Date:         Thu, 13 Aug 1998 22:13:41 -0700
Reply-To:     Dane Tessler <dane714@WORLDNET.ATT.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Dane Tessler <dane714@WORLDNET.ATT.NET>
Subject:      A close call with propane....
Comments: To: Vanagon@VANAGON.COM
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Thought I will share this mistake with the list in the hopes that someone
else can avoid it.

I was with my family this week at the Ft. Wilderness Campground at Disney
with our Vanagon, "Das Puppenhaus".

While we were playing outside,  our little girl, Caroline (5), went into the
van to get something from the top bunk.  She has learned how to hike herself
up by stepping on the closed sink/stove console.  On the way up....she must
have hit the stove knob with her foot and turned it to full on.  She got
what she needed,  climbed back down,  shut the sliding door and returned to
playing.

An hour and a half later....I entered the van to get something,  and was hit
by the huge concentration of gas that had built up inside.  It was
overpowering.  I quickly saw what the problem was and remedied it...and
aired out the van for a couple of hours before allowing anyone back in.

I smoke....and it was a 50/50 chance that I would have had a lit cigarette
dangling from my mouth when I opened that door.  Also,  both my kids have
been known to let themselves into the van for an afternoon nap.  Either one
of these occurrences would obviously have been disastrous.  It is now a
"house" rule to keep the propane main valve off unless the stove is in use.
We consider it a close call at the very least.

Yes...perhaps it was a stupid mistake on my part...but we all make them
sometimes...so I admit to this one in the hopes that others might not repeat
it.

Incidentally....although I am not a big Disney fan...I was most impressed
with the Ft. Wilderness facility.
Email me if you would like to know the details.

Happy Camping

Dane Tessler
87 Westfalia 142K
Treasure Island, FL
http://members.aol.com/Dane714/westfalia.html