>> that damn rear
> > heater (which is another thing I don't really like the location of.)
> >

Annie, lots in the archives about the rear heater.  I don't know what climate you live in, but it gets really cold here sometimes.  However, I found the rear heater just a pain, and removed it.  The hoses can be removed, and at the branch points under the van just routed forward.  No more rear heater, no more chance for coolant leaks in the storage compartment, another 1.5 cubic ft of storage, with nothing to damage there.  I sealed the holes the hoses pass through, but they could be plugged with something removable instead.  I kept the heater in case a future owner might want it.

David McNeely