Stephen,

I have never taken my vents as they never give me problem. Here are my
thoughts with the problem.

1) There should be nothing to go wrong in these vents. From camping in
windy night I can head a flap snapping open and shut. I believe there is
a flap that snap shut normally and opens when the cabin pressure is
slight higher than the outside (when in a move).

2) If the foam (like most other foam in the venting system also
disintegrated after all these years) has rotten there may be pieces of
them now fallen to the bottom. The wicking effect can draw drain water
in a otherwise good vent mechanism.

3)There may a a bigger piece of foam has lodged the flap open in such a
manner allowing water to get in.

- Vince

http://gipsyflies.home.comcast.net
1989 Vanagon GL Camper
1996 Land Rover Discovery
2005 Mini Cooper S

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
Of Stephen Steele
Sent: Friday, August 13, 2004 6:47 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Leaking rear side window

A friend's 1990 Westy has a wet mattress from a small leak at the
inserts in the back of the rear side window (passenger side). These are
the vents that the late model vans had for more efficient air flow in
the cabin, not the body mounted vents above the engines.  It appears
that the leak is coming right out of the inside bottom of the vent. All
appears to be OK with the way the vent sits in the rubber mounting
around it and the window, except that the foam that is inside the vanes
is rotting away...I assume this foam is there to stop wind noise and
moisture transfer and this what's causing the leak. Local glass auto
shops have turned her away..for various reasons. Anybody have any
experience with this? Thanks.
--
Stephen
Chillicothe OH