The trick is to use the correct grade and wall thickness for the job. Do
not try this though for hydraulic brakes or power steering.
Refrigeration grade tubing is annealed to provide flexibility for
bending/flaring and to allow for vibration.

Dennis

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
Of TJ Hannink
Sent: Monday, May 02, 2005 10:28 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Replacing metal coolant hoses with copper?

All the non-flexible air lines on my Wanderlodge (including the brake
lines) as well as the domestic water supply lines, diesel fuel lines and
the propane lines are made of copper tubing.  Its a selling point when
advertising the vehicle for sale; only hi-end coach producers spend the
$$ to install copper instead of steel or plastic, its too expensive for
mass-production vehicles. See this brochure:
http://www.vintagebirds.com/1983.htm, it's the first feature in the
right hand column.

If anything, the softness of the copper tubing prevents fracturing from
vibration. Its not unsafe, or they wouldn't plumb the brakes on a
+32,000-lb vehicle with it. Think about that.

Good luck,

Tim

Robert Cardo <rrecardo@WEBTV.NET> wrote:
Copper for anything in a vehicle is a bad choice.

It's soft & it will fracture wit vibation.

Think about this.

Why aren't brakes lines, gas lines, and coolant lines made from copper
from the factory?

Bceause it'll crack, and it's an unsafe selection .

Why didn't your mechanic make that water pump to oil cooler pipe out of
steel line as it was ??

This would have been a much better selection of material.

I'd have him take it out and start over.

TJ Hannink
Goldibox - 1987 Vanagon Camper, Wolfsburg Edition
1981 Bluebird Wanderlodge, FC-33
Winter Park, Florida
http://home.earthlink.net/~tjhannink/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wolfsburg_campers
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FC_wanderlodge
FAVOR website:  http://home.earthlink.net/~clubvanagon
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com