Date:         Tue, 25 Apr 1995 09:09:00 -0400
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         VW85Westy@aol.com
Subject:      Propane Cautions

Since the topic of propane came up, I thought I would offer this.

You should be inspecting and painting your tank regularly , especially if it
has the metal label that is only spot-welded at the corners.   The
manufacturer will tell you this when you call to ask about the dangerous
corrosion that you see.

I recently replaced my tank, as this corrosion had rusted the label almost
entirely off, and pitted the steel of the tank.  A new one is over $350 from
either the distributor, or VW.  

I found one in a junk yard on a wrecked 87 that had only a patina of rust in
some areas.  I sanded, treated with rust-o-leum rust reformer (by hypodermic
under the label), and topcoated with epoxy appliance paint.  I then sealed
the seams of the label with silicone sealant.  (there may be a better way to
do this, I'm not a paint and coatings guy)

Anyway, I was just thinking of your safety, and your wallet, and want to urge
you to take that propane tank seriously.   Propane makes very powerful
explosions.

I apologize if everybody already knows this, but I thought it was worth
bringing up.

Peter Krogh
85 Westy Pumpervan