Date:         Mon, 28 Jun 2010 19:28:18 -0600
Reply-To:     Bob Stevens <mtbiker62@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Bob Stevens <mtbiker62@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Vanagonginity lost...
Comments: To: Peter Kraiker <bybike@gmail.com>
In-Reply-To:  <BLU0-SMTP282F1ACE843E8740356B37D1CB0@phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Congratulations!
Bike rack: I used a roof-gutter mount rack on my hatch for several years.
I modified the towers slightly so the tower feet would rest on the metal
between the window
and the hatch edge for the top bar, and mounted the towers for the bottom
bar near the bottom
of the hatch. Since the hatch is narrower at top than bottom, the more bikes
(4 total at one time)
and weight mounted, the harder the top bar/towers pulled down, pinning the
entire assembly very
firmly to the hatch given that they were "connected" by the bar. I mounted
fork mounts on top,
rear wheel cup mounts on bottom. All fork mounts had locks, top and bottom
feet had locks.
I used front wheel mounts  hanging from the top bar and a plastic-coated
chain to lock
everything together when I wanted to keep the front wheels on back, in
populated areas.

They probably don't make those kinds of towers any long. I found mine at a
bike rack shop
in a cardboard box in a back room .... discarded rack parts by employees.
Yakima was the brand.

Heated feet: you likely need to replace the heater valve that is up inside
the clamshell where
the spare tire is stored. Common problem. An alternative to doing that if
replacing that valve does
not resolve this problem (as in my case!) is to remove the glove box and
you'll see 2 heater hoses
left of that opening. I cut a 2" section of hose out and put a ball valve
there and it completely
resolved that part of the hot foot issue. The other issue there is poor
insulation on the front
steel "firewall" that is just behind the radiator, and where the radiator
hoses then run down
and rearward through the tunnel under the van. Insulation on that front wall
helps with this
considerably.

Bob