Date: Wed, 29 Jul 2009 11:30:23 -0500
Reply-To: Deke Rivers <dekeriv@BELLSOUTH.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Deke Rivers <dekeriv@BELLSOUTH.NET>
Subject: Re: Suggestions to improve Westy A/C airflow
In-Reply-To: <BAY120-W7E56D1C32CD85BFD3913BD2120@phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Ric,
It's not much but I mounted a small 12 volt fan on the lock-down tab for the
pop-top. It hangs down from the ceiling pointing forward. It is 2 speed
and on/off oscillation. It helps to move the cool air up to the front area.
I can also flip it up when the top is up. It then blows from the window
towards the rear. The A/C is still marginal up front but it definitely
helps.
Deke
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Richard Golen
Sent: Wednesday, July 29, 2009 11:12 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Suggestions to improve Westy A/C airflow
Hi,
I've owned my 87 Westy for almost 10 years now, and overall I love it!
(obviously if I've kept it for so long)....my Westy is equipped w/AC. Over
the years I've converted the refrigerant to 134, replaced the vents on the
drain tubes to reduce the chances of the "dehumidified" water from dripping
on to the rear bunk....
There is one last sniggling issue....actually a BIG issue when it gets hot
(80+) up here in New England, and that is the poor air circulation of the
A/C in the Westy. I understand the need to have the major components in the
back of the Westy, however this does not excuse the poor airflow. Let me
digress for a moment...
Back in the early 1970s BMW came out with a 6 cylinder car called the
"Barvaria", the precursor of the 5-series. It was a luxury (for the time) 4
door sedan w/AC. US owners complained on how poor the AC worked.....the
German engineers back there in Munich said the US owners were crazy because,
after all, German cars w/AC HAD NO FAULTS!!!
So BMWUS invited a couple of BMW's German engineers to come and visit
LasVegas. Picked them up at the airport in a Barvaria. When the engineers
were safely ensconsed in the back seat, the driver drove off with the AC on
full. The engineers asked if the driver would please turn on the AC...driver
said it was on. The engineers then went to roll down the rear windows and
found that the US BMW folks disabled the rear window switches. After 45
minutes of driving around in the desert outside of LasVegas, the engineers
got the message....problem solved.
Too bad VWUS didn't do the same with the engineers who designed the AC in
the Westy. So instead I am throwing myself on the mercy and expertise of the
list....
What suggestions do you have or what solutions have you tried in order to
increase the circulation of the AC?
Thanks in advance!
Ric
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