hi Don ..
great to hear about the lubed-ness !
I find on the 84 and early sliding doors I have to take the door panel off and really lube things internally ..
that large coil spring they put in is 'engineer threoretically' the right size ..
but in the real world, it's way too strong.   Lubing there helps.

( also, come to think of it ..if the black plastic cover is still in place on the aft edge of the sliding door..where it covers a pivot point for the 'pivoting track bar' or whatever you want to call it ..
I take those off so I can lube that pivot spot. I had one 82 Diesel westy here that was so unlubed for so long there, the sliding door would not close.  Had to shoot that spot about 50 times over a two week period for it to start working again. ) 

On the inside of any door ...........I always put some sticky-backed rubber sound absorbing materials ..that I get from pro grade body supply stores ....to glue to the inside of the door skin ..
changes the 'clang' to a bit more in the direction of 'thunk' .   
Plus general under-way sound absorbtion too. 

I never have been much of an early riser....except to go sking, or fishing, or start a big trip ..
normally I'm a 'don't want to stop doing stuff at night' person. 
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Don Hanson 
  To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans 
  Cc: vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com 
  Sent: Saturday, March 05, 2011 2:32 PM
  Subject: Re: Slam! that slider....can you not?

    OK, a second handle it is, then.  All the hardware on my door is adjusted, lubed, and operating properly.  My vanagon, an 84, sounds just like every other vanagon I have heard.  I might try to put something in the door and the adjacent rear panel, maybe take a bit of the hollow sound out, besides the handle.  As in my original post, when you  close it with a push on the rear, from outside, it is pretty quiet...so the rear handle inside should be about the same, and that would be 'appreciated' around many quiet campsites, I am sure....I tend to be an early riser...
     Thanks all,  Don Hanson

  On Sat, Mar 5, 2011 at 1:35 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:

    some are installed vertically ..
    but horizontal pointing forward is correct. 

    ----- Original Message -----
    From: "David Beierl" <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
    To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>

    Sent: Saturday, March 05, 2011 11:32 AM
    Subject: Re: Slam! that slider....can you not?

      At 02:12 PM 3/5/2011, HotelWestfalia wrote:

        The earlier models had a rear door handle inside, next to the rear seat,
        horizontally fitted, as David was telling.  Sometimes it's missing and
        even

      Except I wrote vertically by mistake...

      :)
      d