I tell people they take 'special care and understanding'.

they're not idiot proof at all really.
It's normal, and smart, really . to look at the temp guage every minute
or two while driving.
They have far more cooling system parts in them..
theparts are all 25ish years old if they have not been replaced yet.

I hope you know that a car should not use coolant at all.
It is normal for Vanagons to use coolant very slowly ..
like an inch in the license plate bottle every few weeks.
Ifind many of those bottles empty.  Check the gasket on the cap ..on the
license plate bottle ..I find those deteriorating commonly too.
Need to keep a close eye on ALL fluids , for any vehicle actually.

always watch for leaks under it.
here's a great tip ..every time you park and get out of the van, sniff
in the left upper air intake grill..
for coolant smell, burning oil, raw fuel.
That can save your vanagon.
They ain't no old toyota you can just drive for decades and barely
change the oil , not even close.
But they are awesome.
great handling, highly versatile, come with a whole family of very good
people too.

scott
www.turbovans.com

On 4/19/2013 8:22 PM, tina canny wrote:
> Thanks everyone
>   I'm a newbie to the vanagon. I appreciate all the advice.
> Tina
>