Do I absolutely NEED A/C in Phoenix?

[GeorgeL]

[Dogpilot]

If your looking for a shop, contact Bill at AZ Transaxel Exchange, he may know a decent shop or two.

I worked for years in vehicles that had no AC in the desert. Nice steamy and dry spots like just north of Death Valley, Somalia, Egypt, Honduras to name a few. In fact I was in my late-twenties until I ever got a vehicle that even had it, a VW Dasher. Would I go back to that non-AC condition? I don't think I would be very happy on a daily basis, occasionally yes, but commuting in PHX traffic, I don't think so.

Luckily, there are several auto recyclers in PHX that you may be able to recover the bits you need. Or you can start the process as you travel up and down the CO-AZ axis during the move. Lots of small yards along the way, like Moab has a yard on the east side going out of town with a few vans in the cemetery.
_________________
Geology with a Syncro rocks!
86 Syncro Westy AKA "The Bughunter"
98 Disco I
08 Range Rover SC
08 VW Rabbit S
1951 O-1G

[eeebee]

Pain is unavoidable, suffering is optional.

[Terry Kay]

I don't know of anyone out that way that I could recommend.

I'm smack dab in the middle of the US, and am not sure who's good out that way or who isn't.

Sorry I can't help you out on this one.
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T.K.

[Hairybroness]

Terry, if you know of anyone in Phoenix who can redo the a/c as thoroughly as you've described in other threads with any expertise, please throw out their name. I don't have a garage, and getting the a/c revamped is on my list of paying someone else to do.

[Terry Kay]

<<I suppose the answer is: it depends.>>

Depends on what Levi?
If your into S&M or not?

Mid August / July is plenty HOT in Lost Wages---and unbearable in a rolling toaster oven.

<<I live in Vegas, don't have ac,>>

My question is;
If you had AC you wouldn't use it at high noon--anytime?

<< and don't see it as absolutely necessary in the van.>>

Stage Coaches didn't have AC either--them folks lived.
I guess your right.

I for sure wouldn't want to be dressed up & out on the town and drive around sweating like a Bull---
I guess it's a personal comfort level thing---

<<BUT, I'm outside a lot, climbing, riding the bike, so moving in the van with the windows open, and the a/c windows open (wing windows ) usually is cooler than whatever I've been doing. So that's OK>>

Huh--
Might as well sit in your kitchen chair with a hair dryer pluggd in and pointed at your face.

It's a dry heat--so that's Ok I guess.

You must be into mass discomfort.

A good friend of mines wife got transfered to Lost Wages for 2 years.
I went out there to visit a couple of times.
I took his Milwaukee Vibrator for a ride, and I'll tell you what--it was real short.
A Helmit at 1:00 pm in in the dry heat sure isn't my idea of fun.

The ride was discontinued in about 5 minutes.

The Vanagon type oven in LV without AC reminds me of the movie Bridge on the River Kwai--Alex Guiness in the solitary hot box.

Too bad he didn't have any vent windows.
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T.K.

[levi]

I suppose the answer is: it depends.
I live in Vegas, don't have ac, and don't see it as absolutely necessary in the van. BUT, I'm outside a lot, climbing, riding the bike, so moving in the van with the windows open, and the a/c windows open (wing windows ) usually is cooler than whatever I've been doing. So it's ok.
Then again, I know folks who can't walk across the street without sweating their ass off, so... it depends on who you are.
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One of these days I'm gonna settle down,
but till I do I won't be hangin round.
Going down that long lonesome highway,
gonna see life my way

https://youtu.be/cSrL0BXsO40

[Terry Kay]

Coil?
AC fan I have.

If I was rehabbing an AC system--a reman or new compressor would be the best bet.
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T.K.

[Zeitgeist 13]

I need AC, even up here in Western WA. Having ridden my BMW bike through AZ in the late Fall, I can say that you'll need both a working heater and AC in order to handle many a 24hr period down there.
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Casey--

'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik?

[purplepeopleeater]

no a/c = swamp ass.


I won't drive my westy till I have all the a/c working, speaking of that ...I need coil/fan/compressor

[Terry Kay]

First Rule;
If there is pink pea gravel in the yards rather than grass--you need mobile AC.

My Grandmother lived in Phoenix.
A buddy of mine lived in Apache Junction.

Pink Flamingo's & pea gravel is a bad sign.

When you walk out of an AC equipt building, and you feel like you just ran into a brick wall of heat--you need AC to drive around.
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T.K.

[Steelhead]

For me, its all about speed (or average speed). Sitting in traffic at 80 degrees can be uncomfortable, while flying down the open desert road at noon in august at 110 degrees is nice.
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'77 Bay Window / '89 Caratsburg (aka. the Stormtrooper)

[Hairybroness]

I'm a Phx native and the heat here sucks. My husband and I just got a Westy camper with no A/C and it's beautiful and I drool over it anyway. But, the next things I insist on are an awning (I hate the sun and covet shade), window tinting to try to battle the sun's heat, a dash mat to protect the dash from the sun and I will save my money to buy that after market AC unit.

That guy up above who said he hates being behind a car that kicks up dust has a good point. Aside from dust, how about getting stuck behind a diesel or some other piece o crap car that puffs out grey smoke at you when the light turns green? Phoenix has plenty of drivers who seem to have the money to lower their cars/obtain limo tint/buy extremely loud speakers but not fix their emissions problems.

Generally it's true that it's not so humid here, but that somewhat changes in July and August. I don't want to do bike rides anymore when July hits, even at night. And we have really huge dust storms sometimes with the monsoons - routinely the local news shows video footage of giant walls of dust moving across the land. It makes drivers on the road blind sometimes, and everyone on the highway from Phoenix to Tucson has to pull off the road due to dust storm blindness. That doesn't happen much in the city center, though.

It's possible to "just be hot and deal with it," but I'd just say to consider where you're going. If you're trying to go somewhere that requires you look all business-casual or better, forget about going there with no air conditioning in your car. You'll arrive sweaty and red-faced and feel out of sorts. But if you're just going to be driving on weekends and it doesn't matter how you dress, wear some Keens shoes and dress like you're going to a car wash, and walk through some sprinklers during the day to cool off.

Also, consider if your van will be in covered parking situations or are you going to be getting in and out of it after it was sitting in full sun? Shade makes a big difference. Car interior temperatures climb to way above the outdoor ambient temps. Those steering wheel wraps can help prevent you from burning your hand off when you get in the car, too.

From what I've heard, the air conditioning when fixed up in the Westy is nothing to get too excited about. But I think it's better than nothing.

Also from what I've heard, Bill at Affordable German is the guy to see, and you can order RedTek from a place in Philadelphia to get colder air to come out of the stock AC.

[Mathew Zelezen]

All right you yeah sayers, you all have me sufficiently sweaty.

I'll start a new post on how to install an A/C

Thanks all!
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87 Syncro Tintop
~Rocky J Motor
~Steedle Trans


Of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: It might have been.

[thummmper]

phoenix/tucson is called the frying pan for a reason. better get it operational now before the rush. wont be long before the oven door falls open...

[mcsyncro]

YES!

[GeorgeL]

I lived in Tucson for five years without AC in my car. My commute was only a few miles and even if I had had AC it would have just about cooled the car off by the time I reached my destination. I never really liked the extreme temperature changes that air conditioned cars and buildings create.

I also had a motorcycle and found it much more pleasant for summer transportation. Not having to get into a sun-heated car makes a big difference.

I have a bus with the stock VW white paint on the roof and a piece of 1/4 plywood on the roof rack that keeps the interior quite a bit cooler than having the sun beat down on a dark roof.

[Luckypabst]

I'm a Neanderthal ...
Adapting to the environment makes more sense to me than forcing the environment to adapt to us.

Good point about the air-conditioned buildings though. You'll be miserable if you have to constantly go from 70 degrees to 110 degrees. I spent most of my time outside when I was in Death Valley, and only in swamp-cooled buildings when I was inside.

Chris
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'82 TD Westy
'81 NA Caddy

[buildyourown]

In a vacation/play vehicle? No. I can live without.

In a commuter? Yes. Especially in an area where every building has A/C.

[hdenter]

If you ripped out all the old stuff, you might want to think about an aftermarket dash unit. I have a Behr unit waiting for my weekender. That way you can still keep the cargo space!

Cheers!
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'79 triple white convertible bug
'84 sunroof vanagon
'85 weekender