T4 Air Con Retro Fit - Sydney?

[GypsyWannabe]

$2.5k is pretty reasonable if it includes a modern compressor & has a good cooling capacity. $4k is OK as well as you are effectively buying 70% of another AC unit & the compressor has to be bigger as well (plus the custom ducting).

How much did you think it would cost? back in the '80s when i was doing them, single air in a HiAce was about 4 weeks mechanics wages; dual air in a Tarago was almost 7 weeks wages. The prices you've given bring it back to about 1.5 weeks & 4 weeks.

I guess it hinges on how good your current bus is & how much better you could buy (with AC included) for an extra $4k.

The other thing you might look at is how to keep your van cooler - better insulation, better ventilation when parked, maybe fit a safari roof or even just have an esky in the car with a few big blocks of ice in it.

Have you looked at rooftop mounts?
google "roof mount airconditioner van" the only issue is that most of them are 240V but you might get around that with an inverter.

Brad,

I had thought it would cost around $3000 and wasn't going to bother until someone told me it might cost less than I thought! After hearing what's involved, I think $2.5k and $4k is reasonable but I'm wary of overcapitalising in my van. If it was top-notch all round and all I needed to add was air, it wouldn't worry me but the body is knocked around and it might make more sense to upgrade to a later model with air later. My last van was a bay, so not having air is nothing new! Might have to put one of those 12v fans in, like I had in the bay!

The only other option is finding an installer who will fit a 2nd hand unit.

Cheers,

Baz

[GypsyWannabe]

I have most of a T4 2.5l air stashed away at my fathers house . Give me a few days to see whats in the kit and what needs to be bought . I know that the earlier 2.5l had a different pulley layout than the later ones so you need to take this into account ! The factory Caravelles had a completely different system to the Transporters as well ! Later Kombi's had the a/c fitted here like the transporters .

Thanks Bug-racer! I'll also talk to Brookvale Spares when I get around to it and see what they have and if they know anyone who coudl install it.

Baz