The Air-cooled AC units are nothing but trouble...horribly ineffectual,
cause poor mileage, rapid hair loss, impotence, flatulence,
forgetfulness, world-wide-hunger, and friction between family members.
Fundamentalist clergy of various denominations preach fiery sermons
against this AC unit's evils, knowing that many a soul is crackling in
the fires of hell for using an air-cooled-engine-powered VW AC unit.
Save yourself.

If you aren't using yours, you should count your blessings, remove it
immediately, and send it to me for 'disposal'. I'll have it crushed into
unrecognizable bits, have those bits incinerated, and then have the
ashes scattered on inaccessible mountaintops, really I will. Really.

Okay, all joking aside, they don't work any better or any worse than any
other car's AC. They make the inside of the van cold. On the downside,
they use a horribly in-efficient piston compressor which puts about an 8
hp load on the motor. Couple this with the mileage decline from hauling
around an extra couple hundred pounds of AC gear.

A buddy from AZ had a 1978 bus with this AC and I LOVED that AC, even
though it made his bus really slow... My 1976 had only the 5-65 AC... 5
windows open, 65 mph.

The extra load on the motor from the AC means even SLOWER acceleration,
and more frequent downshifting. It also means you *ought to* install a
head temp and oil temp gauge, as well as an thermostatically controlled,
fan-forced, auxiliary oil cooler.

Without much argument, the AC's probably reduce engine life, but that's
why God made Boston Bob, Jake Raby, AVP, and all that ilk. I'll opt for
less miles on my motor for the comfort of a cool ride in my Westy. If
you decide to save your soul and remove your evil AC, call me.

Developing business and guiding change since 1996,

G. Matthew Bulley
Bulley-Hewlett
Corporate Communications
Business: www.bulley-hewlett.com
Alliance: www.ntara.com
Phone: +1.919.658.1278

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf
Of Tim & Kim Dayton
Sent: Monday, April 22, 2002 2:45 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: air-cooled air conditioner effectiveness

How potent (or impotent) is the air cooled air condition?  All of this
talk of air cooled air conditioner part got me to thinking about this.
I have air condition set, the type under the front dash, yet it isn't
working.   If it isn't very effective need I should remove it to reduce
weight and strain on the engine.

tim
82 "ole yeller"