I bought the Avital 3100L alarm, which has lock control and an ignition interrupt, and Swiss made MES actuators from  www.a1electric.co.  About $120. I also added their SPAL universal power window kit while I was at it for another $150. I love them all, and the documentation was great.  I can send you a photo of the lock actuator installation, it's very confined, and you need to use a hole saw to get access to the push button lock rod.  

There are non-alarm options for the lock actuators, but I need an alarm for the city I live in and the cities I travel to.  It's all about deterrent. For campgrounds I've installed a switch for the siren so I don't accidentally wake up the whole campground, which I once did, and I hear many others doing.

Stuart

-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Felder [mailto:jim.felder@gmail.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, November 18, 2014 5:06 PM
To: Stuart MacMillan
Cc: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Subject: Re: New diesel from VW

Stuart,

Which power lock kit did you use?

Jim

> On Nov 18, 2014, at 6:57 PM, Stuart MacMillan <stuartmacm@gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> It's possible.  Just lock the driver's door from the inside and go out the slider and lock it. . .  That's why I installed power locks with alarm on my '85. 
> 
> Stuart
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On 
> Behalf Of Jim Felder
> Sent: Tuesday, November 18, 2014 1:58 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: New diesel from VW
> 
> Don't get me started. We once had a chrysler minivan that ALWAYS locked all the doors if the motor was running after a minute or so. I had AAA on speed dial. I'm told it's a feature. It's much harder to lock yourself out of a vanagon. Is it possible? I love all the places to hide a key box, too.
> 
> Jim
> 
>> On Tue, Nov 18, 2014 at 3:32 PM, Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@cox.net> wrote:
>> 
>> ---- Stephen Engel <sengel543@YAHOO.COM> wrote:
>>> It's not just diesels, but gas vehicles too. I guess there is a way 
>>> to
>> leave your vehicle running and lock it. It seems that at almost any 
>> given time in store parking lots there is some car running with no 
>> one inside. I assume they're wanting to keep the a/c or heat going.
>> 
>> My Prius sets up a squealing fuss if one tries to lock it with the 
>> key fob inside, and won't implement the lock command.  But that's a 
>> Toyota built on purpose to be "high tech."  Actually seems silly.  I 
>> might want to lock a key fob inside.  If they made it the way they 
>> did, they could make it to detect if a key fob is also outside (the 
>> lock switch is on the door).  But I think most vehicles can be locked 
>> while running.  I know that those that use a normal mechanical key can be.
>> 
>> mcneely
>> 
>>> 
>>> Steve
>>> 87 Syncro
>>> 
>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>> 
>>>> On Nov 18, 2014, at 1:00 PM, Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@COX.NET> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> Ok, but do they need to be left idling for hours on end?  I'm 
>>>> talking
>> about personal vehicles, not giant tractors.  I do see them that way, 
>> including a GM pickup yesterday.  mcneely
>>>> 
>>>> ---- KI4TLF <ki4tlf@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
>>>>> Yes and no.  The larger truck diesels can be, but it's like a
>> turbocharged gas engine.  Best to let them run for 1 to 3 minutes 
>> depending on the outside temperature.  Same for shutdown.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Cold weather you need to get the oil circulating through the turbo 
>>>>> as
>> it warms up from the engine and exhaust heat.  With some of the new 
>> variable vane turbos, they can spin faster with less exhaust 
>> pressure, so the need for oil circulation is more critical.  That's 
>> one of the reasons for the lower viscosity synthetic oil.
>>>>> 
>>>>> That being said, unless it's one of the newer diesel trucks with 
>>>>> the
>> shutters in front of the radiator, they still have problems with real cold
>> weather getting warm.   I'm running a sheet of cardboard in front of my
>> radiator, but behind the intercooler.
>>>>> 
>>>>> GregM
>>>>> 
>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On
>> Behalf Of Dave Mcneely
>>>>> Sent: Tuesday, November 18, 2014 9:24 AM
>>>>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>>>>> Subject: Re: New diesel from VW
>>>>> 
>>>>> Just yesterday I was on my daily walk and passed by a giant diesel
>> pickup parked by the curb with a big "camping" trailer (portable
>> house) behind it.  The engine was running.  An hour later I passed it again.
>> Still there, still running.
>>>>> 
>>>>> I know that diesel engines in the old days were hard to start, 
>>>>> took a
>> good long while to heat up, and ran inefficiently until fully hot.  
>> But that isn't true now, is it?  Aren't automotive diesel engines 
>> supposed to fire right up and be driven away immediately, like gasoline engines?
>>>>> 
>>>>> mcneely
>>>>> 
>>>>> ---- "SDF ( aka ;jim lahey' - Scott )" 
>>>>> <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
>> wrote:
>>>>>> diesels might be outlawed ????
>>>>>> that is fantastic news !!!
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> ( wouldn't be so bad if people would shut the damn things off ! 
>>>>>> )
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> lol..where I am diesel fuel is almost 5 dollars a gallon.
>>>>>> and fortunately not many diesel cars.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> On 11/17/2014 8:33 AM, Jim Felder wrote:
>>>>>>> When diesels are outlawed, only outlaws will have diesels.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Outlaw Jim
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> On Mon, Nov 17, 2014 at 11:58 AM, Don Hanson 
>>>>>>> <dhanson928@gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>  If Obama came out in favor of the English system, we'd have 
>>>>>>>> metric in a Heartbeat.....If Obama said diesels should be 
>>>>>>>> regulated, we would have them in all our vehicles, just like 
>>>>>>>> the
>> rest of the world...
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> On Mon, Nov 17, 2014 at 9:54 AM, Dave Mcneely 
>>>>>>>> <mcneely4@cox.net>
>> wrote:
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>> ---- "Chris S." <szpejankowski@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>> I would love to see an affordable TDI in my Vanagon. Wait, 
>>>>>>>>>> what is that
>>>>>>>>> spooling woosh sound?  Ah, that's sound of the V8 becoming
>> obsolete.
>>>>>>>>>> Word is that we will see this engine stateside as soon as the 
>>>>>>>>>> metric
>>>>>>>>> system is adopted as the US standard.
>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>> Well, that's not going to happen.  Don't you know that the 
>>>>>>>>> metric system is a part of the socialist takeover plan for the 
>>>>>>>>> U.S.?  lol
>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>> Chris.
>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>> Wysłane z iPhone'a
>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>> Dnia Nov 16, 2014 o godz. 22:52 John Rodgers 
>>>>>>>>>> <jrodgers113@GMAIL.COM>
>>>>>>>>> napisał(a):
>>>>>>>>>>> A new 2.0 L four cyl 269 hp engine has just been shown by VW.
>>>>>>>>>>> And the
>>>>>>>>> thing
>>>>>>>>>>> gets 40-50 mpg.
>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>> Thats all i can tell you right now. Saw a picture of it an 
>>>>>>>>>>> its little monster .
>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>> John
>>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>>> David McNeely
>>>>> 
>>>>> --
>>>>> David McNeely
>>>> 
>>>> --
>>>> David McNeely
>> 
>> --
>> David McNeely
>