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Date:         Wed, 3 Dec 1997 20:35:11 -0000
Reply-To:     Tony Smith <wordsmith@WRITEME.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon mailing list <Vanagon@Gerry.SDSC.EDU>
From:         Tony Smith <wordsmith@WRITEME.COM>
Subject:      Re: Water behind the refrigerator
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

You said... > > My problem, it seems to have turned out, was a leak in the inlet hose for > the drinking water but I was never sure about this. >

I had the same problem. Mine was with the "city" water hookup, not the tank filler. I bought my '87 Westy used and did not use the water hookup until we were visiting my sister's farm. I hooked up the hose, turned on the water and headed to the BBQ for lunch. An hour later the Westy had watered the lawn pretty well.

I found the plastic fitting to which the water hose physically connects had a hair-line crack that opened up when under pressure. Mostly the problem is what I consider a poor design; the Westy makers have combined plastic and metal in an area that gets a great amount of thermal changes. Something has to give and the plastic does, being weaker.

I removed all three black plastic flaps and removed the electrical and water fittings. With a wet-vac and a smaller hose duct-taped to the larger hose I got right in there to the bottom. With a coat-hanger and the vac and a whole bunch of time, I removed all the wet insulation and dried out the cavity as much as I could. Left the Westy to bake dry in the sun.

I took the opportunity to replace the corroded electrical connector (had to shop around a bit for that) and tightened up all the other fittings in there. I replaced the plastic/metal mess with brass fittings. I had to cut the old plastic hose connector out of the plastic housing (it is a one-piece molded thingy).

I spray-painted all the plastic flaps flat black and used some new marine stainless self-tapping screws in place of the rusted ones (hasn't VW EVER heard of corrosion control... sheesh! Every darned fastener in my vehicle is rusted). Looks and works great now. BTW those plastic flaps are made in the USA, California I believe. Look closely at the mfg marks when you have one off - could be a source of cheaper parts?

Next summer I will spray a coupla cans of foam insulation in there. BTW I found three tiny drain holes in the bottom of the sheet metal... don't know if this is factory. I got underneath and cleaned them out and slopped some of my wife's nail polish in there with a cotton swab for rust protection.

Tony Smith wordsmith@writeme.com web site www3.bc.sympatico.ca/wordsmith


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