Good point on that.  Both Copper and Aluminum lines exist on other cars in
various forms (Mini's have copper brake lines) and there are short aluminum
fitting lines on the vans around the engine.
        Two potential trubba spots:  Wearing a hole in the line from
rubbing/vibration, and fatigue of metal from unusual vibrations.  Copper
can be silver brazed (oxy acetylene), but the Alumiminum is best Tig
welded.  Pressures can get pretty high, in the mid to high 300's of psi
before the safety plug blows out or the high limit switch shuts the system
down (I don't have exact numbers on this).
        I s'pose you could mount the tubes in rubber clamps every so often, and
make sure that the suction line is insulated (there's really not much
length there, from condensor to compressor), but you'd be dealing with some
custom fittings and hoses in spots.
        In our business, we manage apartments and see older A/C condensors and
evaporators fail by developing pinholes in the aluminum coil material,
often at bends where the material is stretched thinner.  You can weld it
back up, but conventional wisdom says to buy a new one at that point, since
the thing is apart anyway.
        You really need the flexible hoses at moving assemblies: front condensor,
compressor, evaporator.

Randy Bergum
1990 Carat

> [Original Message]
> From: Scott Norville <kr2no@EARTHLINK.NET>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Date: 6/21/2004 3:31:14 PM
> Subject: Air conditioner--hard lines?
>
> Since the Vanagon has several meters more of A/C lines than most vehicles,
> has any used copper or aluminum tubing for the long front/back run to
reduce
> the leak potential? Why not?