You underestimate the capabilities of a complete idiot. Just stand at the
rear and pull down hard on the edge of the shelf, there is obviously no
other way to get in there, right? Why someone this clueless thought they
could fix anything amazes me.  Turns out the auto tranny died too, and his
father paid for a rebuilt unit from GT ($2700 installed).  Fortunately, he
had to sell the van to pay his dad back, or I think he would have completely
destroyed the rig in a few more months.

It was a situation where he inherited the van from his grandmother and
didn't appreciate it. It had been very well cared for and stored in a garage
its whole life, then he got his hands on it. First, he left the Fiamma 45
awning up in a windstorm and it was ripped off the van and destroyed. Then
came the A/C debacle and the transmission. I've also had to replace the idle
control module and alternator, and am still working on a misfire under load
(full tune up, new fuel pump, and rebuilt injectors coming this week).

My son found another A/C cabinet on eBay for $150 that I will convert into a
shelf, but we are still looking for a grey non A/C cabinet.  Yeah, I know,
hell could freeze over before we find that.

Stuart

From: JordanVw@aol.com [mailto:JordanVw@aol.com]
Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2014 9:14 AM
To: stuartmacm@GMAIL.COM; vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: A/C problems

In a message dated 11/19/2014 12:09:11 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
stuartmacm@GMAIL.COM writes:

The PO was clueless and just ripped the bottom off the cabinet. Idiot.

how do you "rip off the bottom of the cabinet"???  there is no way to take
just the bottom of the cabinet off..   the whole cabinet has to be unbolted.