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dabaron
Samba Member
Joined: June 21, 2018
Posts: 2561
Location: Philly, mang
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 Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2018 9:49 am Post subject: wetness under rear seat - cause discovered and i'm baffled |
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i was away on vacation for a week and it rained biblical proportions at home. i opened up the Vanagon and took a look around and found wetness in the carpet under the rear seat and along the rear sill between the engine cover and rear door.
i examined the rear and believe the seal for the rear door is past it and needs replaced. under the rear seat had me confused. the Vanagon is parked nose up in my sloped driveway. i thought that maybe the slider seal was leaking and the carpet wicked it up and evaporated in the open area but not from under the rear seat...
the next day i discovered the cause... i have an opened jug of coolant and this sealed jug under the seat. this one is sweating and thus the cause of the wetness...
very bizarre.
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1991 Vanagon GL Camper
i had no idea i wanted to be a mechanic
"burnin oil and cookin coils" -- Destructo
BiWerks Design, LLC |
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Alaskaberrys 
Samba Member
Joined: June 19, 2016
Posts: 1001
Location: SE Alaska
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| Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2018 10:02 am Post subject: Re: wetness under rear seat - cause discovered and i'm baffled |
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Isn’t physics fun! 
I work as a plumber is soggy SE Alaska and I can’t tell you how many times I’ved saved folks a house call when they call to have me stop in to fix a leak “from somewhere” that wasn’t there before. 90% of the time it’s been warm, temps dropped and presto, their utility room is an insta water maker.
By the way, your fuel tank can do the same thing but on the inside (when it’s not full).
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'91 Westfalia, Bordeaux Red Pearl 2.1L 2wd Auto
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shagginwagon83
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Joined: February 07, 2016
Posts: 3803
Location: VA/TN
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| Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2018 10:08 am Post subject: Re: wetness under rear seat - cause discovered and i'm baffled |
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Can the water tank do the same thing?
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Brandon
"Jo Ann" - '83.5 Westfalia EJ22e w/Peloquin
Instagram @joannthevan |
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djkeev
Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32632
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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?Waldo?
Samba Member
Joined: February 22, 2006
Posts: 9752
Location: Where?
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| Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2018 10:17 am Post subject: Re: wetness under rear seat - cause discovered and i'm baffled |
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| Sure. Any cool object with a fair amount of thermal mass and warm, moist air around it can be the recipient of moisture from the air when the temperature in that air drops below the dew point. The exterior walls of the van can do the same thing also, especially behind the fridge in a westy due to the natural convection current pulling the moist warm air behind the cabinet where it cools, deposits moisture, and exits under the fridge pulling more warmer and moisture laden air in. I believe that is a greater cause of the typical behind-the-kitchen seam rust than leaky utility boxes. |
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Zeitgeist 13
Samba Member
Joined: March 05, 2009
Posts: 12115
Location: Port Manteau
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| Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2018 10:26 am Post subject: Re: wetness under rear seat - cause discovered and i'm baffled |
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| That thread title made me wonder if this was Shart Week |
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danfromsyr
Samba Member
Joined: March 01, 2004
Posts: 15144
Location: Syracuse, NY
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| Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2018 11:10 am Post subject: Re: wetness under rear seat - cause discovered and i'm baffled |
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your distributor can do this on the inside..
had a couple cars run afoul after a cool night to warm humid day.
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dabaron
Samba Member
Joined: June 21, 2018
Posts: 2561
Location: Philly, mang
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| Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2018 12:38 pm Post subject: Re: wetness under rear seat - cause discovered and i'm baffled |
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ok, after thinking about this some more, the sweating jug is sealed, the non-sweating jug is not.
i think what is happening is the sealed jug is acting as a pressure vessel and the coolant is doing it's thing under pressure.
yes, good ol' science.
_________________
1991 Vanagon GL Camper
i had no idea i wanted to be a mechanic
"burnin oil and cookin coils" -- Destructo
BiWerks Design, LLC |
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dabaron
Samba Member
Joined: June 21, 2018
Posts: 2561
Location: Philly, mang
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| Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2018 12:42 pm Post subject: Re: wetness under rear seat - cause discovered and i'm baffled |
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| ?Waldo? wrote: |
| Sure. Any cool object with a fair amount of thermal mass and warm, moist air around it can be the recipient of moisture from the air when the temperature in that air drops below the dew point. The exterior walls of the van can do the same thing also, especially behind the fridge in a westy due to the natural convection current pulling the moist warm air behind the cabinet where it cools, deposits moisture, and exits under the fridge pulling more warmer and moisture laden air in. I believe that is a greater cause of the typical behind-the-kitchen seam rust than leaky utility boxes. |
i think this is spot on for the cause of the galley side rot - the insulation captures the moisture and gravity does it's thing. no air movement on that side in the interior unlike a regular vanagon to dry it out = swamp.
_________________
1991 Vanagon GL Camper
i had no idea i wanted to be a mechanic
"burnin oil and cookin coils" -- Destructo
BiWerks Design, LLC |
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Wildthings
Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005
Posts: 50352
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| Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2018 3:15 pm Post subject: Re: wetness under rear seat - cause discovered and i'm baffled |
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| Alaskaberrys wrote: |
Isn’t physics fun!
I work as a plumber is soggy SE Alaska and I can’t tell you how many times I’ved saved folks a house call when they call to have me stop in to fix a leak “from somewhere” that wasn’t there before. 90% of the time it’s been warm, temps dropped and presto, their utility room is an insta water maker.
By the way, your fuel tank can do the same thing but on the inside (when it’s not full). |
FWIW, when I built my first house I buried the supply pipe along the side of the house right under the drip edge. Since the water dripping off the roof cooled the ground under the drip edge quickly in the fall and kept it cold for longer in the spring, I found that the water entering the house was cooler than it would have been otherwise and I got more condensation than I had found other houses I was familiar with. In later homes I have built or done extensive remodeling to I have learned to bring the water under the drip line at a right angle and to insulate the pipe from the house outward for six feet so the cold drip doesn't cool the entering water as much.
I realize that everyone conditions are different so what I experience in mild drippy Oregon might not apply all that well to coastal Alaska. |
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Abscate
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Joined: October 05, 2014
Posts: 22670
Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
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| Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2018 6:36 pm Post subject: Re: wetness under rear seat - cause discovered and i'm baffled |
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I have wetness on my drivers seat and it’s warm. How can I get relief from this?
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dabaron
Samba Member
Joined: June 21, 2018
Posts: 2561
Location: Philly, mang
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| Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2018 6:40 pm Post subject: Re: wetness under rear seat - cause discovered and i'm baffled |
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| Abscate wrote: |
| I have wetness on my drivers seat and it’s warm. How can I get relief from this? |
depends, how wet 
_________________
1991 Vanagon GL Camper
i had no idea i wanted to be a mechanic
"burnin oil and cookin coils" -- Destructo
BiWerks Design, LLC |
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dabaron
Samba Member
Joined: June 21, 2018
Posts: 2561
Location: Philly, mang
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| Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2018 6:43 pm Post subject: Re: wetness under rear seat - cause discovered and i'm baffled |
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i started this thread mostly because i've been reading WAY too many doom and gloom scenario threads. any hint of something potentially disastrous i have read has me in detective mode...
that and don't want to find any more issue that need immediate remedy, i bought this Vanagon to enjoy driving and camping in. looking for way more miles with smiles and less on blocks in the yard out back...
it's nice to see i can remove a cause of trouble without spending a dime.
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1991 Vanagon GL Camper
i had no idea i wanted to be a mechanic
"burnin oil and cookin coils" -- Destructo
BiWerks Design, LLC |
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E1
Samba Member
Joined: January 21, 2013
Posts: 6572
Location: Westfalia, Earth
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| Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2018 8:43 pm Post subject: Re: wetness under rear seat - cause discovered and i'm baffled |
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| dabaron wrote: |
| Abscate wrote: |
| I have wetness on my drivers seat and it’s warm. How can I get relief from this? |
depends |
Fixed it.
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‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
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dabaron
Samba Member
Joined: June 21, 2018
Posts: 2561
Location: Philly, mang
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| Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2018 5:02 am Post subject: Re: wetness under rear seat - cause discovered and i'm baffled |
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| E1 wrote: |
| dabaron wrote: |
| Abscate wrote: |
| I have wetness on my drivers seat and it’s warm. How can I get relief from this? |
depends |
Fixed it. |
i was going for subtle.
_________________
1991 Vanagon GL Camper
i had no idea i wanted to be a mechanic
"burnin oil and cookin coils" -- Destructo
BiWerks Design, LLC |
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Jake de Villiers
Samba Member
Joined: October 24, 2007
Posts: 5911
Location: Tsawwassen, BC
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| Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2018 8:09 am Post subject: Re: wetness under rear seat - cause discovered and i'm baffled |
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| E1 wrote: |
| dabaron wrote: |
| Abscate wrote: |
| I have wetness on my drivers seat and it’s warm. How can I get relief from this? |
depends |
Fixed it. |
LOL!!!
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'84 Vanagon GL 1.9 WBX
'86 Westy Weekender Poptop/2.5 Subaru/5 Speed Posi/Audi Front Brakes/16 x 7 Mercedes Wheels - answers to 'Dixie'
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Abscate
Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2014
Posts: 22670
Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
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| Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2018 8:14 am Post subject: Re: wetness under rear seat - cause discovered and i'm baffled |
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| dabaron wrote: |
| E1 wrote: |
| dabaron wrote: |
| Abscate wrote: |
| I have wetness on my drivers seat and it’s warm. How can I get relief from this? |
depends |
Fixed it. |
i was going for subtle. |
..and it was appreciated !!
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dobryan
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dabaron
Samba Member
Joined: June 21, 2018
Posts: 2561
Location: Philly, mang
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| Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2018 9:17 am Post subject: Re: wetness under rear seat - cause discovered and i'm baffled |
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| dobryan wrote: |
Getting fixed solves a different issue... |
def not for the DIY'er!
in other news... just got my first VC cookie along with some fuel lines.
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1991 Vanagon GL Camper
i had no idea i wanted to be a mechanic
"burnin oil and cookin coils" -- Destructo
BiWerks Design, LLC |
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mikemtnbike
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