Date:         Tue, 10 Apr 2012 11:08:16 -0500
Reply-To:     mcneely4@COX.NET
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@COX.NET>
Subject:      Re: I'm back . . .A/C and beyond.
Comments: To: Melissa Mourkas <westywoman@MAC.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <9e15f32e-4fac-ed60-c1e5-80425e4c71fe@me.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8

Melissa, I can't speak for an '84, but I believe that if the AC does no better than you describe, then there is something not right about it.  In my '91, it works great.  Now, it did not work great, but it had a very slow leak.  When that was found, I had it fixed, and upgraded to R134.  It has gone through two summers since, and last summer was brutal.  It cools relatively, of course, but even when the outside temperature goes up around 105, we can be comfortable in it.  I would not be comfortable at 98 in a vehicle.

That said, it gets hotter than 98 here on many days in the summer, and I do not use air conditioning at home unless one of us is sick.  But that's another story, and not van related.

David

---- Melissa Mourkas <westywoman@MAC.COM> wrote: 
> Sacramento can get pretty darn hot, we can have streaks above 100 for a week or longer. It is a dry heat, however, and relatively tolerable, especially when the "Delta Breeze" blows in the evenings.
> 
> I have A/C in my 84, I insisted upon it when I was looking for this van. The minor benefit is that it will drop the cabin temp from 105 to about 98 when heading home into the sun in the west. I use a small clip-on fan to improve the lousy performance by pulling the cooler air forward to the cabin. This year I plan to tint the windows which I think will also improve performance.
> 
> So, the A/C works well in the 80's to low 90's, after that it is less than desirable. But I'm keeping it anyway, as long as it stays charged with the old style freon. After that? Who knows.
> 
> Melissa Mourkas
> 84 Westy Honey Bee
> Sacramento, CA
> 
> On Apr 10, 2012, at 06:14 AM, Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@COX.NET> wrote:
> 
> >  I do think that the baking heat of temperatures above 105, which occur regularly in the SW and on occasion in the Great Plains region, are worse than anything I've experienced in more humid regions.
> >

--
David McNeely