Date: Thu, 17 Jun 1999 19:47:40 -0700
Reply-To: Coby Smolens <cobys@WELL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Coby Smolens <cobys@WELL.COM>
Subject: Re: Propane leak!
In-Reply-To: <199906172040.OAA106703@orthus.cvrti.utah.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
You didn't just have the thing filled, did you? As I recall, my own 83.5 had
some bleed-off going on a couple times when a service station attendant
tried to shove five gallons of fuel into the three gallon tank. For some
time afterward I found some apparent leakage happening which subsequently
disappeared (in spite of the fact that I bought the valving to replace the
old stuff, thinking I would be prepared). That was three years ago and the
system continues to operate just fine.
The parts are all American standard stuff (unless yours is a model built for
Europe - all sold-in-America models had to conform to IAPMO and other US
standards), and if you do have leaking regulator or valves, most can be had
through RV supply places, except the Auto-shutoff fill valve used on the
later models. If you need to replace this one, it's time to think seriously
about replacing the tank unit with a whole new assembly. It can be ordered
from European American RV at 423-908-9384. Pete Catlett's the owner of EARV,
formally Delta Six Industries. This is the company which built all the
American parts for Westfalia since the early days of Westfalia imports. He's
a great guy and very helpful. I don't think you have to be a distributor to
order from him either.
Coby Smolens, Owner
Valley Wagonworks
"Intimately acquainted with VW Vans since 1959"
1535 Sir Francis Drake Blvd.
San Anselmo, CA 94960
Phone: (415) 457-5628
Fax: (415) 457-0967
http//:wagonworks.com
mailto:contact@wagonworks.com
On Thursday, June 17, 1999 1:40 PM
Rob MacLeod wrote:
"Folks,
Last weekend I happened to wander by our '86 Westy (only 70k original
miles) and heard the sound of gas hissing. I checked under the vehicle and
could smell gas so I turned off the main valve from the tank and the noise
stopped. There was no gas smell inside the bus, just underneath.
I am wondering how best to go about finding the problem and fixing it,
but also considering just letting someone do it for me.
If I take the first pathway, I would try slathering soap solution over the
pipes and see if I can locate the site of escape. Sound reasonable so far?
But I am not sure what to do if I find a hole in the system somewhere--how
hard is it to replace sections of the pipe or what is involved in this?
Are there specific parts for the Westy?
And if I choose to pay someone else to deal with it, can I go to my regular
mechanic or should I be heading to some sort of RV place? Who is likely to
know what they are doing to fix this sort of problem?
Finally, anyone got any suggestions/guesses/premonitions as to what
happened? I am guessing a rock from the road flew up and hit something but
what other sources of this type of injury might there be? Is it likely to
be just a loose joint? Anyone else had similar problems? Does this system
routinely age and fall apart over this sort of time span? It also suggests
that keeping the valve shut when the bus is not in use might be
advisable--although in that case I would have discovered the problem only
after we set out on another trip without the luxury of dealing with it in
peace.
Thanks,
Rob.
--
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Rob MacLeod, Ph.D.
Nora Eccles Harrison Cardiovascular Research and Training Institute (CVRTI)
University of Utah
95 South 2000 East
Salt Lake City, Utah 84112-5000 ____ __o
Internet: macleod@cvrti.utah.edu ____ -\<,
Phonemail: (801)581-8183 ....0/ 0
Fax: (801)581-3128
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