Date: Fri, 14 Jun 2013 13:23:40 -0700
Reply-To: David M <covrambles@YAHOO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: David M <covrambles@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: AC Question
In-Reply-To: <3D5C55C2-1E3C-4C0C-962B-4E17453C43EA@q.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
I live in Phoenix, AZ and I keep the curtains snapped on all the time. Helps with upholstery fading too. I also have a windshield sun shade up whenever parked. The problem in this heat is they go all floppy and fall down. I also keep a white towel over the steering wheel just so I am able to hold the wheel as it gets too hot to touch otherwise. Anyone tried painting their roof white?
-David (1987 Wolfsburg)
--- On Tue, 6/11/13, Karl Wolz <wolzphoto@Q.COM> wrote:
> From: Karl Wolz <wolzphoto@Q.COM>
> Subject: Re: AC Question
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Date: Tuesday, June 11, 2013, 6:49 PM
> Supposed to be 112 tomorrow, and
> somebody's predicting 117 next week. Under these
> conditions, if you're driving less than ten miles, closing
> the windows and running AC in a Westy ain't worth it.
> After a while, the structures surrounding you start to lose
> some of their heat, and within twenty minutes or so, you no
> longer feel waves of heat radiating from every surface in
> the van. That's when AC starts to make a difference
> here in Phx.
>
> Karl Wolz
> Sent from my electronic umbilicus
>
> On Jun 11, 2013, at 4:20 PM, Stephen Grisanti <bike2vcu@YAHOO.COM>
> wrote:
>
> > If the air is reasonably cool and is moving it will
> cool the interior. I've heard that window tint makes a
> huge difference but have no experience with that.
> Might take a little while starting off on a really hot day,
> but I've been comfy heading west in late afternoon past a
> bank thermometer that read 103F. That was a hot night
> camping, but the drive was great.
> > As far as front A/C goes, there's been discussion of
> that also but I'd bet you can get yours working as well or
> better for much less money and hassle. Incidentally,
> there is an aircooled Westy with complete front A/C in a
> junkyard near me here in central VA, or was there last
> visit.
> > Stephen
> >
> > --- On Tue, 6/11/13, Todd Last <rubatoguy@comcast.net>
> wrote:
> >
> > From: Todd Last <rubatoguy@comcast.net>
> > Subject: Re: AC Question
> > To: "Stephen Grisanti" <bike2vcu@YAHOO.COM>
> > Cc: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> > Date: Tuesday, June 11, 2013, 7:09 PM
> >
> > #yiv402988875 p {margin:0;}Are there any similar mods
> that can be done if you have a Westy without Plenum? The
> problem I always found was that the heat coming from the
> winshield always made you feel like the A/C was not working.
> It seems that the issue is more a problem of airflow than
> cooling capacity.
> >
> > Did anyone ever try the add-on front A/C that was
> talked about years ago as a supliument to the existing
> system?
> >
> > Todd
> > '88 Westy
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > From: "Stephen Grisanti" <bike2vcu@YAHOO.COM>
> > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> > Sent: Tuesday, June 11, 2013 4:02:05 PM
> > Subject: Re: AC Question
> >
> > I did the cheapo R134a FLAPS conversion on my '87 Westy
> after I got a two grand quote from a "reputable" shop on
> fixing the complete-but-blowing-hot A/C when I bought the
> van. It needs a recharge once a year but is quite
> comfy when working right.
> > Also, I was one of the first to remove the A/C plenum
> in the back to improve airflow. Search "plenumectomy"
> on thesamba.com. What actually happened was, I removed
> the Westy interior for soundproofing and rust proofing and
> when I put it back together I left the plenum off.
> Felt like it was blowing much more air forward than it had
> before so I left it off. No complaints, except for the
> rather unfinished look of that area now but that look is
> worth the improvement.
> > That Samba thread even has contributions by one owner
> who went so far as to do numerous measurements of airflow
> and temp for his/her van with and without the plenum.
> That was a lot of work to prove a point.
> > Stephen
> >
> > --- On Tue, 6/11/13, Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@COX.NET>
> wrote:
> >
> > From: Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@COX.NET>
> > Subject: Re: AC Question
> > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> > Date: Tuesday, June 11, 2013, 6:46 PM
> >
> > ---- Karl Wolz <wolzphoto@Q.COM>
> wrote:
> >> My understanding, for what it's worth: R134a
> doesn't work nearly as well as R12 in an unmodified R12
> system. Mods can run into some serious change. R134a
> will work, as your guy says; just not as well as what you
> have.
> >>
> >> Smarter listmembers than I may now comment ;-).
> >
> > Well, I'm certainly neither smarter nor more expert,
> but ..........
> >
> > My understanding is that the Vanagon evaporator and
> condenser are so large, that the difference in cooling power
> is minimal with the two fluids. But, the Vanagon air
> movement system, and the giant box it is trying to cool
> obviate all that. My system works as well as it can,
> and I have had a changeover to R134a. However, to be
> cool, I have to have the cold air (and it is quite cold,
> once measured it but can't remember, though the air
> conditioning guy said it was colder than expected) blowing
> on me. And since it blows from the rear, some
> distance, we try to train all vents our way.
> >
> > I have read of removing the air plenum above the seat
> for better air flow. I have saved instructions, will
> try to find if anyone wants them.
> >
> > mcneely
> >>
> >> Karl Wolz
> >> Sent from my electronic umbilicus
> >>
> >> On Jun 11, 2013, at 1:58 PM, Jim Ogul <jimogul70@GMAIL.COM>
> wrote:
> >>
> >>> My AC doesnt put out cold air on my 85
> Westy. It was that way when I
> >>> bought it. It has R12 in it. A
> local shop tells me that what they do is
> >>> evacuate the system and put in R134 and if the
> system is ok it will work.
> >>> I had always heard you have to get into the
> system and modify it for R134.
> >>> This local shop has a lot of experience and if
> its that simple I'd rather
> >>> go that way.
> >>>
> >>> Jim
> >>> 85 Westy
> >
> > --
> > David McNeely
>
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