| Author |
Message |
Bill Baxter (Willum)
Posted From: 68.186.14.84
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 05, 2006 - 5:39 pm: | |
Hi guys,
Hope everyone had a great 4th. and thanks
for all the help in the past. I was wonder-
ing if there is any pros and cons on leaving
the orginal heating system in place or
remove it and how much of it do you remove, and replace with another type of
system and what is the best way to go.
Any advice will be appreciated. Bill |
Bob Greenwood
Posted From: 65.150.45.22
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 05, 2006 - 6:16 pm: | |
my "theory".is 90% of the time,an R.V. is parked.which is why you take out the bus A/C & bus heat.because it's useless if the bus isn't running
That doesn't mean I'm right,just ,my opinion |
Jerry@NC
Posted From: 68.67.105.79
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 05, 2006 - 6:53 pm: | |
I would remove all of it . I have a 102A3 1986 The dirt that was in it was unreal. remove it |
Buswarrior (Buswarrior)
Posted From: 67.68.32.211
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 05, 2006 - 8:44 pm: | |
Hello Bill.
Depending on how you will be using the coach, and where, you may want to figure out a way of having the best of both worlds: get rid of the space robbing ducts and their dirt, and still having the engine produced heat for going down the road.
I cleaned out the dirt and re-installed all the duct work because we use the coach to travel in winter, up here in Canada.
I have seen a coach that the owner replaced the big squirrel cage blowers with two smaller fans and removed most duct work and had the resulting air flow from the coach heat directed out from beneath some furniture.
It is also possible to reverse the flow and have the heat flow under the centre aisle and out the two "intakes" at the back.
Or, just tear it all out, gain some underneath space where the heater core/AC evaporator is and replace with other systems.
Choice, as always, is yours!
happy coaching!
buswarrior |
TomNPat
Posted From: 66.174.93.102
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 05, 2006 - 9:41 pm: | |
We kept ours. Getting it into shape and keeping it there for the past 5 years has cost about what one good roof top would cost with installation. And the results going down the road are worth every penny.
Our car sits still 90% of the time. That's almost 22 hours a day. Our bus sits more than that. Enjoy the cool and heat from both when we want them.
This was our choice. As the conversion goes on, reversing the air flow is a definite option as is ducting with the ability to direct flow to the floor or ceiling.
Buswarrior is right, do what you need to do.
TomNPat |
Ed Jewett (Kristinsgrandpa)
Posted From: 64.24.214.127
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 05, 2006 - 10:55 pm: | |
I took mine out. The heat and A/C that works while sitting also works while driving. I didn't want the wasted space, money or weight. Check prices on a rebuilt compressor.
Why have 2 of each? If I wanted redundancy I would have bought 2 buses.
Ed |
Greg Peterson
Posted From: 71.228.18.37
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, July 06, 2006 - 12:44 am: | |
I have a 102A3. When I first got the bus the AC worked well but the bus always had a mold or “old bus smell”. I wanted to keep the bus AC for the reasons that have been already expressed. When I took off the air ducts on the top I could not believe what was inside, some things you would not want to touch without rubber gloves. The bigger problem is the tunnel for the return air under the floor. You probably will have to cut holes into it and clean and bleach it out in there. This can all be done and you can build new ducts to go up to the ceiling so that you do not lose all the space on the walls of the bus.
In the end my Freon all leaked out before I got to far in the conversion and I found out that the cost to refill it was big $$$. There are also several DC brush motors that will wear out and are very expensive to replace. The AC compressor is big $$$. So I said goodbye to it and don’t have to worry about ducts or the tunnel because it is sealed off under a new floor.
It would be nice to have the extra air but the cost was too much. I have the heater in the bus and may use it for something like cooling the engine or even duct some of it under the chairs in the front of the bus. I did some test drives in a MCI9 in the winter and we went several miles and the coach was ice cold. I think you probably need extra heat in there or you will be freezing for a long time waiting for all the water to heat up. You definitely need the radiator lovers working based on my experience with a couple of MCI9. I would imagine the 102a3 is similar.
Good luck with whatever approach you decide upon. |
Brian Brown (Blue_velvet)
Posted From: 67.174.112.202
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, July 06, 2006 - 4:22 pm: | |
With my busses I've now had BOTH types... where coach heat was kept in place and where it was removed. I can now say that keeping the coach heat intact is the way to go. My current bus had the coach A/C removed but the coach heat intact. The heat blows out of a single register of the old return and works great! It also has the driver's defrost intact and it provides plenty GOBS of toasty, free heat. I can also unload some engine heat into the cabin when climbing up long grades (if I have to).
Our last bus had the old heater core removed and it was almost impossible to heat the rig going down the road in cold weather with its propane furnaces. Now, a hydronic system might be a better solution... but I've never ponied up the $ for one.
Coach A/C, on the other hand... I'd remove it and all of the OEM ductwork and use rooftops, splits, or basements. From what I've read, most coach A/C systems take too much effort to maintain and keep leak-free. But others have kept theirs and are happy with it.
My $0.02,
Brian |
Craig (Ceieio)
Posted From: 207.101.213.58
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, July 06, 2006 - 6:41 pm: | |
I have the coach heat, but not the coach air. The original ducts are removed. The heat is routed through house style ductwork in the center tunnel.
I really like having the bus heat. Since I live in Northern lattitudes, it is a blessing. I do have a full Webasto setup with engine, house water, and house heating that works just fine, but that big heat system really warms the bus up quick when going down the road. When I park after a drive, the Webasto does not have to do anything but pump water for quite a while (unless it is really cold!)
I only have two rooftops for air and that is not enough when driving. I need one closer to the drivers area as I break a sweat now and then (the horror of it all).
I don't think I would do without the bus heat, but if you avoid cold and / or rainy areas when you travel, you may not care.
Craig - MC7 Oregon |
Jim Stewart (H3jim)
Posted From: 68.6.177.90
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, July 07, 2006 - 1:34 pm: | |
I kept both bus heat and air. While its true, it does take up more space, it makes for supremely comfortable traveling. When I stop, its almost amazing the temperature differences that can exist between inside the bus and outside. And I was totally comfortable and unaware the systems were even working. I have had to spend $ on maintenance from time to time, but it is well worth it in my opinion. |