-----Original Message-----
From: t bill <tbil@YAHOO.COM>
To: Vanagon@VANAGON.COM <Vanagon@VANAGON.COM>
Date: Sunday, August 23, 1998 2:29 PM
Subject: Hot weather modifications

>
>2. Insulate.  I've done some of this, need to do more.  someone on the
>list detailed how he had taken everything apart and added 100's of lbs
>of insulation.  Fine, but what I'm interested in is the hot spots that
>are well over outside air temp.  Just lay something on the floor for a
>while, then feel the underside!  A spontaeous combution candidate!
>So, take up the carpet and put down some sort of insulation.  Carpet
>padding works, also thin styrofoam sheets.  Check areas plastic
>consol.  Get can of foam and foam hot spots and leaks.
>I glued insulation to the wall of the radiator fan well.
>
I also added improved insulation in various hot spots such as the footwell
area (interior and exterior) and the lower sleeping area directly over the
engine compartment. I purchased the type of foam insulation used by home a/c
mechanics to wrap the cooling lines leading to and from home air
conditioners. It's black, h-e-a-v-y density foam available in tubes and
sheets of varying thickness. I wrapped the heater hoses under the dash with
the tube stuff and placed a sheet of the same stuff under the foam mattress
over the engine compartment. I also cut to fit and glued some of the thinner
sheet format under the carpet directly over the cork pad which came with
VW's hot footwell kit.   Heat does eventually work its way through on
l-o-n-g distance drives but around town it does a great job of keeping the
heat out.

Roy O.
'87 Westfalia (till death us do part)