In a message dated 12/16/06 6:43:51 PM Eastern Standard Time,
fonman4277@EARTHLINK.NET writes:

> All this talk about the rubber front floor mats lately leads me to post
> this. Now, this is an observation I've made of the many Bay window buses
> I've owned, and I could be wrong on this,but... every Bay I've owned that
> had the rubber front mat also had significant rust on the cab floor. Bays
> also had the rubber seat stand mats, and that is another area I've found a
> significant amount of rust. It is my belief that these mats trap moisture
> under them and lead to rusting out the floor. I could be wrong, and I'm
> sure many will tell me I am, but it's just what I've noticed.   Jeff
>
>
>

jeff, im afraid your theory doesnt hold any moisture (pun intended) :<)
ive never seen a vanagon with rust under the front floormat, rubber or
carpet, doesnt matter.   and ive seen quite a few vanagons bare front floors :<)

for some reason the vanagons never had the front floor rot problem the
earlier buses had.

as for rust under the rubber step pad on the dogleg step, well thats another
matter.  but all vanagons have the rubber step pad weather they had carpet or
rubber mats...

and yes, the splitties had major front floor rust problems.. the late buses
didnt have it as bad as the splitties, but leaky windshield seals can add to
it...

as for rust at the top of the wheelwell, where the seatbelt is mounted,  ive
got 2 parts vanagons here with that area rusted....thru..  as in holes big
enough to stick your arm thru.

and they both had carpet.

chris