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Tue Nov 03, 2009 10:54 pm

Why are all Vanagons white?! ](*,)

I'm looking to buy one and all I see is white and a couple blue or gold ones. Doesn't seem a very unique color when that's all I see whenever there's one on the freeway or street.

Do you all really like white that much? [-(

Tue Nov 03, 2009 11:05 pm

They say white vehicles stay cooler on the inside. A beni when camping. What I would like to see is some actual tests of these claims.

Tue Nov 03, 2009 11:35 pm

Maybe you are thinking of Eurovan campers? They are mostly all white.

Tue Nov 03, 2009 11:39 pm

Rhinoculips wrote: They say white vehicles stay cooler on the inside. A beni when camping. What I would like to see is some actual tests of these claims.

Mythbusters did it with a pair of new hyundais a few years back, the white one was cooler by about 20 degrees inside.

It makes a lot of sense to me, and having had the same model vehicles in lighter and darker colors I know how much of a difference it can make.

Wed Nov 04, 2009 12:21 am

white?

to solve color blind problem?

I personally hate the ugly orangish color...

Wed Nov 04, 2009 9:25 am

Sir Sam wrote: Mythbusters did it with a pair of new hyundais a few years back, the white one was cooler by about 20 degrees inside.

Wow, that blows my mind. I will have to look that episode up!

Wed Nov 04, 2009 9:39 am

Two tone Brown and Tan here;
Don't see many with this color scheme anymore, they probably get junked or repainted!

Wed Nov 04, 2009 9:54 am

Well somebody fell asleep in Physics. I would most likely have fell asleep as well, if it was not for that girl with the fabulous legs that sat across the isle. Blackbody theory of radiation was the key. Lighter colors, like white reflect the light, white being across the wavelength of our visible spectrum. Black is absorbing all the wavelengths of our visible spectrum. So if your absorbing all that energy, it gets turned into something, well heat. In fact the black car would be re-radiating the light as IR spectrum. Unfortunately, metal being a good conductor, it is radiating the heat inside your car as well as out.

Well, you might say that a silver car would be superior! No so fast, it turns out that the carrier paint that holds the metallic silver is typically black. So the best would be a chrome car, burnished to a bright sheen. You kind of see this practical application a lot. Police cars, the "Black & Whites," used to be all black, but then some clever police guy or gal decided it might be more comfortable in the pre AC days to have the center cab white to keep the officers cool, whilst awaiting speeders in the side of the road. Conversely, police cars and most service vehicles in Alaska have black hoods to warm the engine and help keep the hood free of snow from the pathetic solar radiation available and re-radiate the heat of the engine.

Wed Nov 04, 2009 11:32 am

Dogpilot wrote: Conversely, police cars and most service vehicles in Alaska have black hoods to warm the engine and help keep the hood free of snow from the pathetic solar radiation available and re-radiate the heat of the engine.

A black car hood on a long arctic night is going to cool the engine if anything and isn't going to make much difference during the day as the sun barely peeks over the horizon. Benjamin Thomas aka Count Rumford first figured this out back in the late 1700's and advocated wearing white clothing during the winter to prevent the loss of body heat by radiation. Doubt that wearing white really makes much difference on the outside of a well insulated parka though.

Wed Nov 04, 2009 3:46 pm

long wave radiation is unaffected by the color of the paint (it's all black in the infrared)

metallic flakes in the paint, like a polished metal surface, WILL make a difference in the emissivity - until is gets tarnished

you guys may want to take a look at a thread I just posted on here

Bottom line = paint color is not that important

2nd - you need to think about the wavelength of the radiation involved

Wed Nov 04, 2009 7:43 pm

the original post is funny. YES WE ALL ONLY RIDE WHITE VANAGONS.

Wed Nov 04, 2009 7:53 pm

Its the best... ney, ONLY color for appliances.

I can only dream that I could be so lucky as to have white. I was blessed with Savanna beige. We call her Ginger. She was an adult film star in the 80's, but now she is just a fat tired old van.

Cheers.

Wed Nov 04, 2009 9:25 pm

like I posted in the other thread, get a thermometer and go around checking the temps of various coloured panels in the sun. or put your hand near them. Yup, the dark coloured panels (and glass) are going to feel a lot warmer.

Wed Nov 04, 2009 10:52 pm

haha Alright, not EVERYONES is white. But if you look around southern California the majority is white. It just seems boring, even if it is cooler. Throw a big decal on it or something. :P

Wed Nov 04, 2009 11:15 pm

czechchick5 wrote: Why are all Vanagons white?! ](*,)

I'm looking to buy one and all I see is white and a couple blue or gold ones. Doesn't seem a very unique color when that's all I see whenever there's one on the freeway or street.

Do you all really like white that much? [-(

I, personally would just LOVE to have a white Vanagon. I got stuck with a blue metallic :cry: But when getting a used car, the color is my last worry

Wed Nov 04, 2009 11:22 pm

czechchick5 wrote: haha Alright, not EVERYONES is white. But if you look around southern California the majority is white. It just seems boring, even if it is cooler. Throw a big decal on it or something. :P

(forgive me if anything I say sounds offense, its not meant to be, but merely an observation over time)
Of all the people I've known who didn't like white 9 out of 10 of them said it was "boring."

My version of aesthetics differs from yours. When I look at a white van I like contrast, give me dark windows, black bumpers, and silver wheels. You get nice contrast between the white and black.

The same thing applies to me on my Yellow Jeep, bright yellow, dark windows, black fender flares and bumpers......I love it.

Plus, white is just such a durable and rugged color the utilitarianism of it cant be beat.

Thu Nov 05, 2009 1:28 am

Sir Sam wrote:

(forgive me if anything I say sounds offense, its not meant to be, but merely an observation over time)
Of all the people I've known who didn't like white 9 out of 10 of them said it was "boring."

My version of aesthetics differs from yours. When I look at a white van I like contrast, give me dark windows, black bumpers, and silver wheels. You get nice contrast between the white and black.

The same thing applies to me on my Yellow Jeep, bright yellow, dark windows, black fender flares and bumpers......I love it.

Plus, white is just such a durable and rugged color the utilitarianism of it cant be beat.

As with me, I'm not trying to piss anyone off here in case someone's taking offense to what I've said.

I never thought about the contrast, but I'll admit the front of a Vanagon looks pretty nice with black bumper, grill, etc. But as for the rest of it, it never seems to change from one white one to the next. If anyone has a really cool/nice looking one to prove they're not all the same post it please. =)

Thu Nov 05, 2009 7:32 am

Quote: So the best would be a chrome car, burnished to a bright sheen.

I should look into having something like this done to my Vanagon? Maybe we could get a group discount.

I would LOVE a white Vanagon. I think the '88-'91 white Westfalias are the best looking ones they made.

I've always heard that white is a better color because it's generally cheaper to repaint/repair and because white paint is thicker and more durable.

On the other hand, I had a white A2 GTI that showed its tiny rust spots worse than any car I've ever had.