Yep, I've owned my '89 since '04, and have never opened it up.  I just top
it up every two or three years.  I can understand some of the complaints
from camper owners, since the vents are several feet behind the front
seats, but on my tintop I get cool air blowing on me from behind and
front.

On Sat, Jun 28, 2014 at 8:28 AM, Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@hotmail.com>
wrote:

> I feel the same way. The 87 and later units work well even running R134A if
> repaired and charged correctly. Properly service they should not require
> much maintenance. They do however rob engine power and fuel economy.
>
> Dennis
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
> Zeitgeist
> Sent: Saturday, June 28, 2014 10:55 AM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: AC Removal
>
> A little piece of me dies every time I hear of someone removing the AC from
> their T3.  It really works great in a well sorted system running R12 or
> some
> equivalent.  In sunnier climes, try a good 3M UV window tint as a means of
> mitigating heat soak during brief stops
>
> Sent from my iPad
>
> > On Jun 28, 2014, at 5:53 AM, Steven Shelton <shelton4@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> >
> > Thanks for your help, Kieth.  At some point VW changed the way they
> > hung the AC from what's described in Bentley.  All bolts and screws on
> > mine came out from below the rear bed board.  It's a pretty easy one
> > man job that way and it's not heavy so it can be held with one arm
> > while the last bolts are removed.  I did put a sawhorse under it,
> > though, to keep it from possibly crashing down.
> >
> > I'm in Georgia and, yes, there have been times over the years when the
> > heat without AC was almost unbearable.  Those are the times when I
> > dream of driving down the road with a electric generator in the
> > luggage rack running a portable AC in the cab.
> >
> > I think I'll leave the space open.  After 29 years of driving my
> > Westfalia, I'd like to be able to see something in the rear view
> > mirror besides tailgaters. Trimming it out will be a challenge,
> > though, especially since i want to make everything reversible.  Of
> > course, with all that stuff I had to pull out, this is a good time to
> > add extra lighting.  And I can put some better speakers back there,
> > too.  Oh well, it's too damn hot and humid to go camping, anyway.
> >
> >
> >> On Fri, Jun 27, 2014 at 7:47 PM, JRodgers <jrodgers113@gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >>
> >> Works in cooler or drier climes - but in Alabama, Georgia,
> >> Mississippi and North Florida - in the summertime by the time  you
> >> got to your destination you would be parboiled!
> >>
> >> John
> >>
> >>
> >>> On 6/27/2014 3:38 PM, Michael Magnani wrote:
> >>>
> >>>  I permanently removed my entire A/C system from my 90 Westy for the
> >>> same reason: it always leaked refrigerant and even when it was
> >>> properly serviced, never worked all that well. Removing the
> >>> compressor has made working on the engine a lot easier and I turned
> >>> the space where the evaporator lived into a nice additional storage
> cabinet.
> >>> Mike M
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> On Friday, June 27, 2014 5:48 AM, Steven Shelton
> >>> <shelton4@GMAIL.COM>
> >>> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> I don't plan on reinstalling the AC.  When I bought the camper new,
> >>> the AC was only slightly better than open windows.  Years ago, when
> >>> the freon leaked out and the technician said the leak must be
> >>> somewhere in the cabinetry, I just did without.  My rationale was
> >>> that an enclosed, air conditioned environment just separates you from
> the travel experience.
> >>> The
> >>> windshield becomes a TV screen for a travelogue.  Of course, when we
> >>> were in west Texas last month traveling into the afternoon sun with
> >>> the temperature at 102 (103 inside the cab), my rationale seemed
> >>> pretty irrational.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> On Thu, Jun 26, 2014 at 9:39 PM, Keith Hughes
> >>> <keithahughes@yahoo.com>
> >>> wrote:
> >>>
> >>> Steven,
> >>>>
> >>>> You're right.  You have to drop it down, then tilt it down towards
> >>>> the passenger side.  You have to first reach inside and either
> >>>> disconnect the condensate lines from both sides of the drip pan (I
> >>>> don't recommend that) or pull both tubes up and into the evap
> >>>> housing cabinet.  Then while supporting the evaporator and fan
> >>>> housing, remove the cabinet.  This is a PITA alone, but doable
> >>>> (i've used a bar stool and hydraulic jack sitting on the engine
> >>>> cover to prop up the cabinet).  Much easier with another pair of
> >>>> hands.  The evap/fan housing is very brittle, and loves to crack,
> >>>> so you need to be careful.  You can't support it from the support
> >>>> brackets because the evap fan makes it super front-heavy.  I've
> >>>> just used the bar stool and boxes stacked to the right height to
> >>>> support it while disconnecting the AC lines.
> >>>>
> >>>> Last year I made a number of mods to my A/C system, including a new
> >>>> A/C cabinet, but one thing I did that you may consider is to fully
> >>>> enclose the Evap housing (bottom), reinforcing with aluminum angle
> >>>> on the perimeter, and adding a front bracket for the housing.  Now
> >>>> it's self-supporting, and the cabinet can be pulled without
> >>>> disturbing the evap housing.  pmail if you want pics of the mod I
> >>>> did - wasn't that difficult.
> >>>>
> >>>> Keith Hughes
> >>>> '86 Westy Tiico (Marvin)
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>   Date:    Thu, 26 Jun 2014 18:15:24 -0400
> >>>>   From:    Steven Shelton <shelton4@GMAIL.COM>
> >>>>   Subject: AC Removal
> >>>>
> >>>>   I need to remove the closet of my 1985 Westfalia for some
> >>>>   rear corner
> >>>>   bodywork.  Of course, I have to remove the air
> >>>>   conditioner cabinet to get
> >>>>   the closet out.  I've started removing the AC cabinet
> >>>>   but it looks like the
> >>>>   evaporator, evaporator housing, and fan will all come out
> >>>>   with the cabinet.
> >>>>    But I can't get to the refrigerant hoses to disconnect them
> >>>>   before the
> >>>>   cabinet comes down.  Bentley isn't clear on this, and
> >>>>   what they describe is
> >>>>   different from what I have anyway.  What do I need to
> >>>>   do to keep everything
> >>>>   from crashing down at once?
> >>>
>

--
Casey