You want the vehicle fairly level when draining the oil, so driving up on
ramps, assuming you have a level surface to work on, defeats that.  Besides,
there's plenty of room under an air-cooled Vanagon to dive under there and
do the oil change.  When I have used steel ramps under my vehicles, e.g.,
for an engine removal, I always back up on them.  That way when you're ready
to go, you just go, and don't have to stop to fish the ramps out from under
the car.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Tom Young                       '81 Vanagon
Lafayette, CA 94549         '82 Westfalia
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Harold Harper" <smugboys@INTRSTAR.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Monday, October 20, 2003 2:47 PM
Subject: Using a ramp

> The time has come for me to do the oil and filter change on my 1982 Westy
> 2.0 liter. This will be the first time since I have owned it. I have two
> steel ramps which I use when changing the oil in my Subaru Justy and a
> Honda, both of which have front wheel drive. With both these cars I drive
up
> on the ramps. For some reason when thinking about the Westy I thought
about
> backing up on the ramps. But in looking at the situation it appears that
the
> ramps will fit in front of the rear wheels and clear the body which would
> allow me to drive up on the ramps with the rear wheels. What is the
accepted
> or usual method of using ramps--behind the rear wheels or in front of the
> rear wheels? Of course, I will also use 6 ton jack stands on each side as
> well as blocking the front of the front wheels and set the hand brake.