Date:         Wed, 27 Jun 2007 18:49:34 -0700
Reply-To:     Robert Fisher <refisher@MCHSI.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Robert Fisher <refisher@MCHSI.COM>
Subject:      Re: Reflective tinting ...
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
              reply-type=response

I suppose you could try something like this:

http://www.koolseal.com/product_family.asp?family=aluminum

if you were really dead set on it.

I had a house here that had similar stuff on the original roof and by my
numbers the peak internal temperatures were about 20% lower with it than
with plain rolled roofing I put on later. This is in the SoCal desert, btw.

On the other hand, my '87 Vgon is white with a white roof... Alpine white, I
think it is (and a grey interior). My subjective impression is that it is
generally 'cooler' after sitting in the sun then a number of other vehicles
I've driven, so painting it white may do ya.
I haven't tinted the rear windows yet, but I will eventually.

I remember reading an article about somebody that got curious as to why the
crows do so well out here in the intense heat, since they are obviously
black as sin. They did a study and concluded that while they may be black,
their feathers are also very shiny (I coulda told them that). They
determined that the reflective qualities (and here they got into a bunch of
technical information about how much of which rays were blocked/reflected,
etc) of the coating on the feathers made any heat-absorbing tendencies of
the color completely irrelevant.

They also referenced, but did not get much into, the tribes of Bedouins (?)
that wear almost exclusively dark clothing, and their theories about the
fibers used to make the clothing.

So I wonder if it may be that there exists in the automotive paint industry
a clear coat or something like it that has reflective/blocking qualities, so
you can get the effect without changing the color? If not, you should invent
one- just remember to give me my cut.

Cya,
Robert


----- Original Message -----
From: "Thor Svenson" <syncromonster@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, June 27, 2007 6:06 PM
Subject: Re: Reflective tinting ...


> paint the top white or silver? tint is for glass, wont adhere well on a
> roof
>
> thor
>
> Ken Wilford wrote:
>> What I would like to know is if anyone has tried putting something
>> reflective on the roof of the van and if so did it help?  I have been
>> thinking about trying to put either aluminum tape on the roof of my
>> van or maybe something like the "b-quiet" material.  My idea is that
>> this should reflect most of the heat that the dark paint of my vans
>> is now absorbing.  I have two Carat Vanagons that we use.