I disconnected & removed my rear heater from my 85 Vanagon GL years ago;
not knowing any better, I added a coupler hose.  Haven't had any cooling
problems.  But your suggestion to plug rather than couple makes sense,
maybe I'll have to do that....can always use a little extra cooling.

By the way, anyone need a rear heater?  It's been packed away in a box
for 16 years:  I'm pretty sure the blower motor, heater valve, and heat
exchanger are in A-OK condition.  

Rich
85 HomemadeCamper
San Diego

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
Of George Goff
Sent: Wednesday, August 24, 2005 7:38 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Removing rear heater in Westy?

In a message dated 8/24/05 10:25:21 AM, briwasson@VERIZON.NET writes:

<< It looks to be as simple as connecting the in and out hoses together
with
a coupler, bypassing the heater core. Anyone done this? Any tips or
thoughts
would be most welcome. >>

This will probably elicit some argument, but, plug the hoses rather than
connecting them together.  Your van will run hotter with them connected
together.

George