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Date:         Tue, 20 Jun 2000 22:18:01 EDT
Reply-To:     CMathis227@aol.com
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Chuck Mathis <CMathis227@aol.com>
Subject:      We're Back!!!
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

We made the move from Cincinnati to Houston with only one hitch -- the alternator went down hard and fast just west of Nashville. Lynn was driving at the time and the battery light came on ("Dear, is this a bad thing?"). I changed channels on the Digitool and noted the voltage was at 11.50 and falling rapidly. We pulled into a gas station and asked for directions to a FLAPS. With the Digitool showing 9.0, to restart the van I had to jump from the auxiliary battery and kept the jumper cables attached so the wipers would run (the gas and water temp guages were way down as well). Eight miles later we rolled into the Autozone in Dickson, Tenessee and the true miracle occured. They actually had a rebuilt alternator for the van!!! For some reason completely unknown to me I had thrown a air of heavy Wells-Lamont work gloves in the tool bag before we left -- boy did they come in handy. The rain stopped while I sweated away over the hot engine and the Autozone guys let me use their head to clean up. In less than two hours from the time we pulled off I-40 we were hitting the road again with the rebuilt alternator and a couple of new belts just for good measure. I know the Autozone rebuilts aren't all that great but it got us to Texas just fine and there is a warranty -- I'll find out how good that is when I need to replace it.

If the air conditioner worked the trip would have been more pleasant. All we got was a lot of noise and some slightly less hot air. Guess I'll have that checked out soon. Anybody have any luck with one of those conversion kits that are popping up in FLAPS?

Chuck '85 Wolfsburg Weekender 'Roland'


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