Hi Mike,

It's not going to work. You can't extract enough energy from a 12V
battery to heat 180 cubic feet of Vanagon interior. Your alternator
could not keep up with the draw, either. It's basic physics, and the
question has come up on the aircooled list every fall since the lists
started.  If it was practical, automotive engineers would have
adopted electrical heating a long time ago.

There are tiny little 12V hairdryers that are popular for defrosting
bus windshields, but they don't supply enough heat to warm the
interior of a bug.

The best approach for electric heat in a vehicle is to wear heated
clothing. That might not be as convenient, but it will work.
http://cozywinters.com/heated-clothing/?
source=go&gclid=CMSk6eXm4ogCFSLrPgodnGpapQ

Happy Trails,

Greg Potts
1973/74/75/77/79 Westfakia "Bob the Tomato"
www.pottsfamily.ca/westfakia
www.busesofthecorn.com

On 25-Nov-06, at 12:54 PM, Mike Rouby wrote:

> Thought of this, this morning mainly for camping...but it should
> work for when the vehicle is moving as well....Kinda a DIY project
> that makes me wonder why the Bug crowd hasn't done this
> already...So i'm second-guessing myself.
>
> Anyway...here's my idea....Since I already converted my Mercedes
> Diesel to run on veggie oil - I realized the same parts can be
> utilized to build a heating system.
>
>
> Parts:
>
> * Inline 12v heater (bought on Ebay for $70 - basically a temp.
> controlled glow plug in a metal Tee)
> * inline electric carb fuel pump (or 12v water pump - eg early Westy)
> * water container (small windshield resevoir or header tank from an
> import car)
> * antifreeze/water
> * small 12v electric fan (forced heating)
> * vent panel (fitment under rear seat)
> * small heater core
> * 3/8" hose - a couple of feet
> * some bracketry
> * relay and wiring to aux. battery including switch
>
> Fit the whole thing under the rear seat.
>
> Can anyone tell me why this would be a bad idea?