Date:         16 Dec 96 19:49:15 EST
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Turner,Ronald L." <102660.66@CompuServe.COM>
Subject:      Copy of: What are the aluminium bars across the rear hatch for?


---------- Forwarded Message ----------

>From:	Turner,Ronald L., 102660,66
TO:	"Lionel Tun", INTERNET:lionel@ark.prestel.co.uk
DATE:	12/16/96 7:59 PM

RE:	Copy of: What are the aluminium bars across the rear hatch for?

>I have seen some Caravelles (Vanagon in USA) including my 1984 GL with a
>sort of grille across the rear windscreen. Two horizontal aluminium bars
>about 2" apart covering the bottom part of the windscreen.
>
>What are they for? Dogs? Luggage? Decoration? The PO said they were for
>nothing.
>
>Lionel Tun
>lionel@ark.prestel.co.uk

What are they for?  Well they're for dogs, luggage and decoration.  :<)
They have become known over the years affectionately as "Jail Bars", and were
first offered on the '51 Deluxe bus, and were continued as a option all the way
up to '91.  I've seen them on a '71 "clipper" deluxe bus in my area (diagonal
jail bars in the right rear window) and they were standard on US '84 Vanagon
Wolfsburg Editions.  They were supposed to "protect the glass" but are really
only for decoration. 

Just a VW van tradition that stuck thru the years.

chris