Date: Sat, 20 May 2006 08:00:16 -0700
Reply-To: TC <trclark@SHAW.CA>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: TC <trclark@SHAW.CA>
Subject: Re: yearly reminder to caulk your fill ports and remove your
hatch plugs
Content-type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Thx CHRIS !!!
I just spend 2 weeks here welding in new rocker & some 16 gauge satin coat *
the body work
where the vent were thx for previous owner who never heeeded such GREAT
advice
Subject: yearly reminder to caulk your fill ports and remove your hatch
plugs
> 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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