It would help if you would say WHERE in the van - front or rear ? 
And what year and model too.
Wildly guessing, with very little information to go on, I suspect rotted out
rear heater core. 
That's the most common failure that results in coolant somewhere in the
passenger compartment. 

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Donna Skarloken
Sent: Friday, November 30, 2007 9:23 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: head gasket leaking exhaust into cooling system

My husband discovered yesterday that there's coolant leaking alll over the
inside of the van.  It already looks like I'm having head gasket problems
(rear coolant tank is overflowing), but I wonder if the rear heater valve is
what's leaking inside the van.  I had to go to school and now am at work so
can't check it out until the weekend.

Donna, 87 Syncro

On Nov 30, 2007 9:09 AM, Mike Collum <collum@verizon.net> wrote:

> Some years ago I cracked a head in one cylinder badly enough that
> exhaust gases were leaking into the coolant and I was well over 1200
> miles from home.
>
> The way I got it home without "Overheating" was to loosen the bleed bolt
> in the radiator so that the exhaust gas buildup (AND coolant) could exit
> that bleeder.  I had to add coolant about every 27 miles and it was
> winter.  Truly a miserable trip.  I made it but I certainly would NOT
> recommend starting out that way.  Once home I parked the bus and the
> following spring I replaced that head and resealed the other in my
> driveway.
>
> Mike
> Houlton, Maine
>
>
>
> John Mosley wrote:
> > I know this is a common problem but I don't have the money to fix wright
> > now.
> > I would like to try to do the head reseal myself next summer.
> > The question is how far can I drive the van like this? I drove it this
> > summer without
> > to much problem only adding coolant that it blue out but now with the
> > colder
> > weather
> > it seems to have gotten worse. It also seems to blow out more coolant
> going
> > up long
> > hills. I have to make a trip xcountry think I can make it? I don't want
> any
> > guaranty's
> > just your opinion.
> >   thanks in advance
> >                                             jack
> >                                                   91 GL
> >
>