Thanks, Don.

Heated garage? Hah. Even Mrs Squirrel doesn't get a heated garage for
her Subaru.

The Van Cafe coolant heater at

<http://www.van-cafe.com/home/van/page_1148>

is probably not a coolant _circulating_ type, since it has no pump or
any way to actively move the coolant.

Passive or active, I wonder how well a heater in the radiator return
line would work.

According to the plumbing diagram on the above page, the coolant
thermostat is on the radiator return line and it seems like with a
closed thermostat, the heated coolant would rise into the radiator which
is designed to be a pretty effective way to radiate heat into the
surrounding air. And whatever hot coolant remaining that rose to the top
of the radiator would go where? Somehow find its way back to the block
even though no coolant was flowing?

I'm probably picturing this wrong.

The dead of winter isn't the time I would pick to install something on
bottom hose coming off the radiator). I'd give that job to my friendly
local VW mechanic, Gary's Ole Volks Home.

--
Jack "Rocket j Squirrel" Elliott
1984 Westfalia, auto trans,
Bend, Ore.

On 01/02/2016 06:30 AM, Don Hanson wrote:
> Coolant circulating heaters DO work, Every other motor that has what is
> sometimes called a "tank heater",  they do perform their function as
> designed...some better than others.   The alternative is a heated
> garage.  Zoning and real estate prices in Bend, Oregon probably preclude
> that.....
>     Get the coolant circulating type heater.   Find a way to plug in
> your vanagon when you return to your Casa at night, but with the power
> off.   It normally doesn't need to suck electricity all night, just an
> hour or two in the AM is enough to get the oil inside warmed up and
> circulating better.  Every house I build in a cold climate, I make sure
> to install some kinda switched outside plug for my vehicle's tank
> heaters....Get up, start the coffee and switch on the vehicle tank
> heaters...
>