TheSamba.com :: View topic - How to keep cool on long hot drives in a split bus?

Mon Jun 30, 2008 6:42 pm

I got the fresh air vent cover off on mine, I'm not too keen on covering it back up with all the nice air that comes through it. (it was missing when I got the bus but found correct color...mmm dry ice)

Mon Jun 30, 2008 6:49 pm

they don't sell dry ice at the grocery stores here... we have to go to the dry ice store.....

=/

Mon Jun 30, 2008 7:30 pm

RINC wrote: purplepeopleeater wrote: But the temp outside was 102 and the a/c sure felt nice 8)

It'll be 112deg on my way home in stop an go traffic. I freeze a bottle of water to take with me.

Just sweat an smile as everyone checks you out driving a cool bus.

that is the coolest thing.. I crack open the safaris and open the back windows too..

Mon Jun 30, 2008 7:58 pm

This is why deluxe buses were made.
Open the sunroof all the way, open all the popouts, and you're good to go. Neat thing is that the sunroof is behind the driver, so you can still be in the shade, but inside a wind tunnel of air motion. Keep it over 35mph and its quite comfortable, even in hundred degree weather.

Only problem is if you are heading South East in the afternoon, or North West in the morning. Then the sun will be shining right on the driver through the sunroof.

Also, if you get stuck in traffic, pull over and park under a tree. Lack of motion will kill you in the heat.
That's when I pull out the dry, white terry cloth towels.
Keep one moving around your neck and forehead, you want a thin film of sweat to evaporate and keep you cool, not drips of fluid making you feel gross.

Mon Jun 30, 2008 8:08 pm

I went on a little drive this weekend in the SC, and I fashioned a little paper deflector to stick just above the roof vent. It aimed the incoming air downward and worked great!!

Tue Jul 01, 2008 1:52 am

amishman wrote: big bus mike wrote: Driving back from OCTO this year we went through Yuma when it was 115 outside. I stopped at a grocery store and bought a 6lb block of dry ice. I unscrewed my fresh air vent cover and stuck it inside there... it was an instant swamp cooler! We closed all the windows and ran with the swamp cooler going full blast. It cooled the inside air down considerably.

How the heck big is the fresh air vent space? I have never purchased dry ice before so how big are they and is it a tight fit for your fresh air vent area?

What will dry ice do to the sheet metal?

tj

Dry Ice is usually sold in blocks around 8"x5". That's around 6lbs. That fits in the overhead vent easily and after a few seconds, the area of the ice melts on the hot metal causing it to stick in place (read- doesnt fall out). It depends on the weather, but it usually lasts around an hour or so. It really does work!

Tue Jul 01, 2008 4:03 am

Who knew buses had built in thermadors! Genius idea!

Tue Jul 01, 2008 4:23 am

I've fitted these things

http://www.autocrafteng.co.uk/productdetails.asp?pid=32&id=175&mnu=mnu10

They direct the air from the airbox wonderfully. I know it will only redirect hot air & it's a lot cooler in the UK, I am also going to fit some repro ambulance fans to help in slow traffic

Tue Jul 01, 2008 8:48 am

yakboy wrote: I've fitted these things

http://www.autocrafteng.co.uk/productdetails.asp?pid=32&id=175&mnu=mnu10

They direct the air from the airbox wonderfully.
I was wondering where to get a set of those.

£40 though... we need a cheaper local source in the US.

Tue Jul 01, 2008 12:15 pm

EverettB wrote: yakboy wrote: I've fitted these things

http://www.autocrafteng.co.uk/productdetails.asp?pid=32&id=175&mnu=mnu10

They direct the air from the airbox wonderfully.
I was wondering where to get a set of those.

£40 though... we need a cheaper local source in the US.

there were a couple of local guys here making and selling those. they called the breezies. i think john coppello is one of the guys and chris brown is the other. i dont know either one of their samba usernames. maybe search breezies and something will show up. :? i think they were about 25 dollars or so. i only have 1 set left and i am using them or i would send you a set.

Tue Jul 01, 2008 12:24 pm

Definitely spray mist bottle. Adjust airflow accordingly with windows and fresh air vent.

Going through Mojave (110 or so) I kept stopping to soak a washcloth at restaurants. That worked pretty good.

Tue Jul 01, 2008 12:40 pm

The dry ice is a great Idea! To bad it doesnt work in high humidity. :cry:

Tue Jul 01, 2008 6:49 pm

DeathBus wrote: The dry ice is a great Idea! To bad it doesnt work in high humidity. :cry:
I dunno, the dry ice should work just fine wherever.
You might get some condensation, but if its that hot, who cares?
Ingenious, might have to try the dry ice out....

Tue Jul 01, 2008 6:56 pm

yakboy wrote: I've fitted these things

http://www.autocrafteng.co.uk/productdetails.asp?pid=32&id=175&mnu=mnu10

They direct the air from the airbox wonderfully. I know it will only redirect hot air & it's a lot cooler in the UK, I am also going to fit some repro ambulance fans to help in slow traffic

Funny...that's basically what I made this past weekend. Seeing them gives me a better idea of what I'm wanting to build.

Tue Jul 01, 2008 7:02 pm

yakboy wrote: I've fitted these things

http://www.autocrafteng.co.uk/productdetails.asp?pid=32&id=175&mnu=mnu10

They direct the air from the airbox wonderfully. I know it will only redirect hot air & it's a lot cooler in the UK, I am also going to fit some repro ambulance fans to help in slow traffic

I made some of those for the bus a few years back. They really help. I just did trip in the '66 from Missouri to Alabama and back and I kept the rear two pop outs open and a clip fan blowing on my legs and wasn't to bad,except for going through Memphis! that was pretty darn hot

Tue Jul 01, 2008 7:21 pm

j.pickens wrote: DeathBus wrote: The dry ice is a great Idea! To bad it doesnt work in high humidity. :cry:
I dunno, the dry ice should work just fine wherever.
You might get some condensation, but if its that hot, who cares?
Ingenious, might have to try the dry ice out....

Try it out and let us know, I know Jersey gets pretty damned humid in the summer. :wink:

My neighbor uses well water for a swamp cooler air conditioner for his home, but he says once the humidity gets over 60% it really stops cooling so he has a back up Electric one. I wonder what the coolness transfer difference between dry ice and wet ice is?

Tue Jul 01, 2008 9:38 pm

DeathBus wrote: I wonder what the coolness transfer difference between dry ice and wet ice is?

I don't understand this question. As the solid CO2 sublimates (sublimes?) it absorbs heat from its surroundings, which reduce in temperature and/or change phase. So the air moving past the subliming CO2 is cooled.

If the relative humidity is high, then most of the required heat input (from the passing air stream to the CO2) will likely come from the phase change of water vapour to liquid phase. In this case, the temperature won't drop as much, but the resulting drier air should still feel cooler on skin even if it has the same dry-bulb temperature, because the drier air can evaporate some more moisture from the skin. I expect that this secondary effect is pretty small, based purely on the amount of air flowing past the dry ice and the change in relative humidity; can't be much, unless there is really extreme condensation, which I don't expect (?).

Hmm, sorry if I'm rambling. I never thought of putting dry ice in a vehicle to cool it. Good one.

EDIT: over here, when it's hot it's also usually less than 10% humidity. Dries washing in a matter of minutes! (And fades it really badly too if you leave it in the sun for more than an hour or two!) The main thing then is just to keep the air moving over oneself, which is tricky in a panel splitty, but easy in the '74 - direct the two rotating fresh air vents up ones sleeve so it flows air around the back, works great. But this is the splitty forum yeah, so bays suck or something. :-)

Cheers, a.

Tue Jul 01, 2008 10:59 pm

Sounds like the winning combo is dry ice in the fresh air vent in cooperation with vent deflectors.

Tue Jul 01, 2008 11:59 pm

My commute to work involves driving by 12-15 beehives right next to the road. I didn't realize it in the cool mornings, but a mid afternoon drive with both vent wings open in the DD panel I scooped 4 or 5 bees in in one shot, no stings, but stinging where they thwacked me in the neck and face. I drive by the hives with vents closed now. I really want to try the dry ice idea, maybe some clecos on the screw holes for easier access.

Wed Jul 02, 2008 12:23 am

Um Im working on a/c I want to make a dam good efficient unit. yes Im dreaming