Interior heat

[Abscate]

[SGKent]

[Abscate]

Im a conservative business person in NY who is also backing a run to fund single payer in NY - because Im tired of paying a 2x tax on health care costs compared to my competitors in the rest of world. The blue states that are paying their way to the Fed arent going to take this tax increase lying down, trust me.
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.ssS!

[SGKent]

Abscate wrote:

Im a conservative business person in NY who is also backing a run to fund single payer in NY - because Im tired of paying a 2x tax on health care costs compared to my competitors in the rest of world. The blue states that are paying their way to the Fed arent going to take this tax increase lying down, trust me.

you need to know that the system here being reported in blue news sources is that they are negotiating a NEW 22% tax, plus what is already being paid in taxes, predominately on the employer. In other words, raising the cost of labor on businesses by about 25%. That will force some companies out or to automate - which will cause that % number to go higher. Then as people in states that don't provide healthcare migrate to the ones that do - that % will go even higher again. Good luck lowering the cost of business and being competitive with that. In fact it is about an additional FICA deduction on businesses and employees.
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“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin

[chicagovw]

To truly heat a Bus in truly cold weather, my opinion is that you need several things:

-All seals/gaskets between the exterior and interior-door seals, pedal seals, etc, need to be in good condition. Drafts are a big part of the goal of a warm interior

-Stock heating system in proper working order. All cables adjusted, all parts there and functioning, well sealed.

-A gas heater. There are less expensive heaters such as propane but then you need to worry about a second fuel source. Gas heaters work off of the same fuel the engine does. One of my buses has a BA-6 and it is like a blast furnace, but as they are older, they do need some attention from time to time. A modern unit such as a Webasto or Espar-which are available in different sizes/BTUs (make sure you get one adequately sized. Saving a little money on a unit that is too small may prove frustrating if you are trying to heat a full bus interior when it's subzero out). These are more compact and efficient and I would think safer than the old SouthWind and Eberspacher units such as the BA series, and you have many options available in terms of ducting and vents so you can put heat in various places or even tie it into the original venting, and you can add nice things such as a timer or remote control so you can have the heat going before you get into the bus.

None of this is cheap, but it's money well spent if you're like me and love buses but hate being cold.

[SGKent]

[vwwestyman]

I'll have to say I'm pretty excited to try out my Bus with the BA6 installed! Just gotta finish up the "rust-stop" project first.

I had it idling last night with the heater running, and had quite a bit more air flow than before with the recirculation fan combined with the stock booster fan.

Tying into the stock system (particularly defrost) is one huge advantage of the BA6 over other gas-fired heaters. I don't know how easily any of the others would tie in.
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Dave Cook

President, Wild Westerner Club

1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing

[static]

Motorcyclists that ride in the winter use an electric vest. I used to use mine in the VW bus, until I fixed the stock heater.

[notchboy]

Fact

The stock heater works and does its job when hooked up properly. Any opinion beyond that is just that.

Any additions to the bus and their individual performance is also opinion and that includes the one VW approved addition - the Gas Heater.

Just want to clarify that before one of you starts talking about walking on water or end of the earth shit.




My opinion. Now that I have a working heater system both stock and BN4 Eberspacher. Love it. Havent enjoyed the bus more. The stock heat keeps me warm on any drive in cold damp windy shitty Seattle weather. No steam/condensation build up. Consistent heat out the feet and dash. My cables are not working their best so I think it will get better once I fix that.

Back up heat in the form of a BN4 is stupid awesome. Its an Eberspacher thing for sure. It can not be explained, it just is. Other Eberspacher owners know what Im talking about.

Those two simple fundamental clarifications are the cornerstone to VW heating of the bus. Anything after is just you and some duct tape gettin by.
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[busdaddy]

[scrivyscriv]

[busdaddy]

[Abscate]

My kids left quickly.

68 daytime, 60 nighttime
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.ssS!

[notchboy]

I grew up in San Diego. First thing we did was put on J tubes and an aftermarket extractor. I didnt have a vw with heat until I got serious about stock stuff and bought one that was unmolested. Before that, it was squeegees, hoody cuffs and towels on the windshield. We put on a jacket and drank an energy drink called STFU. on those cool 48 deg evenings. Im pretty spoiled now.
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[busdaddy]

[Terminatez]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/WEBASTO-AIR-TOP-2000-STC-12V-PETROL-HEATER-/122808557292#rwid

A cousin of mine has one of these installed in his truck (not bus). Says it keeps him warm during winters.
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1972 Westfalia P30 hardtop Campmobile [On-going Restoration]

[sb001]

[scrivyscriv]

[chicagovw]

Agreed that a standard heater is ok in some climates, and it was probably adequate back in it's day compared to other heaters which weren't very good. If you have that in truly proper working order-which is not always easy given that some aftermarket parts are not nearly as good as the original (replacement heater boxes, for example. Just adequate when new, I am not sure why aftermarket companies made them inferior rather than coming out with something improved). Many VW's I have had or been in have also had multiple drafts. Get rid of the drafts and get the stock heat and it will be decent for a vehicle of it's age. Newer cars have of course raised the bar and our expectations, so a gas heater is the next step, and in my opinion, necessary if you are going to be truly comfortable - as well as any passengers who may not be old car folks-in this day and age. Again, some people are OK with a giant coat and mittens, and I even did for years long ago in several beater VWs I had in high school in the early 1990s, but that gets old fast. After driving a drafty old Bus with crappy heat to Wisconsin, being frozen and miserable is in the past for me lol. There are options to get REAL HEAT in an old VW, you just need to spend the time and money to accomplish them.

[Wildthings]

FWIW, a year ago driving in super saturated 30-32°F temps and pouring all the heat I could onto the windshield to keep it defogged, I managed to melt the wiper blades and smeared block goop all over the windshield with my modified stock heater system. This was done pulling the Siskiyou Summit on I-5 while heading south.