Date:         Mon, 4 Dec 1995 15:37:13 -0500
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Robert Tommaselli" <Robert.Tommaselli@ska.com>
Subject:      Re: Update the database

Hey Rick,

> some questions for you existing EV owners:
> - how did you do the breakin? I'm planning on draining oil & trans fluid
> after about 1200 miles. Not winding it out until about 600 miles. The
> dealer recommended NOT using detergent oil until the first 'scheduled' oil
> change at 7500 miles. I don't quite understand this - I could see not using
> synthetic for awhile but why should detergent oil cause a problem with
> this?
Everyone seems to have an opinion about this. While I was out in Fort Collins,
CO, I met the owner of a dealership who is an avid  Camper lover. While talking
with him about breakin, he suggested that I DO NOT change the breakin oil. He
said that he had noticed that when he changed the oil in his EV's before the
7500mi scheduled change they tended to burn oil more often then not. He gave it
to me as friendly adivce. I followed his direction and so far no oil burning.
Any feedback from the peant gallery?

> - Mine was manufactured in March 95, I don't know when the conversion was
> done. But the thing sat on the showroom floor for awhile and I think the
> camper battery is suffering because of it. How long does this thing take to
> charge on your vehicle? What is the LED reading you get a full charge? I'm
> letting it charge overnight on 110V to see what kind of difference that
> makes.

Donno mfg date. I just plug it in over night like you. I have had the fridge
short out and drain the cabin battery dead twice. It's bounced back both times.

> - any experience with the various fabric protectants out there? Is it worth
> going to a detail shop and letting them use silicon gunk, or is ScotchGuard
> sufficient?

Nope. I just used the scotchguard. I did however seam seal the poptop. I
used some generic brand of seam sealer. The following week I went camping
(w/poor richard) and got caught in a 2-3 hour rain storm with the top up. The
canvas did great, however, the ties for the screen flaps are a cotton material
that is sewn into the canvas. It managed to wick the water from the outside and
left little puddles wherever the cotton ties were touching the inside of the
camper. I have resolved to either plasticoat those cloth ties or replace
them with a non wicking fabric (nilon?).

> - I'm figuring Maguiars wax, although my M5-owning neighbor recommends
> their "Pro line" which requires a 2-step process. Any other
> recommendations?
Wax is wax in my book. I did notice an unsettling crack in the paint
on the front of the bus to the left and right sides of the windshield
about 2/3 of the way up from the bottom of the windshield.
They look like settling joints(he he, punny) if you ask me. As
soon as I noticed it, I swung down to my dealership to show them.
We looked a the other two new EV's on the lot. Brand new they too had
the settling cracks. Check it out and lets discuss......

> - the book shows a bunch of optional equipment - screens, awnings, rooms
> (?!), etc. Any experience with any of these? I'd like to put an awning and
> a sliding door screen on it. Any recommendations?

I suggest you get them. I did. The awning has already paid for it's self.
I use to do tour (w/Gdead), We only fit 4 shows in the EV before it was to
late. Well anyway, on a hot day in the parking lot I had 10 poeple mooching
shade from the EV castle. It always attracts the nicest poeple. I installed the
awning with a buddy of mine with the kick butt garage setup. Make sure you have
very good quality drill bits. That van is tough to drill on the welded joints.
 If you have any qualms about drilling 6 1/2" holes into the side of your 95 EV
then you don't want the awning. At one point in the installation we even had to
pull out the dremmel tool to grind out some of the inner sheet metal to seat on
of the 6 anchors for the mounting brackets.  Of course we rust proofed and
sealed all of the drilled holes in the body, possibly better than any pro shop
would have.

I also went camping in Indiana this past summer. I purchased the full screen
set. On a hot day in the woods full of bugs I would have given twice their
weight in gold to have the full screen set, which I did and hence saved much
money. The key to keeping cool in the van is to park the tail end of the van
into the wind. I plan to hook up a good size fan this summer that will be
solar/battery powered to keep  good air flow on hot days w/o wind.

The rear tent has proven the least useful sofar. First, it's all vertical
space. The tent is by no means a water tight tent like the pop top. In the same
rain storm mentioned above I had the rear tent out, big mistake. It leaked
water into the rear of the EV on both corners. It is however a nice storage
compartment(in good weather) when you want to stow equipment that would
otherwise take up valuable indoors realestate.

> - finally, they *did* offer me an 'extended warranty' deal, through GE I
> think. I told them I'd think about it. My initial reaction is that this
> would just be a waste of money. But there *are* a lot more things in this
> thing to break. I'm wondering if any of you have experience with this. Did
> you wish you bought it? Or are you sorry you wasted your money on it?

I am still waiting for my extended warranty offer. Ho Hum.

Keep in touch. Us EVers gotta stick together.

BTW.. if you find anyone who has ventshades for the EV let me know. I'm
disapointed with the EV power windows cotrol switches. They get soaked if you
even crack the window in the rain. I'd like to knock some sense into the
engineer who thought up that design.  You'll know what I mean later.


-- 
*****************************************************************
*   A little KINDness is 	    ,=,==========.  		*
*  	is all you need,	   /_| |___| 	 U  		*
*   	  Robert Tommaselli       /        o     U    		*
*				  U-()-------()--'95 EV-Camper 	*	
**** The bus came by, I got on, that's when it all began ********