Date: Fri, 19 May 2006 16:33:03 -0400
Reply-To: Mike Collum <collum@VERIZON.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Mike Collum <collum@VERIZON.NET>
Subject: Re: yearly reminder to caulk your fill ports and remove your
hatch plugs
In-Reply-To: <31b.48bbc9c.319f70d4@aol.com>
Content-type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
I agree with all that you said, Chris ... until you said "it's from
rainwater. Period.
The driver's side of my Westy suffered badly from a cracked and leaking
connection on the INBOARD side of the city water hookup. That's why I
recommend that prior to using a city water port for the first time that
it be removed from the side of the van ... hooked up and tested where
all can be seen before "Assuming" that there are no leaks inside. Not
draining it completely before winter can allow freezing to crack/break
that inner connection and wreak havoc.
Mike
JordanVw@AOL.COM wrote:
> a lister came by last nite with a 85 westy to pick a few parts up from me...
> his westy looked pretty nice.. but the lower corners of the hatch were
> starting to rot out and the long rocker seam on the drivers side was starting to
> rot out.
>
> i cant stress this enough.. this all can be prevented easily!
>
> open your rear hatch...look at the bottom corners on the inside.. there is
> one black plastic plug at each corner.. remove these plugs!!! these just hold
> water in.. you will find there is probalby alot of moist crud behind them
> too.. clean all that out with a small wire.. so they can drain properly..
> leave the plugs out..dont reinstall them.
>
>
> as for the drivers lower rocker seam - caulk the perimeter of your westy's 3
> fill ports and flue vent!!
>
> this is why your lower drivers rocker seam is rusting!
>
> when westfalia-werke cuts those holes into the side of the vanagons at their
> factory, they just simpley stick the fill ports in there with a foam gasket.
> thats it. no caulking. 15-20 years later that foam gasket is long since
> turned to dust. and everytime it rains or you wash it, water pours in around
> those fill ports and flue vent , soaks the insulation behind your kitchen area,
> and never dries out.. the metal starts to rust.. water takes the path of least
> resistance, the floor and horizontal rocker seam..
>
> your seam will continue to rust out until you properly seal the acessory fill
> ports and flue vent.
>
> i have a blue 80 westy here for parts, that has virtually the entire drivers
> side rotted out because of this. its so bad even the horizontal body beam
> under the fill ports has rotted a hole in the side of the van. the inner and
> outer rocker and floor are gone as a result of water leaking in around the fill
> ports over the years..
>
> a rusty drivers side horizontal rocker seam on a westy is not a sign of road
> salt. it can happen anywhere. i have seen california westys with rusty
> drivers side rocker seams from leaky fill ports.. and the commets about the rust
> happening from fridge condenstation are hardly valid as well. most people dont
> even use their fridges enough to make that kind of condenstation to cause rust
> like that.
>
> its from rainwater. period.
>
> caulk your fill ports and flue vents!!
>
> chris
>
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