severe heat conditions I would expect to put a curtain
> up behind the front seats so the dash A/C had a better chance of
> accomplishing this. This discussion began with talk of adding A/C to a
> DOKA where such a curtain would not be needed.
>
> My main objection to the loss of fresh air is not related to the effect
> it may have on the A/C. I simply like the ability to have a variable
> amount of fresh air blowing on me and the other front seat passenger. We
> often want differing amounts and she fiddles with her settings more. I
> value this feature more than A/C, but I don't live where it gets real
> hot or humid.
>
> There are some hitches in the idea that one could remove the stock
> front heater/air box and fit an A/C heater combo unit in it's place.
> Doing so would remove the stock fresh air capability that I find very
> useful. The A/C units under discussion don't even appear to offer any
> fresh air setting. They could perhaps be installed such that the
> original fresh air body hole supplies them. But this would mean they
> then lost the recirculated air advantage and I am not sure that this air
> flow could be completely turned off with the controls these units come
> with. If it could, that might largely resolve my concerns.
>
> In measuring the stock dash and heater unit, it appears that one of
> these units might fit and still allow for some other ducts to supply
> fresh air from the exposed hole to dash vents. I would like to try this.
> The problem is the highly irregular shape of the original heater unit
> and the dash. The indash A/C units are box shaped but the available
> space in the Vanagon is far from that. Also the stock radio location
> projects into the dash area right in the middle of where such an A/C
> unit would go. The stock heater box has an indentation molded into it
> for the radio to go.
>
>
> Mark
>
>
>
> ------------- wrote:
>
> > Mark, etal,
> > Auto. AC in most cases is at best marginally exceptable
> > in the worst case situation. It must work hard to cool
> > a car fast that has been sitting all day in the hot sun. This is
> > why hotter fresh air is not the best to be cooling. In the
> > case of a vanagon with the large volume of air, AC will
> > never work with this situation. Think of it this way. A
> > good working AC unit in your vanagon, with one or both
> > of the fresh air vents opened.
> > Besides vanagon leak enough air fresh anyway.
> >
> >
>
--
Jake
1984 Vanagon GL
1986 Westy Weekender "Dixie"
www.crescentbeachguitar.com
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