Thought I should pass this along.  A friend had an unusual cause for engine
problems on a recent camping trip.  He parked his camper (2001 Volkswagen
Eurovan Weekender, blue) for five days without moving it at a back country
cabin in the Malheur National Forest (he went there for the recent eclipse,
and I was with him along with several other friends and family members).

As he made his way back to Southern California via U.S. 395, his power
steering belt broke, and upon examination he discovered a mass of sticks in
the engine compartment, and a dead wood rat. The sticks were the rat's
nest.  Further, he had a newly developed oil leak, where one of the sticks
had punctured a seal, I suppose while being flung about by the broken belt.

He was able to get the van to a competent mechanic in Lakeview, Oregon (or
Lakeview, California, I'm not sure I got that part right), but had to wait
four days for the parts to get there (not sure where he got them).

Moral, after parking your Vanagon or other vehicle for several days
(especially in localities frequented by wood rats), check for rat's nests.

mcneely