Date: Sun, 2 Jun 2013 20:13:02 -0700
Reply-To: Jeremy Stovin <jjstov@YAHOO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Jeremy Stovin <jjstov@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Lola's first test trip: The Good, The Bad & the Ugly. (Sorry,
Long)
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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!
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