You need a wing on the wiper. I'm an '85 Van guy, too, and I had to swipe one from an '87 in the bone yard. I actually swiped two because of the problem.

'85 Van GL
'71 Bug
'99 Jetta GLX
'69 Mustang

Mark Ingalls wrote:

Hi Volks, While driving my 85 GL in a rain shower with a strong crosswind the driver's wiper would lift away from the windshield enough to not wipe. Just a Vanagon quirk or maybe the wiper arm spring tension has seen better days? Mark Ingalls85 GL75 Beetle