Date: Mon, 06 May 1996 22:37:02 -0700
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: jwakefield@4dmg.net (john wakefield)
Subject: Re: LHS Shower in Westie?
Tim Smith noted "As far as really heating the water there is a
osting/pix of the water tank with a neat heating coil loop using
engine coolant to warm the tank water. Splice it off your rear
heater with valves to direct heat flow."
I wonder if anybody has an old Westie parts donar on which the
water tank could be tested to determine if it can really accept full
coolant heat levels without loss of integrity. That would be
instructive for persons interested in using it as a "thermo
flywheel" to provide delayed interior heating by hydronic radiation.
Would this be a timely investigation for the north-bound caravan?
True enough you can heat-up and quickly use-up your Westie's
rather limited water supply this way. This shower approach
satisfies a very different set of trade-offs. For non-remote and
non-extended stays, it would be easier, cheaper, and less intrusive
into the original Westie design. With a concealed auxillary
threaded spigot and the public or private shower design of your
choice, you're ready to speadily drain your warmed water reserve.
I'm not opposed to this if contemplated travel is only along
Interstate highways and similar areas where one can always refill.
I might even try it.
My LHS approach costs more in time, money, effort, and your
tolerance for vehicle intrusion. But with it, a couple with two
kids could visit dry remote sites for three day week-ends without
anyone feeling constrained by how long or often they shower. I feel
they're both reasonable approaches with different trade-offs.
Except for picking up a used "cold plate," it's hard for me to
conceive how you could spend over $300 building a brand new LHS as I
described using 100% new materials from discount suppliers like Home
Depot and Walmart. A creative person could do it for much less. In
view of that, I don't see any relevance for owners of 5 to 16 year
old Vanagon Westies of comparison with the new VW/Winnie which has a
shower. Its $1800 sales tax alone is easily six times the cost of
creating a new LHS.
John Wakefield
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