Date:         03 Sep 96 09:54:43 PDT
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         CARVER_JEFFREY@aphub.aerojetpd.com (Jeff Carver)
Subject:      Vanagon Emergency Rear Door Exit

My previous bus met with an untimely end in a rollover.  We went 1 
and 1/4 rolls.  Landed on the right side.  This was in a blizzard.  
We got out the driver's door, but when we returned it had frozen 
tight.  Got back in through the pop-top that had been popped loose.  
The back hatch was also frozen.
Anyway, when we got our 'new' bus, an '80, the thought of being over on 
the passenger side without another exit than the driver's door hung 
in my and my wife's mind.  That's all background.
I took off the interior rear panel and found out that there is a 
piece of metal that when pushed will open the rear hatch even if the 
hatch is locked.  I covered the metal with shrink wrap to prevent 
cuts and cut a finger sized hole in the panel.  So now I have an 
emergency exit at the rear.  For a cleaner approach, I would remove 
the wood portion of the panel and just leave covering intact so it 
would look original.  But mine had already cracked from a kayak 
hauled inside the bus.
- Jeff
'80 Westi, '67 Sqbk, '64 Ford Crewcab, '87 Subaru Wagon 4WD
Grass Valley, California