Date: Tue, 4 Jun 2013 11:38:48 -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: <A12B7F50-2462-40D6-A105-45C004739DAB@yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Jeremy, I no longer sell or recommend the Hagus brand rear view mirrors for
the Vanagon. I had sold them up until about five or six years ago. I sold
a bunch of them over the years and they used to be pretty cheap so most
people never complained about them. Occasionally I would have a person get
a pair and complain about the glass being wavy or the fact that they were
just as loose as the old worn out VW ones that they replaced but I put that
off to just the customer being overly picky until I bought a set for a van
that I was driving. These things were utter crap! The mirror glass was
wavy! I installed them and no matter how I tightened them, they would move
when driving down the road or slamming the door.
I decided to try a set of the OE VW mirrors and they are much better made
and they don't move. Since then that is all I sell or recommend. I know
that Hagus is supposed to be OEM, but believe me, getting a set of those
versus a set from VW is like night and day on the quality. They look the
same from a distance but as far as actually being a nice mirror, only the
VW version is actually a good product that is worth the money. Especially
now that the price difference between the two is very slim. Let me know if
you want to buy a set of the VW ones as I think we have them in stock.
Ken Wilford
John 3:16
www.vanagain.com
On Mon, Jun 3, 2013 at 9:43 PM, Jeremy Stovin <jjstov@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Here is the other one.
>
> http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1069054.jpg
>
> Sent from my iPad
>
> On Jun 3, 2013, at 6:28 PM, Jeremy Stovin <jjstov@YAHOO.COM> wrote:
>
> > Ok, before I start lubing and tightening, I see the socket looks really
> worn, the plastic is gone somewhat. Take a look and let me know what you
> think?
> >
> > http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1069022.jpg
> >
> > Sent from my iPad
> >
> > On Jun 3, 2013, at 11:48 AM, turbowesty <turbowesty@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> >
> >> Welcome to the wonders of a Westy!
> >>
> >> You've gotten some good answers, let me touch on some others questions
> you asked.
> >> Mirrors: common problem. The best approach is to take them off, take
> them apart, lube the parts in that ball socket and reassemble with the
> right tension. When they are dry they don't adjust, they just flop. A quick
> fix is to put a hose clamp on it and freeze it in place that way.
> >>
> >> Radio: see aux. battery. I had this problem. It was an early clue that
> my aux battery was failing and only realized after the fact.
> >>
> >> Aux. battery: they have a limited life and as they age they don't
> handle being drained the same. Others can give you all the technical
> details but the simple version is that you need a proper deep cycle /
> marine / rv battery and that you want to keep it in good condition by
> monitoring how low it gets drained. Avoid letting it go too low, by the
> time you get down to 10V the things it's supposed to be supporting won't be
> happy. Like the radio.
> >>
> >> Regards, Peter Kraiker
> >> nextchapter.kraikerphoto.com
> >> Toronto, ON, Canada
> >> '82 L Westfalia 1.9 TD 5 Spd (Babe)
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> On 2013-06-02, 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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