Date:         Mon, 30 May 2005 13:44:54 -0700
Reply-To:     Michael Elliott <j.michael.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Michael Elliott <j.michael.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      An assortment of delectible questions
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Hi all,

We just got back from a three-day camping trip up Palomar Mountain. One
of the two National Forest campgrounds there was closed, and even though
I got up there early Thursday morning, the one remaining was nearly
full. I snagged the last one with shade. It was a very nice trip, with
beautiful weather, and other than the occasional roar from some giant
RV's generator, or the motorheads across the way playing Megadeth at odd
times, it was peaceful, too.

Mellow Yellow (1.9l) is running well, but I there are a few things I
can't sort out and could use some help from the Wiser Heads here.

1. Engine longevity. The climb up to Palomar is a steep one. Laden with
gear and passengers I needed to shift to first gear (automatic
transmission). I kept the engine to 4,000 rpm. It would lug in 2nd gear.
I read on Ron Salmon's site that the 1.9l WBX engine is usable to 5,000,
and can even do 5,500 . . . so I reckon that what I was doing was
acceptable. No overheating. Comments?

2. Warm Air from AT Pod. I notice that warm air blows into the cabin
from the automatic transmission shift lever housing. It comes in through
the PRND12 opening, and from the sides of the housing, too. Is this
normal? Fixable? Here in Southern California, unwanted warm is is . . .
uh . . . not wanted.

3. Unheated air blows on driver's and passenger's feets. There are vents
on either side of the housing just forward of the shift lever housing.
Outside air, unheated (unlike above), blows in through there. Fiddling
with the four ventilation control levers does not stop it. Call me: puzzled.

4. Wind noise from both front doors. This is not the "apply
soundproofing to the door panels" kind of noise, but leaky, whistling
no-seal-at-all-around-the-door kind of noise. Both sides. Yet the seals,
or gaskets, or whatever the are called, appear to be in good condition.
Optical illusion? What's a good fix?

ON THE OTHER HAND, DEPT., The Dometic 182 did a yeoman's job on this
trip, consistently running at least 25 degrees F, and more often 30 to
40F below ambient. The rear fin-cooling fan did not turn on once. This
was the reefer that I put extra styrofoam insulation behind and mounted
a little CPU fan atop the cooling fins inside. I did note that on the
first day it only achieved 25F differential, but the next two days did
better. Does it take these things a day or so to (figuratively speaking)
build up a good head of steam?

--

Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
83.5 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
KG6RCR