Heated Wind Screens

[swamijake]

I was able to drive the series one for the first real drive (Langley to Vancouver) and discovered the actual effectiveness of the factory demister. Anybody know where I can find a heated wind screen for a series one?

I'm waiting for a group buy with the LRSOC, but I expect that will take a while.

[sailourboy]

Did you try a regular glass/windshield shop?
I think we used Speedy glass many years ago to replace one of the heated windows.
Cheers
Ted

[island dormy]

Hi.
Before you condem the rovers heater and defroster system, what style of heater does your rover have? A Kodiak or a Smiths?
My dormobile has a kodiak heater and was used in Alberta all year round and never had any problems keeping the front windows clear and the occupants warm. The Kodiak has a fresh outside air intake fed by a large 4 inch hose.
The round in shape smiths heater called a (shin burner) by the English sucks in stale humid interior air and simply recirculates it. If the floor boards are wet and slushy the fogging problem is even worse.


The stlye of defrost vent bolted to the windscreen also makes a huge differance . The Dormobile has large black metal vents and 2 inch hoses to distribute the windshield air. The smaller plastic vents fed by narrow 1 and 1/4 inch hoses do not deliver enough volume.. When you open up the cabin air vent the heater motor will speed way up showing how restricted this defrost system is.

Any way good luck with heated screeens if you go that route.

Victor

[swamijake]

Its definitely the little smiths. I wouldn't call it a shin burner, I'd barely call it a shin warmer. The area it defrosts on the windscreen is smaller than a medium sized pancake, not to mention having little to no impact on interior temperature, but that is probably due to the roof having a whistling gap between it and the wind screen. I am looking into some other heater options as well.

I tried calling Speedy auto glass, no dice.

[rayhyland]

Have you tried carrying a squeegee in the cab with you?

[swamijake]

No, but I did have a roll of paper towel. It will have a squeegee for founders day.

[rayhyland]

Perfect. I carry a squeegee in the 110 for really rainy days. Most reliable piece of kit in the truck...

[Dave_F]

I'm thinking that I will be looking at a secondary heater. They have some Decent ones down at princess auto, however I might need to change from the dynamo to an alternater.

[red90]

They have some Decent ones down at princess auto, however I might need to change from the dynamo to an alternater.

10.5 kW one on sale this month for $230. More heat than you will know what to do with....

http://rovers.red90.ca/Heater/

[swamijake]

Are you pulling air from the engine compartment? Is that kosher?

[red90]

I will be building an inlet duct in the next little while. There does not seem to be any downside other than the air can be warm, so in the summer it will be a problem. I'm currently just finishing off the main modifications to the dash venting.

[larry emrick]

Discussion of the heating properties of those round Smith "heaters" with the neat little doors gave me my first smile of the day. My '64 Morgan has the same item. Morgan calls them fug-stirrers and they work beautifully - in the summertime.
But to expand on this thought, I have always wondered why in car heating was so pathetically poor on British vehicles even into the 60s. After all, their weather is not that much different than ours in the Lower Mainland and surely heater technology was not that difficult to figure out. But I guess in a culture where "put on another jumper" was the solution to lack of central heating, an effective heater in the car was considered a bit on the soft side.
My first car was a '54 Morris Minor and it simply would not start in the winter until I got a block heater but even that was defeated by a mid-60s Prince George winter after I left it parked outside the pub one night, and the in-car heater was totally useless. I had to use a window scraper on the INSIDE of the windshield.
My boss at the time had an Escort and on -30 nights he had to keep it running all night so it he could drive it in the morning and the doors contracted so much in the cold they would not close.
He finally got a VW with a gas-heater and that was bliss to drive in the winter. And the doors closed.
Oh for the good old days.
Larry Emrick

[swamijake]

Ha! My mom has a 67 morgan and my dad has a 54 morris minor convertible. Is liking old british cars with pathetic heaters a genetic disease?

[HeadDamage]

Ha! My mom has a 67 morgan and my dad has a 54 morris minor convertible. Is liking old british cars with pathetic heaters a genetic disease?

It could be... My folks used to drive me around in the back of assorted MG's

[red90]

He finally got a VW with a gas-heater and that was bliss to drive in the winter.

Until they stop working, which is 100% guaranteed to happen.

[island dormy]

Hi Dave
If you do add another heater you will have to switch to a alternater. I am still running a C-40 positive ground generator with the control box adjusted to the maximum limit (16.4 volts 22 amps.) I can run the heater and low beams okay. High beams and the heater cause the amp gauge to fall below 0 into the discharge area. So if a second heater is added there is no chance the generator will be able to keep up.

Steven Ford did the same heater modification on his series 1 the second heater was under the front seat box. It worked great.
Heres a couple of other things that might help. Check what degree thermastat is installed. I run a 180F all year with no problems. Has the heater core been reverse flushed with a garden hose?
Victor

[roverwanabe]

http://www.heatedwindscreen.com/acatalo ... reens.html

Check here for Heated Windscreens.

[swamijake]

I sent them an email, and they only have glass for series 2/3. They may do a run later this year for series 1, but nothing for a while.

Still looking.

[red90]

Hi Dave
If you do add another heater you will have to switch to a alternater.

Or if you add a heated windscreen.