Date:         Mon, 20 Apr 1998 20:03:19 -0400
Reply-To:     Derek Drew <drew@INTERPORT.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Derek Drew <drew@INTERPORT.NET>
Subject:      fire extinguisher researched: use extinguisher = destroy van
Comments: To: vanagon@vanagon.com
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Many know that the Vanagon is susceptable to fire and there was a thread
about a year ago when everyone checked their Westfalia-supplied
extinguishers only to find that they were dead and non functional. (Check
yours now!)

You can go into the local store and purchase an A B C kind, which is what I
suspect many on the list have done.

But unfortunately, if you use an A B C kind on your van, the likelyhood is
that it will destroy anything you aim it at because the material is almost
impossible to remove once sprayed.

The upshot is that you need to chuck that A B C model as fast as you can
and get either C02 or Halon. The problem with C02 is that it comes in
rather big bottles and is hard to find. The problem with Halon is that it
has been phased out, kind of like Freon was.

I chose the latter problem, and tracked down a source of Halon fire
extinguishers in Thorndale, PA. I paid about $100 for mine.

Herewith, for those wishing to follow my lead, is the phone number:
610-269-4711. (This phone number valid about a year ago.) The fellow there
at Halon Marketing said that to avoid damaging the atmosphere, just point
the Halon directly into or under the fire instead of discharging it into
air that does not have a fire. He observes/argues that the fire will
consume the Halon, so you do not have to be too guilty about using it.
Sounds good anyway, even if it isn't true.

I bet you all could band together to do a group purchase, or that Ron could
do so and stock the things for us. Good luck everybody!

________________________________________________________
Derek Drew                              New York, NY & Washington, DC
drew@interport.net
'90 Syncro Westfalia...
...seen off-road at http://www.tiu.net/~des/vw/drew/index.html
         Note: most valuable Vanagon site on the planet (for owners) is
         http://gerry.vanagon.com/cgi-bin/wa.exe?S1=vanagon