Date:         Mon, 8 Jan 1996 00:18:57 -0700
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         rickgo@halcyon.com (Rick Gordon)
Subject:      EV Winnebago Defrosting - LACK OF

>Funny the things you don't notice standing in
>the showroom - there are NO heater ducts or
>outlets in the rear!  All of the front vents,
>even with the vaunted recirculating feature,
>can barely keep the windshield and side windows
>clear - and this with the fan on level 4!

Oh I noticed. Take a look at a passenger vehicle and you'll see that those
two blank spots on the dash are filled with rear heating/cooling controls.
I have only had mine out in freezing weather (32 F/0 C) but didn't notice a
problem - certainly not with the defroster at least. Is it possible that
there is something wrong with yours? Mine seems to put out an abundance of
heat in the front - I usually have to turn it down to the middle of the
slider control to remain comfortable. One just hopes it migrates toward the
back. Is your coolant temperature staying reasonable (like middle of the
gauge?)

Another thing - I wonder if the fan on position 3 (defrost) it engages the
AC to help dehumidify the air - making defrost go faster.

One thing I don't like about the controls - for heat-only mode you have
either top, dash or bottom vents - no combination thereof. But if you
switch to heat/cool mode you can then combine them. Supposedly the AC
doesn't engage below 40F but I'd still like a positive mode.

I guess my advice would be to contact the dealer and see if there is
anything broken. If not, I wonder if the furnace will stay lit while
driving?
Or else provide blankets for the rear passengers.

-rick

Rick Gordon
Bainbridge Island, WA, USA
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http://www.halcyon.com/rickgo/
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