At 68, I still haven't found the need to stay at RV parks.  I do bivouac when I travel on the highway, but manage to find places to do so without using an RV park.  So far as air conditioning making camping doable in summer in hot places, I camp in summer in the Ozarks.  High humidity, afternoon temperatures usually in the nineties.  A nearby cool stream makes for a nice cool off.  If I wanted air conditioning, and other "necessities" of "civilization, I'd stay home.  It would be more enjoyable than an RV park.

Just my take on the matter.  McNeely

---- Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM> wrote:
> Fir years and I still use these parks for traveling in the Westy. Many of
> these parks even have tent sites and the Vanagon works well in those. While
> there are some high end RV parks that won't allow them, (some also won't
> allow my aging 39 ft.) I have never felt out of place in the Westy. Usually
> it becomes a conversation starter even for folks in the monsters. Having
> power and real restroom-shower facilities makes things nicer for other
> family members.
>
> Air conditioning is one comfort that still requires a lot of power and even
> in my motorhome it is the comfort that immediately makes me dependent on the
> generator.  Take away that and batteries can cover me for few days. I've
> done the battery-inverter thing to run an RV generator overnight. Then you
> need the 300 amp alternator to charge them or carry a small generator. At
> some point it gets silly. There are many RVs even small ones that have this
> need covered. That was my point. Especially to be considered as you consider
> $20 or $30 k invested.
>
> Dennis
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
> Don Hanson
> Sent: Saturday, October 26, 2013 9:55 AM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: idea?
>
>    Having shore power AC means you probably aren't camping, you are RV-ing
> (at least in MY world).
>
>    My SO was at Camping World (big box outlet store here in the west)
> recently, where the counter-person kept trying to sell her a membership to
> Good Sam club...so she could "save money when camping" according to the
> clerk...My SO tried to explain that staying in a commercial RV space was a
> bit different than camping, but the clerk just did not understand...In the
> clerks mind, camping was driving from RV park to RV park on the interstate
> system and plugging everything in each night...'roughing it'...
>
>    I, too use my Vanagon for non-camping bivouacs but if I were wanting to
> 'camp' in Good Samaritan or 1000 Trails or other Non-chain RV parks all the
> while, I guess Dennis might be right...the Vanagon seems a bit under-sized
> for that....and you would be 'looked down upon' by all the other RV-ers,
> quite out of place in your vanagon..
>
>    I think if I traveled the south in summer I might be tempted to just
> motel-it...It IS really uncomfortably hot and humid there at times..
>
>
> On Fri, Oct 25, 2013 at 8:07 PM, Dennis Haynes
> <d23haynes57@hotmail.com>wrote:
>
> > Most all window AC use a single motor to drive both the evaporator and
> > condenser fans. You also have to consider the position of the coils in
> > relationship to the compressor so the oil circulates and travels
> > through the compressor. Needing AC while camped is often the first
> > sign your out growing the Westy.
> >
> > Dennis
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On
> > Behalf Of Jim Felder
> > Sent: Friday, October 25, 2013 9:07 AM
> > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> > Subject: Re: idea?
> >
> > My brother and I were discussing cutting an AC unit in two and
> > mounting part outside, part inside, under the rear seat.
> >
> > Also, it would be possible--but more difficult--to mount a split unit
> > like that in the luggage rack with only vents down into the cabin, but
> > the cabin roof would have to be penetrated and all the controls would
> > have to be completely remoted. A weather cover would have to be
> > created for the luggage rack mount. While the unit would not have to
> > be "split" like it would if mounted under the seat (the whole thing
> > would be mounted outside the
> > vehicle) it would benefit from being rearranged to better fit the
> > space in the luggage rack to keep the profile low.
> >
> > The underseat mount would allow you to use the faceplate of the unit
> > just as it came from the factory as long as it was not more than 13
> > inches tall.
> >
> > The problem of making up some mounts is not trivial but not much
> > harder than some intercooler mounts. I have a friend who works on this
> > type of small window unit AC, and he said the only problem would be
> > knowing where to cut the lines and then installing the valves and
> > plumbing to allow evacuation and refill. He said he would show me when
> > we had a unit to look at, which hasn't happened yet.
> >
> > You could put one in the closet, too, I think but it wold be even
> > harder to split the unit using that space.
> >
> > Would love to hear from anyone who has modified a unit by cutting and
> > modifying the tubing.
> >
> > Jim
> >
> >
> > On Fri, Oct 25, 2013 at 7:47 AM, ralph meyermann
> > <ralphmeyermann@gmail.com>wrote:
> >
> > > Correct placement is a must for issues like that. If I use the front
> > > part of the original unit, it would simplify the controls too?
> > >
> > > Velma 82 1.9L AAZ td westy
> > > On Oct 25, 2013 7:40 AM, <ddbjorkman@verizon.net> wrote:
> > >
> > > > Careful how you use that space above the transaxle.  It could
> > > > cause a space restriction should you decide to remove the engine or
> starter.
> > > >
> > > > Dave B.
> > > >
> > > > On 10/25/13, ralph meyermann<ralphmeyermann@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Still thinking/brainstorming/planning on how I could make it work.
> > > >
> > > > Velma 82 1.9L AAZ td westy
> > > > On Oct 24, 2013 8:57 PM, "Scott Daniel"
> > > > <scottdaniel@turbovans.com>
> > > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > There's quite a bit of unused space above the transaxle in a 2WD
> > > vanagon.
> > > > > huge 'outside' area there ....just integrate the unit into that
> > > > > rear firewall behind the rear seat.
> > > > >
> > > > > On 10/24/2013 5:33 PM, Mike B wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > >> You can't integrate "everything" into the interior. The
> > > > >> condenser and it's fan still must be mounted outside or be able
> > > > >> to exhaust it's hot air to the outside or it won't cool the
> interior.
> > > > >>
> > > > >> On 10/24/2013 8:09 PM, ralph meyermann wrote:
> > > > >>
> > > > >>> Hi Volks! I have a possibly crazy but possibly doable idea. I
> > > > >>> am thinking about getting a new 110v window a/c unit,
> > > > >>> disassembling it and integrating it into the interior and
> > > > >>> underneath reconnect everything recharge
> > > with
> > > > >>> refrigerant and tie it into the the 110v of the van. Some slim
> > > > >>> low
> > > amp
> > > > >>> 110v fans will be needed. Am I the only one thinking with this
> > > possible
> > > > >>> nonsense?
> > > > >>> Velma 82 1.9L AAZ td westy
> > > > >>>
> > > > >>
> > > > >>
> > > >
> > >
> >

--
David McNeely