Check the hatch seal, but it's likely the window seal.  Water seeps in and
runs down behind the panel into the door. I had the same thing with my van
from a hot climate in rainy Seattle.  It must have been parked all the time
with the rear facing south, the seal was very hard.  Removal and
installation is easy with two people, a 1/4" rope and liberal application of
silicone spray.  Cut off the inside lip of the old seal to remove the
window.  Repair any rust you find!

Stuart

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Tom Carchrae
Sent: Monday, September 30, 2013 10:34 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: water in the rear hatch door

When I open the rear hatch, a stream of water empties out.  I presume the
primary cause is the window seal, which visually appears ok, but I plan on
replacing my window seals this winter.  I wondered if there are any other
common ingress points, like the VW badge, seal behind the door, or lock.

I have not been out to empty today, but boy did we get a lot of rain this
weekend.

Tom