Swamp Cooler - The little man's air conditioner
08/18/2025
They can occasionally be seen in the VW scene in particular, the nozzle-like cans that some Beetle drivers wedge into the gap between the door frame and the half-turned side window. These things are called "swamp coolers" and are designed to cool the interior down by a few degrees. The principle uses the property of substances to extract energy from their surroundings when they change their aggregate state from liquid to gas. To put it simply, inside such a cooler there is a water bath in which threads or a fleece are suspended. Water rises from these, is carried along by the wind blowing through the tube, evaporates and thus provides a cool breeze that is directed into the interior.
What you need to know, however: Driving with them is hardly allowed in any European country, as the cans are quite voluminous and not only protrude over the side of the car body, but also obstruct the view.
These coolers first appeared in the 1930s in the USA. As a swamp cooler needs particularly dry, hot air to work well - ice, on the other hand, would be counterproductive - they were first popular in the south-western states - in Nevada or Arizona with their arid desert climate.
They disappeared again in the 1960s as compressor-based air conditioning systems became cheaper and cheaper. It was only with the VW scene around 20 years ago that they experienced a renaissance and original examples - preferably in good condition or even as NOS, as "New Old Stock" - are traded at high prices. On the weekend of August 22-24, the VW community will once again gather at one of the largest meetings in Europe in Château d'Oex. There may well be good reasons to hang a swamp cooler in your windshield thanks to the fine weather, but not on the road! Not on the road!
