In a message dated 9/9/03 10:45:02 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
swright@ZUIKO.SLS.BC.CA writes:

> It seems the drainage on the bottom of the hatch is poorly designed - it
> traps moisture in the folded seam, since the drains are about 1" higher
> than the bottom of the door. Is it a common problem for rust through just
> above the seams (thus creating drains where they should have been...)?
> I'd be prepared to try a repair if I thought it might last more than a year
> or
> two, and not just hold more moisture...
>
>

thats why i had posted a bit to the list a month or two ago - open your hatch
- and remove those 2 rubber/plastic plugs at each inner corner..this will
allow water to drain out..  i have no idea why VW put those plugs in there..if
you removed your plugs when your van was new, your hatch would have never rusted
out..  i removed mine and i got doused w/ water that had been sitting in
there for weeks..  those plugs were a dumb move on VW's part.    but of course,
nobody will pay attention to this posting just like last time i posted this, and
all your hatches will continue to rust out from the inside....
:<(

chris