Date: Sat, 24 Oct 1998 10:47:33 -0400
Reply-To: Robert Rountree <rountree@PLANETEER.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: Robert Rountree <rountree@PLANETEER.COM>
Subject: Re: Storing Vanagon for winter in Quebec
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Gilles
This basically is how I have stored my different VW campers over the last 30
winters in Ontario,
Fill the gas tank to the top... this keeps the sides (inside) from
rusting...
change your oil to 5-30...
If you can get the tires off the ground....put it on blocks
This is VERY important... store it so the sun does not shine into the van...
what happens in our weather...is the sun will warm the interior to 20-25c..
then go behind a cloud... and the temp drops back to -30c... then the sun
comes back out.... these cycles... expand and contract the headliner plastic
(causing it to separate),& cause the interior moister to freeze and thaw,
plus fade the interior (I also cover the front seats & bed/bench with cheap
Mexican blankets .... it's much better for the whole van, to get it inside
or under cover on the north side out of the direct sun.
drain all the water out of your potable (drinkable) water system pump some
alcohol into the submersible pump. Don't leave any food, or pop cans (they
can freeze and leak) and maybe attract mice.. if you want to get really
picky... you could wax it maybe...
Now the reason for the 5-30 oil... at least 3 or 4 times (maybe every 6
weeks) during the winter..... run the engine for at least 30 mins.... during
a mild spell, works out best.... this charges your battery (a fully charged
battery doesn't freeze) in the spring drop that oil... every time you run it
in cold weather... after you stop the engine... condensation forms in the
engine.... but all the parts got a good coat of oil...
That's about all I can think of right now.... Oh yea... I remember a friend
of mine who had a bunch of old vans in his back yard... he found that the
ones in the shade & also on pavement or plastic sheets under them... lasted
longer... he said it was the moisture coming up from the ground rising into
the bodies..
au revoir
Rob
87 Westy SyncroGL.....Cynosure
rountree@planeteer.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Gilles Gallant <GGallant@RDS.CA>
To: <vanagon@VANAGON.COM>
Date: Saturday, October 24, 1998 8:31 AM
Subject: Storing Vanagon for winter in Quebec
>Hi,
>
> Like you probably know winter is hard for a Westfalia in Montreal (lot of
salt on the road and big change in temperature) Because of that, I want to
store my west for the winter but what should I do to be sure to not get any
trouble when summer will come?
>
> -Should I put some oil in my cylinder?
> -Should I lift the van? if yes, should I lift it to compress shock
absorber or not?
> -Should I put more or less air in the tire?
> -What with the batterie? etc...
>
> And finnaly what is the better oil to put in the vanagon. My mecanic put
Quaker state oil at my last chage but I àm not sure if it is good oil, what
do you think?
>
> Thanks,
>
>
>
>ggallant@rds.ca
>
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