Date:         Fri, 19 Sep 2008 10:34:47 -0600
Reply-To:     Stacie Wunsch <swunsch@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Stacie Wunsch <swunsch@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Winterizing Newbie Question
In-Reply-To:  <48D3CF78.3050006@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes

Can I throw in another question here?

I store my 82 Vanagon (w/rebuilt water boxer) outside all winter here
in Montana, which everyone will say is cold regardless.  I plug the
battery in, top off anti freeze and put an additive in a near full gas
tank.

That being said, should I be starting it up and letting it run for a
bit regularly throughout the winter or just let it be until spring?

Thanks,

Stace
The SolShine


On Sep 19, 2008, at 10:12 AM, Mike Elliott wrote:

> On 9/18/2008 7:18 PM Dennis Haynes wrote:
>
>> What do you really call cold weather?
>
> Fellow who grew up in the Bahamas would call SoCal's winters cold.
> Fellow
> that grew up in SoCal would likely call Bend's winters cold. Folk here
> would probably call Siberia's winters cold. It's a safe bet that
> whenever
> someone calls their winters cold, someone who lives in a colder
> climate
> will snicker and say, "You call that cold? Lemme tell you about the
> winter
> of '37 -- /that/ was a cold winter. [Long story follows with graphic
> descriptions of failed crops, dead livestock, people found dead feet
> from
> houses, Londonesque tales of survival.]"
>
> That said, Bend is a arid place, being high desert, so rust should
> be no
> more a problem here than SoCal, and probably less than coastal SoCal.
> Thanks for the tips on the oil grades. I may want to upgrade the
> starter
> wiring, though, so it gets plenty of oomph for turning over a cold
> engine.
>
> --
> Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
> 84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
> 74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San Juan Capistrano
> Bend, OR
> KG6RCR
>
>> The freshwater tank and sink need to be protected from anything near
>> freezing temps. Drain all either blow all lines out with air or use
>> some
>> RV antifreeze. The pump and faucet are the first parts to break from
>> freezing.
>>
>> For the engine, the proper antifreeze mix is good for anything you
>> will
>> encounter. Unless you need to operate it during winter, nothing
>> needs to
>> be done there either. If you need to drive it, 20w-50 is good down
>> to the
>> mid-twenties just drive it gently until it warms up. Synthetic
>> 15w-50 will
>> go down to the single digits. If going lower than that consider the
>> 0w-40.
>> Keep fuel full as practical to avoid condensation and if the brake
>> fluid
>> is old, change it.
>>
>> As for maintenance battery chargers, be careful as many will do
>> noting
>> more than dry them out. Are you dry docking the van or will it
>> still be
>> used occasionally?  If being stored outside you need to think of
>> undercoating, rust proofing and regularly airing out the interior.
>> If it
>> sits all winter consider inspecting the brakes each spring.
>>
>> Dennis
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On
>> Behalf Of
>> Mike Elliott
>> Sent: Thursday, September 18, 2008 9:28 PM
>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>> Subject: Winterizing Newbie Question
>>
>> Okay, as some of you know, Mrs Squirrel and I just moved our darn
>> selves--lock, stock, and barrel--to Bend, Oregon from a place much
>> closer
>> to the tropics: southern Californian. Coastal SoCal. Where winter
>> temperatures seldom drop below 45F.
>>
>> My son, who came with us, today noticed what looked like the male
>> end of
>> an extension cord hanging out from the hood of a pickup truck and
>> asked
>> what it was.
>>
>> "Engine block heater," I said. "For when it gets real cold." Which
>> totally
>> exhausted my knowledge in matters automotive and climes Really Cold.
>>
>> NB: I probably got that wrong, but it's important to try to look
>> Really
>> Smart to our kids. But see Note 1, below.
>>
>> Which got me thinking: if Mellow Yellow (MW), a 1984 WBX, will be
>> pretty
>> much doing nothing during these much colder winters, what should I
>> do to
>> winterize her? (Or him. Whatever.)
>>
>> MW will probably sit in sub-freezing temps for several months with
>> maintenance chargers hooked up to the starter and house batteries.
>> I could
>> use a "Dummy's Guide to Winterizing Your Vanagon" here.
>>
>> ==========================
>>
>> Note 1. As a side note: My son's Jeep Cherokee -- anyone here have
>> any
>> Handy Tips for dealing with these colder conditions? P-mail me as
>> that is
>> extremely NVC.)
>>
>> --
>> Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
>> 84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
>> 74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San Juan Capistrano
>> Bend, OR
>> KG6RCR
>>