late model passenger vanagons have great AC. when used with R12 they'd freeze you. I drove across the country on I 10 one summer. Never had a problem with AC except for the kink in the drip line. 

Sent from my iPad

> On Feb 21, 2014, at 10:07 PM, Stuart MacMillan <stuartmacm@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> 
> Could it have something to do with the fact that Vanagons have no or minimal
> air conditioning?
> 
> Stuart
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: JRodgers [mailto:jrodgers113@gmail.com]
> Sent: Friday, February 21, 2014 11:21 AM
> To: Stuart MacMillan; vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: I am not alone
> 
> One of the biggest Medical Universities Medical Research Centers in  the
> South is located in Birmingham. University of Alabama - Birmingham. The U of
> A main campus is at Tuscaloosa, but the UAB center has grown to the point
> that academically it outstrips the original campus.  It offers full
> undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as medical degrees.
> yet with all that - you don't see any Vanagons or buses there. It is
> strange.
> 
> John
> 
>> On 2/21/2014 11:25 AM, Stuart MacMillan wrote:
>> University towns have always been VW centers, especially for campers.  The
>> Seattle area has three VW dealers, one four blocks from the University of
>> Washington campus. They all sold a lot of campers over the years, which is
>> why we still have so many around.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> At least that seems to be true in the west, and Huntsville too apparently.
>> Hmm, does that mean smart people own Vanagons?
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Stuart
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> From: Jim Felder [mailto:jim.felder@gmail.com]
>> Sent: Friday, February 21, 2014 9:09 AM
>> To: Stuart MacMillan; Vanagon mailing list
>> Subject: Re: I am not alone
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> I'm in Huntsville (Madison, technically). No shortage of parts here,
> thanks
>> to me! LOL
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Plus we have a really good shop here and another in a nearby town. I
> looked
>> at a Carat automatic yesterday at my local shop. It was parked out front
>> with a Birmingham tag. The shop owner said that they owner has the car
> towed
>> to Huntsville for any kind of service more complicated than an oil change.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> About a week ago a friend with a westy stopped by for a part. There were
> my
>> two in their respective driveways, and this one on the street. My
> neighbor,
>> who just bought a red passat TDI wagon, stopped and rolled the window down
>> and said "You better keep them apart! They're starting to multiply!!!"
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Jim
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> On Fri, Feb 21, 2014 at 10:24 AM, Stuart MacMillan <stuartmacm@gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>> 
>> I've heard that Huntsville has a pretty good quantity of Vanagon owners.
>> Aerospace folks seem to like them. Drive up for a weekend to get your fix!
>> 
>> Stuart
>> 
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
>> JRodgers
>> Sent: Thursday, February 20, 2014 10:10 PM
>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>> Subject: I am not alone
>> 
>> For the longest kind of time I have not seen any Vanagons around
>> Birmingham, AL but my own. Never see any mention of Birmingham on the
>> Vanagon List so have wondered if I am all alone in the big city.
>> 
>> Well, today, just after parking my van and nearing the steps into the
>> house, I hear this familiar engine sound, and almost simultaneously hear
>> the unmistakable sound of a Vanagon horn down by the street. I turn and
>> look toward the street in time to see TWO Tintop Vanagons with cargo
>> carriers on top - one behind the other, one blue, one green, chugging up
>> my hill. They waved, blew the horn again, but didn't stop. Wish they had.
>> 
>> But it's nice to know I'm not alone in the big city.
>> 
>> John
>> .
>>