Westy Water Woes

backcountrymedic · Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 4:32 pm Post subject: Westy Water Woes

Having a problem with my Westy water connection. Hooked up to the city water connection, and after a few minutes, heard water leaking on the ground. Found water to be running from the underside of the van on both sides. 3 spots on each side of the van. Crawled underneath, and here's what I found...

Passenger side

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Quite the puddle

View from underneath, just inside from the sliding door

Another similar spot

Is this a body drain hole?

After quickly shutting the water off on the supply side, I checked under the sink - found water all over the shelf, and the wonderful smell of wet insulation. I figure the seal to the sink from the city water connection has to be bad. Gonna pull the whole works out next week and try to track down the problem. I'll replace all of my water lines while at it. Hope I didn't do any damage in the meantime! This is the first time I've ever connected for any length of time. Only connected once before, for just a few minutes, and that was several years ago.

Anyone have any input?
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r39o · Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 5:52 pm Post subject:

Ya, I have some input. Nothing earth shaking. You have a leak. Did you use a pressure reducer? You will simply have to find the leak. Start under the sink. You may also end up pulling the outside connection off to see. Otherwise the hose is damaged somewhere and will need replacing.

No the big problem is all the wet insulation. I know very well from experience that the stuff does NOT dry out. Crappy ass stuff holds water better than a sponge. YOU HAVE A PROBLEM.

When I discovered my rear heater had leaked, I ended up pulling almost the whole interior out. That van reeked when it got hot inside. Only thing to do was to clean clean clean the funk of the decades out. It is nice and fresh in there now. BUT, I did get some insulation wet. Put it in the So Cali Summer sun and it took days, almost a week to dry out. At that I had to flip the stuff over, too. BAD, BAD, news.

Sorry, I think you are going to be pulling stuff out before it smells and starts to rust.

"That's my opinion, what's yours?"
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"Use the SEARCH, Luke" But first visit the Vanagon FAQ!

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backcountrymedic · Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 6:03 pm Post subject:

I had a feeling that pulling the insulation was in my near future. My last camping trip of the year is coming up next weekend, so I'll do it all when I get back. I've got lots of work to do in the near future (carpet kit, wiring, etc.). What's one more project, eh?
_________________
No need to bear the weight of your worries, you let them all fall away...

Sector 9 longboard
Kona Kikapu Deluxe MTB
Novarra Big Buzz
Electra Cruiser
'01 Toyota Tacoma 4x4

Cat and Walter · Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 6:08 pm Post subject:

a fan circulating the air will speed things up considerably!

wolfej1 · Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 6:44 pm Post subject:

Since water was brought up..... Sad

When I use the tank setting on my faucet I get some water out of the spigot, but also some water out of the city water hook up connection on the side of the van.

I remember from a previous post that there is supposed to be some sort of spring loaded valve in side of the external water connection hookup. So, I dedided to check it out. I removed ther water connection from the hose, then removed the brass elbow fitting from the hookup.

There is a spring in there but nothing attached to it - just a straight shot down to the water hose thru the fittings I am assuming that there is supposed to be a ball or something on there. Am I correct Question

I am thinking that I need to buy a new water hookup Sad

any thought?

kevinbassplayer · Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 9:00 pm Post subject:

This topic hit home since yesterday I just pulled out all of my interior (bench seat, sink cabinet, and water tank cabinet) to deal with some "kitchen rust" I found after removing my fridge. Anyhow, I've yanked out all of my insulation and I'm going to replace it with something that is closed cell that doesn't hold water. I've seen several posts about using "Frost King" from Home Depot, haven't checked it out yet.

The city water connection is real simple. Unless the hose itself is leaking there is only 2 fittings, one at the back of the utility port outside the van and the other attached to the faucet. Unscrew the faucet and you can access the connector. There is good diagrams of all of this in the Bentley. Pulling out the interior was not too bad, If I were you I would probably pull it all out anyway to get rid of that surely wet insulation and check for rust etc...

I don't have to work 1/100th this hard to keep my Toyota truck going!

backcountrymedic · Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2006 11:17 am Post subject:

I've got a big project planned after next weekend, and pulling the galley cabinet out is part of it. I'm planning on yanking that nasty fiberglass insulation, and going with some closed-cell stuff as well. Haven't shopped around for that yet, so we'll see what OSH & Home Depot have to offer. Glad to hear that the removal won't be so bad.

Thanks again for everyone's input! Keep it up if there's more to add, I can use all the help I can get!
_________________
No need to bear the weight of your worries, you let them all fall away...

Sector 9 longboard
Kona Kikapu Deluxe MTB
Novarra Big Buzz
Electra Cruiser
'01 Toyota Tacoma 4x4

lovedavdubs · Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2006 2:02 pm Post subject:

Hold me

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82 Air-cooled Westy (Lola)...My other vehicle is a subway.

kevinbassplayer · Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2006 3:18 pm Post subject:

Is that your van? I thought I read somewhere where you already replaced the insulation in the kitchen area, or maybe that was someone else?

lovedavdubs · Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2006 3:35 pm Post subject:

kevinbassplayer · Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2006 4:56 pm Post subject:

lovedavdubs,

What is that insulation you used?

I'm sure other people want to know also. (maybe it was in your old post and I wasn't paying attention Embarassed

) I just pulled my interior out, not too hard, the Bentley covers it well. I'm dealing with a line of rust on the seam of the floor running from just behinds the drivers seat all the way to the water tank, I think I caught it in time before it ate through the floor. I also ripped out all of the insulation from that side and want to replace it with something like in your pictures. Just waiting now on parts (Por-15, some gaskets for the utility ports) and the time to do it. Will try and get to it this weekend. I'm Pray

for you when you pull everything. Pulling the fridge is a crystal ball as to what you are dealing with back there before going whole hog

nomadik · Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2006 5:37 pm Post subject: OHHHH NOOO

Hi I am new to the forums, I have been checking them before but never found much reason to post until now .. . .. AGGHHHHHHH !!!

What happend to me was I was trying to get the water pump off because I had a problem (ended up being a wire in my tap was broken)

So when taking the pump off I had water that was dripping out, quite alot I think perhaps a small pot full of water fell under the cabneit as I was trying to stop it from syfoning into the van. I also had like the original poster some water comiing out from my underside of the van somewhere. Enough I guess but din't seem like that much to be such a problem it might be.

My water leaked into the bottom of the cupboard where there is a hole in the wood and you can see the floor, so do you think that I have this disaster on my hands too ?? I imangined the water drained out the holes and ran down a runway were it should go in such a leak in the water systemd and there wasn't a big probelm

It happened a few days ago and can't smell anything yet.

Please help me out here as what I should consider doing at this point then as I am on the road and short of cash for that, just got the thing with my whole life savings and plan on living in it all winter in BC.

My van is a 84, does it have the same insulation in all ???

hope you will reply and tell me what you think.

NOmaik pat.

lovedavdubs · Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2006 7:48 pm Post subject:

lovedavdubs · Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2006 8:18 pm Post subject:

Ahhh!!!!

Its everywhere!!!!!!!!

_________________
82 Air-cooled Westy (Lola)...My other vehicle is a subway.

r39o · Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2006 11:28 pm Post subject:

r39o · Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2006 11:33 pm Post subject:

I wanted to add to the stickies. It said:

You are not allowed to edit your post after it has been posted for 43200 minutes.

YIKES! WTF? Gotta get this fixed! Dang....
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"Use the SEARCH, Luke" But first visit the Vanagon FAQ!

1990 Multivan EJ 22, Rancho trans 0.82 4th, Small Car front AC, CLKs w/ 215/65-16, homemade big brakes 303mm, Konis, Recaros, etc....

Click to see my ads for Cup holders, Subaru clutch fix and CLK wheels (no wheels currently)

kevinbassplayer · Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2006 8:01 am Post subject:

mightyart · Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2006 10:10 am Post subject:

Before using your water hook-ups you should go through your connections and seal any that might be leaking, most westy's are pushing 20 years or more and some have never been inspected or even used.
I wrote a post on using the plumbing awhile back:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=120652
If you have a water leak in the van don't have a heart attack yet.
The rust problem comes when you have a leak that soaks into the insulation in the wall.
One thing that was done when your Westfailia was made into a camper was to put sheets of fiberglass insulation in the walls of the van.
It's just like the scratcy rolled fiberglass most people have in there attics, you know the Pink Panther stuff.
It works as an insulation, but it also makes a great sponge, so it holds water against the steel alot longer then if it just leaked out the bottom.
If you just noticed the leak (or you caused it) get as much as you can, and it will more than likely dry up on it's own.
Since it's still warm out I would park that side of the van in the sun and let the sun heat it up, might help it dry up quicker.
Insulation and sound deadening are not the same.
Don't get the two confused, although sound deadening material have some insulating propertys they are really made to make the steel in your van stop vibrating.
Insulation is made to hold the heat or cold in, while keeping the heat or cold out.
THe insulation in a Westy is not the best, but it does make a differance, so if you are taking out it should be replaced with something.
I am very close to finishing sound deadening and insulating my Westy,
I just finished the sliding door and the headliner.
I used B-quiet ultimate sound deadener, and this NASA stuff from JC Whittney.
http://www.b-quiet.com/
This is one of JC Whittneys better products, IT's very tough, easy to work with even made in the US.
I almost got away with one roll of the stuff, but I used the crap out of it. Very Happy

http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/Product/tf-Brow...69/c-10101

lovedavdubs · Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2006 10:40 am Post subject:

Nice post Art Cool

_________________
82 Air-cooled Westy (Lola)...My other vehicle is a subway.

r39o · Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2006 10:42 am Post subject:

So what would be a BETTER insulation?

Before I button up my van, I want to put some better (less moisture abosrbant?) higher R value (it is called R value, right?) insulation in the van.

I have noticed that the white outside paint, good tinted windows and insulation do make a difference when we partk in the sun, for example. Now I just want to top it off with some better stuff before I seal it up for another 20 years.
_________________
"Use the SEARCH, Luke" But first visit the Vanagon FAQ!

1990 Multivan EJ 22, Rancho trans 0.82 4th, Small Car front AC, CLKs w/ 215/65-16, homemade big brakes 303mm, Konis, Recaros, etc....

Click to see my ads for Cup holders, Subaru clutch fix and CLK wheels (no wheels currently)


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