Date:         Fri, 19 May 2006 16:46:52 -0700
Reply-To:     Shawn Wright <swright@ZUIKO.SLS.BC.CA>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Shawn Wright <swright@ZUIKO.SLS.BC.CA>
Subject:      Re: yearly reminder to caulk your fill ports and remove your
              hatch plugs
In-Reply-To:  <446E2B7F.8000902@verizon.net>
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

Yup. My city water hookup was used exactly once, on our first trip 10 years
ago. It leaked a bunch of water into the van, and that was it. Not sure if it
was already cracked, or if the pressure did it as I didn't use a reducer. In any
case, I never did get around to pulling to cabinets, so am rather afraid to see
what it looks like in there now...

On 19 May 2006 at 16:33, Mike Collum <collum@VERIZON.NET> wrote:

> I agree with all that you said, Chris ... until you said "it's from
> rainwater. Period.
>
> The driver's side of my Westy suffered badly from a cracked and leaking
> connection on the INBOARD side of the city water hookup.  That's why I
> recommend that prior to using a city water port for the first time that
> it be removed from the side of the van ... hooked up and tested where
> all can be seen before "Assuming" that there are no leaks inside.  Not
> draining it completely before winter can allow freezing to crack/break
> that inner connection and wreak havoc.
>
> Mike
>
>
> JordanVw@AOL.COM wrote:
> > a lister came by last nite with a 85 westy to pick a few parts up from me...
> >  his westy looked pretty nice.. but the lower corners of the hatch were
> > starting to rot out and the long rocker seam on the drivers side was starting
> > to rot out.
> >
> > i cant stress this enough.. this all can be prevented easily!
> >
> > open your rear hatch...look at the bottom corners on the inside..  there is
> > one black plastic plug at each corner..  remove these plugs!!!  these just
> > hold water in..   you will find there is probalby alot of moist crud behind
> > them too.. clean all that out with a small wire..  so they can drain
> > properly.. leave the plugs out..dont reinstall them.
> >
> >
> > as for the drivers lower rocker seam -  caulk the perimeter of your westy's 3
> > fill ports and flue vent!!
> >
> > this is why your lower drivers rocker seam is rusting!
> >
> > when westfalia-werke cuts those holes into the side of the vanagons at their
> > factory, they just simpley stick the fill ports in there with a foam gasket.
> > thats it. no caulking. 15-20 years later that foam gasket is long since turned
> > to dust.   and everytime it rains or you wash it, water pours in around those
> > fill ports and flue vent , soaks the insulation behind your kitchen area, and
> > never dries out..  the metal starts to rust..  water takes the path of least
> > resistance, the floor and horizontal rocker seam..
> >
> > your seam will continue to rust out until you properly seal the acessory fill
> > ports and flue vent.
> >
> > i have a blue 80 westy here for parts, that has virtually the entire drivers
> > side rotted out because of this.  its so bad even the horizontal body beam
> > under the fill ports has rotted a hole in the side of the van.  the inner and
> > outer rocker and floor are gone as a result of water leaking in around the
> > fill ports over the years..
> >
> > a rusty drivers side horizontal rocker seam on a westy is not a sign of road
> > salt. it can happen anywhere.  i have seen california westys with rusty
> > drivers side rocker seams from leaky fill ports..  and the commets about the
> > rust happening from fridge condenstation are hardly valid as well.  most
> > people dont even use their fridges enough to make that kind of condenstation
> > to cause rust like that.
> >
> > its from rainwater. period.
> >
> > caulk your fill ports and flue vents!!
> >
> > chris
> >
>


Shawn Wright
http://members.shaw.ca/vwdiesels
'88 Westy 1.6TD 5 speed
'85 Jetta Diesel 1.6NA