Date: Mon, 3 Jun 2013 10:13:28 -0400
Reply-To: "kenneth wilford (Van-Again)" <kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: "kenneth wilford (Van-Again)" <kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET>
Subject: Re: Lola's first test trip: The Good, The Bad & the Ugly. (Sorry,
Long)
In-Reply-To: <1370229182.23577.YahooMailNeo@web120202.mail.ne1.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Jeremy, looks like you guys had a good trip with just a few minor bugs to
work out. The water temp sounds normal and fine to me I wouldn't get
paranoid about it unless it gets up to 3/4 on the gauge and the radiator
fan doesn't come on.
As for the cruise control, the normal failure mode on that is at the
pedals. If you have a manual you have two switches down at the clutch and
brake pedal if you have an automatic then you just have on at the brake
pedal. Pull the lower cover on the steering column and you will see what
you have. There should be a white end sticking out of the black switch
that is resting up against a stop. If the white end is broken then the
switch is bad and must be replaced. If the white end is intact then most
of the time you can just adjust the switch and get it to work again. They
usually fail because they get out of adjustment. You can verify switch
function with a vacuum tester and an ohm meter. When there is no foot on
the pedal the switch should be closed electrically and also the vacuum
should hold. When you depress the pedal you will lose vacuum and the
electrical part of the switch will come open. If this isn't happening turn
the switch in toward the floor of the van until it just starts to push
against the stop. Now turn it back a little and test it again. That is
usually enough to fix it. If it is still giving you fits, try taking it
off of the van and taking it apart. It is very easy and simple switch and
there are just a couple of contact points inside that you can clean up with
some scotchbrite and an o-ring that you can lube with some vasoline. I
have had very good luck fixing these that way. If it just won't fix then
throw it away and buy a new one.
As David recommended, watch my youtube video on sliding door lubrication
and follow the advice there to see if that helps with your sliding door
noise. It really shouldn't make the racket you describe.
If I can be of any help to you or if you need some parts for your van,
please feel free to call on me.
Sincerely,
Ken Wilford
John 3:16
www.vanagain.com
On Sun, Jun 2, 2013 at 11:13 PM, Jeremy Stovin <jjstov@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Hi all!
>
> Not my first time posting here, but still somewhat of a newbie. Bought
> Lola ('87 Westy) last summer, but only had one small trip to a campsite
> outside Olympia, WA (from Federal Way). The family are planning on taking
> a big trip in Lola down to San Diego in July. But due to a project my 10yr
> old has on the history of Spokane (a whole different story), we decided to
> make an impromptu trip to Spokane for a night. Someone on the group also
> recommended I take a test trip over the pass.
>
> The Good: We packed up and left about 8:30AM and with one stop in
> Ellensburg for gas and a stop in Moses Lake for lunch, we got there by
> 3:30. I kept Lola at about 60 when I could. I took well advantage of those
> "slow truck lanes" when they popped up. The kids enjoyed the sites, the
> Columbia river at Vantage and the Wind farms on the way. Although I would
> have preferred a campground or RV park, we visited my wife's uncle and
> "camped out" parked in front of his house. This time my wife and I got to
> sleep up top and the kids on the bottom. I thought it was neat. My wife
> slept ok, but noted that neither the top nor bottom were designed for
> someone 6' tall. I noticed that as cool as the ladder I got from Go Westy
> was, it was a pain with shoeless feet. I was nervous about the uncle's
> neighbors having issue with us setting up camp, but one of them came out
> and told us that she had one "many moons ago" and thought they were so fun.
> The next day, packed up
> just before the downpour, phew. Had breakfast and a little more visit and
> headed back out West. Soon after leaving Spokane county, the rain broke and
> the sun came out. Feeling a bit braver with Lola, I got her to 65-70mph for
> a good part of the way. Made it all the way to Ellensburg for gas and lunch
> at a nice little family restaurant called Bar 14 Ranchhouse. Weather held,
> but was really windy. I did not expect Lola to be pushed all over the road.
> One highlight on the way back was passing a ford F250 (pulling a boat) on
> a hill. Kids behaved, and enjoyed the trip. Best of all, we did not kill
> each other.
>
> The Bad: Of course the trip was not without its foibles. I wanted to list
> some of them as it was my first encounters and ask if these are normals
> and/or solutions to the trouble.
> 1. The side view mirrors. I doubt they are original, but they are solid
> arm, on a swivel ball base. Never had a problem before and not on the way
> over, but on the way back, not sure if it was the rain, the wind, or the
> increased speed, but about a third of the way in, they were pushed in.
> Tried to fix them, but they just pushed back in. Can something be done? Are
> they just worn and need to be replaced? If so, where do you recommend?
> 2. The sliding door: Worked fine, but not sure if it rust or dirt, but
> when you are closing the last 10in, it is the loudest screeching sound. Is
> this par for the course? Will WD-40 do the trick? (pretty sure it is the
> bottom)
> 3. Water Temp: I am sure it is ok, but wanted to run this by you. (before
> I left I had a place check out the cooling system to just make sure it is
> ok.) On the way, I had the cabin controls to the coolest, with outside air
> coming in and the temp gauge maxed at just under the light. On the way
> back, it was raining and cold when we left so it was fogging up so I turned
> the fans on and set the controls warmer in the cabin and defogging. About
> half way, I noticed it had gone right over the light. (not above, just
> pointing at it.) Not a big increase, but wondering if there is anything to
> be concerned with, or was it just par for the course? Maybe the change in
> temp controls, higher speed, fighting the winds??
> 4. Cruise Control: did not work. Not a new issue, but before ripping the
> steering wheel apart, where would you recommend I start in diagnostics.
> 5. Stereo: Now it is most likely not an van issue, but it was weird so I
> wanted to share it and see if anything could have affected it. The stereo
> that is in there is a JVC cassette stereo that pulls out. Never had a
> problem with it before. On the way over to Spokane, I did not think I had
> any issue. Every so often the radio would cut out for a second, but it
> seemed more like it was losing the signal. When we got to Spokane and
> turned it off and left it off. As we were hitting the highway on the way
> back the next day, weirdness happened. I turn it on and I can see the light
> that tells you where the cassette goes, but the screen is black. Nothing.
> We turn it off. In a little bit we turn it on, and nothing still, then the
> display lights up, and it is working, for about 35 seconds and then goes
> off and the display is black. In another 30 sec, back on. (Why we are
> leaving it like this I have no idea), In a little while listening to this,
> I notice, during the
> "silence" a whistle starts (tuning sound) starts high, goes low, then
> back high, then the radio turns on again. If that is not weird enough, we
> also discovered, during the "silence", we turn up the volume and there is
> actually something that can be heard which sounds like talk radio. This is
> going on all the way to Ellensburg when we stop for lunch. We get back in
> and the radio seems to be working fine now, except the display will dim in
> the same intervals as had before. Question, pretty sure the radio is just
> going, but could something else be at work? A loose wire, heat from when we
> had the heat cranked up, moisture?
> The Ugly: Here are some of the bigger issues that arose.
> 6. One of the first things we did when we got the van last summer was
> replace the tent as it was ripped and had mold, We also replaced the soft
> lining of the roof and the skylight because of mold. We were very concerned
> with mold. When we do not use Lola, we have two desicants in there to get
> excess moisture. Last night we put up the tent (first time this year) and I
> see plastic siding of the fold-over piece is spotted with mildew or mold
> and there is some but not as much on the ceiling fabric. I know they did
> check and patch some leaks before they but the new fabric on. Could this be
> a leak again? What do you use to clean the fabric that will get rid of the
> mildew/mold?
> 7. THE AUX BATTERY!! Just when I think I have this figured out, I have no
> idea. There were some modifications originally made when I got it and I did
> add a Yandina combiner last summer. When I first got it, I was going to
> change the battery, thinking it is bad, but then thought it was another
> problem. Here are the issues. I know the original fridge is a piece of crap
> and one trick I learned was to plug it in and turn it on the night before
> to get it cool, then switch it to battery on route. I have a fridge
> thermometer in there to check. It is working. Also the night before I use
> my multimeter and check the aux battery and it clocks in at 12v. I switch
> the battery check and it is green. Sat, I unplug, start up the engine and
> switch it to battery (maybe not in that order). We stop in Ellensburg, I
> check the fridge and it does not seem to be keeping cool at all. We start
> her up again and continue on our way. In transit, we check the battery
> check and it
> is red. I look at the Yandina and it is green, which means it is doing
> what it should be. There is nothing perishable in the fridge so I do not
> worry about it. When we stop the van, the battery check is green again. We
> get home and I use the multimeter on the battery and it is 12V. (note the
> combiner should prevent the reading from the other battery). The only thing
> I can think of that is also running on the aux is the radio (it was
> "re-wired" from the fuse box to run off the aux battery directly) and
> possibly the fan (there was a 12V socket I found under the sink. I am not
> 100% sure where it is tapped into, but think it is the aux). Also, on the
> way back I had my wife check the Yandina while driving and there was no
> light on. I am not sure if that means it is not working or it shut off
> because it thinks it is charged. ANY IDEAS?? This has left me baffled and
> stupid.
>
> Sorry for the long email. I look for any response you can give!!
>
> Jeremy, Lola ('87 Westy) and the family!
>
>
--
Thanks,
Ken Wilford
John 3:16
www.vanagain.com
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