Alright...here goes.  I have a 1984 Vanagon.  It has the a/c unit that is mounted just behind the driver and front seat passenger, and passes overhead.  It currently does not work because the compressor is bad.  I got an estimate from my local VW mechanic to fix it, and it was by no means cheap.  But I was about to have him do it anyway, when he then added that if it were his bus, he wouldn't bother.  He went on to elaborate that in his opinion I probably wouldn't be happy with the results of the system when it was operational.  He didn't think it would cool adequately, but what almost concerned me even more is when he said that in a few years, I would probably just have to replace the compressor again.  Since the repair was so expensive, this was not an attractive proposition.  So I passed on it.  This mechanic is an excellent one, and I normally trust his opinion explicitly, but I'd like to get some list-member feedback from people operating this a/c configuration in hot areas (preferably hot, humid areas, as I'm in North Texas).  It would be really nice to get some cooling in this vehicle for those hot summer days other than that provided by simply opening my windows.

I'd like to know: 
1)  Does the system do a decent job of cooling down the van.  I know not to expect it to freeze me out like the a/c in my wife's 98 Cabrio.  But would it at least function as well as, say, the 1979 Scirocco I used to own?  That is certainly adequate for me.
2)  Have you had to replace the compressor or other expensive components of this system on a regular or frequent basis?

Thanks in advance.  I really need some advice on this topic.

-Jason Stevenson

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