To: pinzgauer@yahoogroups.com From: "Willem-Jan Markerink" Date: Wed, 28 Jan 2004 20:31:55 +0100 Subject: [pinzgauer] AC-alternative: ventilated seat-cover (was: Pinz 712 Air Conditioning Reply-To: pinzgauer@yahoogroups.com Oh btw, for those pondering an AC just for driving, instead of camping: at least for the problem of sweating like a pig on the seats (whether factory vinyl or aftermarket cloth) there is a nice solution, a ventilating seat-cover, made in Germany. I did a group-purchase for several folks in the USA back then, when they first released this seat-cover overhere, assuming it would be available through some US-distributor the next season....but last year I had to sell the last two I kept for myself, since they were still not available there. Wouldn't mind repeating such a transaction, if there are enough folks interested. Only contextual downside is that these are 12v, but that's a small price to pay for the additional comfort. This is what I wrote back then, I believe I posted it on this list too: (price adjusted for current lousy dollar-rate, sorry....;)) xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Dear groups, For those of you dealing with sweaty vinyl seats (whether for poverty or for keeping things original....;)), Waeco Germany launched a lovely new product, the Magic Cool ventilation seat-cover, with electric ventilator, like the very expensive Recaro Klima seats....see below for some direct links: English product description about Magic Cool ventilated seat-cover (brief) German press release about Magic Cool ventilated seat-cover (more detail) German press release about battery-driven aircompressor (up to 21bar!) (if any mailer makes garbage from this, you can also find these links on of my homepage, lower half: http://www.a1.nl/phomepag/markerink/main_4x4.htm ) I already ordered one in Germany for delivery early June (no delivery in Holland (and elsewhere I assume until September), but perhaps I could order a bunch more for any listmember interested....cost is US$100 each, including shipping (can ship two units for the same postage, in that case US$175 total) (wouldn't mind to ship an entire box (10 units) either, for even more shipping efficiency (and a lower pro-unit price)) Note that an airco still does little to dry your sweaty back after you hop into your seat....so even with AC this is still a very interesting product....it probably works even better than those Recaro Klima systems, because those are draft-free, protected by a Goretex-liner, transporting moisture away into the seat....the Waeco unit actually ventilates air to the outside. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx -- Bye, Willem-Jan Markerink The desire to understand is sometimes far less intelligent than the inability to understand [note: 'a-one' & 'en-el'!] To: pinzgauer@yahoogroups.com From: "Willem-Jan Markerink" Date: Thu, 29 Jan 2004 02:13:20 +0100 Subject: Re: [pinzgauer] AC-alternative: ventilated seat-cover (was: Pinz 712 Air Conditioning Reply-To: pinzgauer@yahoogroups.com On 28 Jan 2004 at 17:44, cygnus4815 wrote: > Were there any test results from anyone in stupid-hot climes such as > Arizona? Do they really work? I'll see if I can contact any of the US-buyers back then....don't think there was anyone from this list involved, not sure. As you could read on their site, it has 2 settings, high fan-speed and low fan-speed....high tends to cool too much rather quickly in our moderated summers, so there definitely is some reserve in the really roasted regions of the planet. Note that none of the high-end seats with a vent-system build in do the same....they all can only suck moisture away through a Gore-Tex layer, they can't 'vent' by nature (GTX is windproof, up to 200km/h or so....;)) (8000mm/8 bar waterpressure says enough....:)) Oh, and the fan they use seems like an ordinary PC-fan, so whatever you can get in that size, you can upgrade (or figure a way to attach a vacuum cleaner to it, and suck air out, instead of blowing it in....:)) (I take no responsibility about what happens if you put 8 bar air pressure on it from your compressor....;)) (or vacuum from your engine) Willem (now with mental image of drivers being stuck to their seat, sucked vacuum) Jan -- Bye, Willem-Jan Markerink The desire to understand is sometimes far less intelligent than the inability to understand [note: 'a-one' & 'en-el'!] From: "Andrew Roane" To: w.j.markerink@a1.nl Subject: Re: Did you receive the Money? Date: Wed, 03 Mar 2004 08:23:52 -0500 >From: "Willem-Jan Markerink" >Reply-To: w.j.markerink@a1.nl >To: "roane10" >Subject: Re: Did you receive the Money? >Date: Wed, 03 Mar 2004 04:20:56 +0100 > >On 17 Jul 2002 at 17:29, "roane10" > > On 17 Jul 02 at 14:46, roane10 wrote: > > > > > for the seat gadget? > > > > > > Andrew Roane > > > > > > roane#@hotmail.com > > > > Yes Sir, just came in today! > > Any deadlines on your end for shipping speed, like holiday departure? > > > > > > > >Hi Andrew, > >Hope you and your seat are both in good health....:)) > >Might I ask you a favor? >After a recent discussion about these seats on a mailinglist, I was >contacted by a few more interested buyers, but now a bit more risk- >avoiding than before, them wanting to hear first-hand experiences >from more than one owner, in particular from a soaring-heat/desert >area if applicable (which Holland is not, even though I consider our >humidity the greater evil). > >Therefore, could you describe your experiences in an email back to >me, including your typical environment in terms of temperature, >humidity and perhaps dust & other mechanical abuse? > >Don't be shy in your verdict, and be as brief or elaborate as you >want....:)) > >Thanx a bunch for your efforts in advance! Willem-Jan, I was just thinking how long I have known you through the web, like almost 8 years, that is really amazing. I hope you are doing well. The Seat Gadget. I have a '99 uzj100 LC with leather interior. I live in North Carolina and it can be above 90 F (32C/WJ) and high humidity for days on end. The ventilated seat cushion works very well in the LC because of the air vent right below the steering wheel, that way the cold air can be sucked right into the seat cover and then very cold air blows through the entire cushion. The seat cover fits well and just takes a little bit of getting use to. If I lived in the desert I would run one of these all the time. It is hard to comment on how well it would work if the vent was not right there. I would prefer a lighter color, mine is black and gets hot and takes a minute to cool off. I hope this helps. Andrew From: "Brian Conrey" To: Subject: RE: got the seat coolers! Date: Sat, 6 Mar 2004 09:50:36 -0800 >-----Original Message----- >From: Willem-Jan Markerink [mailto:w.j.markerink@a1.nl] >Sent: Tuesday, March 02, 2004 7:16 PM >To: Brian Conrey >Subject: Re: got the seat coolers! > >On 2 Nov 2002 at 20:15, Brian Conrey wrote: > >> Willem-Jan, >> >> Got the seat coolers. They work fantastic. Thanks very much (again!) >> for the generous offer to do this for me. If I can repay the favor >> please don't hesitate to let me know. >> >> Cheers, >> >> Brian Conrey >> San Diego, CA >> 69 FJ40 | #12030 >> > >Hi Brian, > >Hope you and your seat are both in good health....:)) > >Might I ask you a favor? >After a recent discussion about these seats on a mailinglist, I was >contacted by a few more interested buyers, but now a bit more risk- >avoiding than before, them wanting to hear first-hand experiences >from more than one owner, in particular from a soaring-heat/desert >area if applicable (which Holland is not, even though I consider our >humidity the greater evil). > >Therefore, could you describe your experiences in an email back to >me, including your typical environment in terms of temperature, >humidity and perhaps dust & other mechanical abuse? > >Don't be shy in your verdict, and be as brief or elaborate as you >want....:)) > >Thanx a bunch for your efforts in advance! Wow, what a coincidence. Just a couple days ago I was wandering through the garage and came across those, and I laughed as I thought about my 'imported' seat coolers and the lengths it took to get them. I'm sorry to say I've barely used them, however. I bought them for use with my FJ40 when I 'wheel, but it seems like my FJ is *not* running more than it is running. I get really really close to getting it on the trail, then I come up with some new project and tear everything apart again. The couple times I did use them, I was driving one of my other vehicles, sitting in traffic. They kept me nice and cool although they were a bit hard so sitting for long periods in the wrong seat might uncomfortable (I think part of the problem was the bolsters on my seats, which made the coolers fit sorta funny). Really sorry I couldn't be more help, especially given the lengths you went through to ship them to me. Please let me know if there's anything else I can do to help.... Nice to hear from you - take care! Brian From: Willem-Jan Markerink To: "Brian Conrey" Subject: RE: got the seat coolers! Reply-to: w.j.markerink@a1.nl Date: Sun, 07 Mar 2004 04:12:45 +0100 On 6 Mar 2004 at 9:50, Brian Conrey wrote: > Wow, what a coincidence. Just a couple days ago I was wandering > through the garage and came across those, and I laughed as I thought > about my 'imported' seat coolers and the lengths it took to get them. > > I'm sorry to say I've barely used them, however. I bought them for > use with my FJ40 when I 'wheel, but it seems like my FJ is *not* > running more than it is running. I get really really close to getting > it on the trail, then I come up with some new project and tear > everything apart again. No worries, that's the fate of many gadgets....they are only part of a larger project, and in this case only needed in non-AC'd vehicles. > The couple times I did use them, I was driving one of my other > vehicles, sitting in traffic. They kept me nice and cool although > they were a bit hard so sitting for long periods in the wrong seat > might uncomfortable (I think part of the problem was the bolsters on > my seats, which made the coolers fit sorta funny). Have been pondering about the overall hardness before (disregarding shape-fit in bucket-style seats (that is even on itself a problem in the best OEM ventilated/goretex seats from Recaro (hard sidewall/control-panel, but apparently they can bend it out of the way an extra few centimeters, space to door and center-console permitting).... The Waeco designers did not have much freedom there, he had to keep the air-channels open, so he couldn't make it too soft....yet in summer you wear the thinnest possible clothing of course....the only thing you can do, height allowing, is adding a towel or something even thicker....the ventilation/dehydration would still work, albeit slower, but at high fan-speed it would otherwise have been overkill anyway after a while, in particular with thin clothes. Heck, even a piece of Malden-200 or -300 weight fleece could work here, being moisture-transport-active....:)) (from other brands it even comes in 'sheep-skin'-looks, if you want something tacky....;)) -- Bye, Willem-Jan Markerink The desire to understand is sometimes far less intelligent than the inability to understand [note: 'a-one' & 'en-el'!] From: "Brian Hoppe" To: Subject: RE: Seat Cooler Date: Wed, 10 Mar 2004 22:51:52 -0600 -----Original Message----- From: Willem-Jan Markerink [mailto:w.j.markerink@a1.nl] Sent: Tuesday, March 02, 2004 9:15 PM To: bhoppe@pobox.com Subject: RE: Seat Cooler > On 23 Aug 2003 at 21:44, wrote: > > On 23 Aug 2003 at 0:41, Brian Hoppe wrote: > > > > > > > Thanks! I received it today! Looks like it works wonders. Thanks > > > a lot! > > > > Good!....:)) > > > Note that in contrast to seat-included systems like the Recaro Clima > > concept (which passes air along a goretex fabric in seat & back, hence > > no air through the fabric)), it probably gets too cold at maximum > > speed for longer trips....as an alternative to the lower speed, you > > might want to fold a long towel over it....max > > ventilation/perspiration-transport, without the 'draft', especially > > with thin cloths (or no shirt at all). > > > Hi Brian, > > Hope you and your seat are both in good health....:)) > > Might I ask you a favor? > After a recent discussion about these seats on a mailinglist, I was > contacted by a few more interested buyers, but now a bit more risk- avoiding > than before, them wanting to hear first-hand experiences from more than one > owner, in particular from a soaring-heat/desert area if applicable (which > Holland is not, even though I consider our humidity the greater evil). > > Therefore, could you describe your experiences in an email back to me, > including your typical environment in terms of temperature, humidity and > perhaps dust & other mechanical abuse? > > Don't be shy in your verdict, and be as brief or elaborate as you > want....:)) > > Thanx a bunch for your efforts in advance! Hey, Yes, it is working well for my purposes. Of course, it has been winter so I haven't used it in a while, but it's kickin for the Texas heat in the summer. Basically, I can avoid my whole underside being soaked with sweat when getting in the car. I'm not in a desert/dust situation, but it is really, really hot. So, I like it a lot just to take that hot edge off the leather seats and keep me nice and cool like I like to be! Hope this is enough info! -Brian DUTCH user-report: xxxxxxxxxxx From: Andre-Hessel Jensma (yjensma@dds.nl) Subject: Ervaringen Waeco Magiccool autostoelkoeling Newsgroups: nl.auto Date: 2002-07-31 12:38:46 PST Ik heb via WJM een Waeco Magiccool autostoelkoeldinges (zie http://www.waeco.de/pages_d/presse/202.htm) gekocht en wilde jullie mijn ervaringen (en die van mijn vrouw) hiermee niet onthouden: Positief + Het werkt fantastisch! Degene die op de stoel met koeling zit houdt een perfect droge rug en ervaart het klimaat in de auto als veel aangenamer dan de bijrijder die het zonder koeling moet doen. + Op stand 1 is geen tocht merkbaar en komt de ventilator lang niet boven motor-, wind- en bandengeruis uit. Maar er zijn (voor lange, dunne mensen) ook mindere punten: - Het ding is zo'n 3 centimeter dik en als je, zoals ik, 2 meter lang bent is dat best wel een nadeel. Het is bij mij precies het verschil tussen wel of niet onder de binnenspiegel door kunnen kijken. Mijn vrouw zet echter de stoel gewoon iets minder hoog en heeft er dus geen last van. - Het ding is veel harder dan een autostoel (van een Laguna, misschien dat een Duitse autostoel harder is). Vooral in mijn rug voel ik mijn wervels onprettig tegen het koelding drukken. Mijn vrouw (die veel minder vel over been is dan ik) vind hem echter erg prettig zitten. - Op stand 2 (snel doorwaaien) komt het ventilatortje zeker op lage snelheden wel boven het lawaai van de auto uit. Echter niet boven het geluid van een aanjager op stand 3 of 4, dus dit is niet echt een probleem. Kortom, het komt er nu op neer dat mijn vrouw em gebruikt en ik niet. Verder is dit absoluut een aanrader (mits je dus niet te dun bent en nog een paar centimeter in de hoogte over hebt) en zeker een alternatief als je airco te duur vindt. André-Hessel (die nu eens op de sloop naar autostoelen wil gaan kijken om die zover om te bouwen dat de stoelkoeling daarin kan worden ingebouwd, zodat de genoemde nadelen niet meer mee zullen spelen. Nog sterker, ik zit er zelfs aan te denken om de stoelkoeling op de interieurventilatie van de auto aan te sluiten: warme stoel in de winter en een frisse stoel in de zomer....) -- Antispam: Remember to remove the 'y' character from my address to email me. (Replace 'yjensma' with 'jensma').