Date: Sun, 22 Mar 2009 11:49:57 -0700
Reply-To: Keith Hughes <keithahughes@Q.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Keith Hughes <keithahughes@Q.COM>
Subject: Re: Nevada- A/C or No A/C?
In-Reply-To: <BAY0-PAMC1-F13QHrP00000ffb5@bay0-pamc1-f13.bay0.hotmail.com>
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Date: Sun, 22 Mar 2009 00:20:19 -0400
> From: craig cowan <phishman068@GMAIL.COM>
> Subject: LVC: Nevada- A/C or No A/C?
>
> Well guys, i'm planning to pack my bags for the summer and head West from
> Pennsylvania to Nevada. Some people have pointed out to me that my van
> doesn't have AC and claim i should bring along a gallon of water and a shot
> gun, to kill myself soon after entering the area. I'm no stranger to driving
> with the windows down, but i'm curious to hear first hand experience from a
> vanagon driver without AC in a desert area......
>
Craig,
I mostly depends on how well you tolerate heat. We live in Phoenix and
travel frequently through our deserts and through Nevada and California
when on trips. Driving my Westy around Phoenix, I seldom use the A/C
(unless the wife is along), but on long trips it gets pretty old. I've
driven all over AZ, CA, and NV with no A/C and it wasn't much fun, but I
was younger then! I've also spent whole summers in Florida, Georgia,
North Carolina, and Texas, and I can tell you that they don't compare
with Phoenix or Las Vegas (I've spent 48 summers here, so I'm an expert
:-). At the peak of the day, yes the humidity in those places can make
110° in Phoenix look comfortable (but not 115°, or 122° which it has
gotten to here, or 126° like you can run into in places you might want
to visit like Bullhead City, or 128° in Lake Havasu city) but the big
difference most people don't realize is how much longer the "hot" times
of day are out here. In July/August here, we'll be over 100° usually by
10AM, and won't drop below 100° until well after sunset, so when doing a
lot of traveling out here, you're in the major heat pretty much as long
as the sun is up. Outside of the cities, it cools off rapidly after
sunset, but here in the city, we may not drop below 90° until well after
midnight (if at all).
Another thing to keep in mind is that if you park out in the sun, open
the skylight and crack some windows. That'll usually keep the van below
130°. Sealed up tight, my Westy will get to >160° real quick in the
July/August sun (had to put a switch on my Dometic cooling fan 'cause it
kept coming on and draining the battery - back when I used it as a daily
driver to work and had to park out in the sun). Nothing better than
climbing into a 150°F van and rolling down the windows to let the 115°F
wind cool it down... :-)
And if you do drive the van, make sure your cooling system is up to
snuff before you set out. Idling in traffic at 115°F will overheat you
in a heartbeat if your system is a little clogged, or the fan switch is
getting iffy. Remember, the humidity makes *people* hotter since it
slows our normal evaporative cooling process, but it's a real plus for
vehicles - humid air has a much higher heat capacity - so the dry air in
the desert will make your engine run hotter (for any given ambient
temperature).
Keith Hughes
'86 Westy Tiico (Marvin)
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