Anyone ever try heated wipers on a van? I'm tired of the wiper body icing up and then not flexing enough to keep the wiper blade on the windshield across the full pass. Information, types, caveats and any comments appreciated.

Thank you,

 

Well, not on the Full size Dodge Ram van, but on the Dodge Caravans there are wiper heaters. Actually, they are more like wiper window defrosters.

On my 1996 Dodge Caravan there were three or four defroster lines along the bottom of the front windshield. On the dash HVAC controls was a switch that turns these on and shut-off automaticly by it's timer.

This would work really well if you can get an aftermarket rear window kit and convert it to a lower front window kit to heat the window and defrost the wipers. MAYBE, there are kits just for the front window and wipers too!

You may need to go with 18 inch blades and adjust the wipers from sitting on the plast cowl. This will position the wipers a little higher for the front window heater elements to defrost.

Report back here what you find and if it's doable. I live just outside Buffalo, NY near Niagara Falls. Having something like this for both of the Ram Vans would be nicer.

Peace!

Stev

 

It was a the trip back to where I am from North T last Monday that tipped the scales on wanting to find something. That trip normally lasts about an hour, but since the outside of the blade holders kept freezing up I had to stop 3 times in 80 miles to break them loose..

Everything that hit the widshield was melting, the road had enough salt on it to be a deer lick, but the back side of the wipers kept icing over. Then the blades stopped flexing as they moved back and forth across the windshild and I would get this spot directly in front of me where the wiper didn't remove the water/road spray but it was fine in the lower edge of the windshield where the wiper returns to at the end of the cycle.

I was half hoping the person who had the broken wipers would mention where the problem was so I could break mine when I wanted the wipers to stop straight up and down and not return to the home position. Then the outside of the wiper could freeze to that shape and at least keep wiping off the area I need to see out with.

 

Install a set of winter wipers and you won't get the freezing up problem, or at the very least it won't be nearly as bad.

 

I've tried those, the problem I have with the encased housing is that at highway speeds the force of the air hitting the windshield lifts the blade. On the old van when I did that, I also bent the wiper arms to try and provide more force against the windshield, but it didnt cut it. thats why I switched back to the open casing type.
i really would like to find some way of running a low voltage heating wire along the housing. it would only have to get the area to around 35-40 to do the trick, I may end up just scratch building it. too bad I threw away the 40' of pyrotenax heating cable, though that would be overkill for this problem (meant to heat an area of concrete slab for ice removal).

Another thing I miss about my 83 van was the ice dam that would build up on the roof. in the winter. It was a great tailgater remover. You punch the underside of the roof, and the front edge would lift, catch highway speed wind, and chunks of ice would fall behind me.

 

 

Try:
http://www.everblades.com/pages/3/index.htm
or
http://www.blizzardblade.com

 

From JC Whitney ---
http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/P...003806/c-10101

The SAE has this link that is really useful too. http://www.sae.org/automag/topprod/1298p01.htm http://www.northlandproducts.com

Safety Hotblades http://www.nightdrivingsystems.com/i...2&basketid

Any way you look at it, heated wipers blades cost a mint and the refills are not cheap at all !!!

I would still do the front window defroster right under the blades and move the blades up in position onto the window glass. Or, like you were thinking about, where the wipers already sit, creating a heat craddle in that cowl location for each. This way, you are not spending much money time and again. Look at the links above and get a working knowledge how not to do the blades.

For snowmobiles and ATV's, there are handle wrap hand warmers that plug into the battery. If you leave them flat and mesh the warmers into the wiper cowl craddle, you'll be good to go!

Scroll to the bottom here for the handle bar grip heaters. Two per kit. left and right.
http://www.heeters.com/snbgrips.shtml

Amazon.com has these that are very flexable to shape into the wiper craddle areas. All for only $26 !!! That's a deal.
http://www.amazon.com/KIMPEX-Handleb...sporting-goods


Peace!

Stev

 

The ones at http://www.hotwipers.com seem to use regular replacement blades, judging from the order page. Does it look that way to you also?

 

Go to http://www.andorsales.com for the only heated wiper system that realy works. Tested at 150mph, and in the winters of Canada it's a heated flex wiper
that realy works.