Date:         Fri, 13 Oct 1995 10:29:00 -0700 (PDT)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Maher, Steve (SD-MS)" <SMAHER@PO2.GI.COM>
Subject:      Re: Electric Heaters



>>       What's the skinny on a recommendable 12V electric heater that can
>> be wired in somewhere under the dash? I seem to dimly remember a friend
>> having one some years back, which had a little blower fan in it. Make?
>Model?
>> I'm running a '72 Bus with '78 engine, but I guess the wiring is '72.
>>
>
>        When I bought my '73 bus, it had an electric heater called "Back
>Seat Heat" bolted under the dashboard.  The PO had two wires running
>directly to the battery under the interior carpet(s) and down via the
>access hatch!  I promptly tore the whole shebang out and put it into a 
paper
>bag.  I don't know if it works but I may need to try it out this Winter (if 
I
>ever get the bus going again).  I think it had a ceramic element and one
>heat switch and a fan switch.


If you turn that thing on, one piece that will generate heat (and light)
is the filament of your GEN light on the dash. Unless you've got it
wired ahead of the warning circuit, which it sounds sort of like it was.
There's no way your generator or alrternator will keep up with the power
draw of a heater that produces anything useful.

I recommend you install a second battery with a BIG solid-state isolator.
You'll eventually run it flat, even with the engine running. But with
the 2nd batt and isolator, only the heater will die out after that, and
at least you won't have to walk.

 -Steve Maher   smaher@gi.com   '71 VW Transporter in San Diego-- what's a 
heater?