Thanks to Joel, William, Dennis & Tim
for the helpful info on the front suspension squeak. I am going to wait on
that project until this summer. We will be moving close to a friend of mine
who has lots of tools and space to fix just about anything. 

In the mean time, I am trying to gather all the right parts for a dual
battery/PV solar installation. I need to be ready to leave by Saturday for a
2 week road trip from N. CA to Santa Fe, Taos, and maybe S. Utah. So if any
of you see a dirt-brown '84 Vanagon Westy cruising through the desert SW with
2 mt. bikes & a PV panel on top(I hope!), give us a honk!! 

I've sent for the sheetmetal battery compartment & lid assembly (that's
missing from my Vanagon) to be pop riveted inside the driver side under-seat
aux. battery cavity. Also coming: SCI MKlll charge controller, Solavolt 7500
72.2watt PV panel/mount brackets and an inverter to run AC equipment. So far,
Solar Electric in San Diego has been unable to ship the PV panel I want.
Apparent problems with suppliers and nothing in stock...  Very frustrating!
 I did find a great source for deep-cycle batteries to fit Vanagons: ARC
Battery Co. Inc. in Sausalito (Al Fredrich 415 332-3272). Al learned the
business from his dad and REALLY knows his stuff. Called him up, told him
what I needed, went over to pick up the battery!  Wished I had called him
first! (I almost stuck a trojan under the rear bench because I could'nt find
a deep cycle battery to fit under the drivers seat) So, now I just sit here
with my van torn apart waiting for the parts to arrive....  aarrgg!

Keith O

PS Please correct me if I am wrong, but I am assuming that to stop the
Vanagon mail from clogging my mailbox while I am gone, I send an unsubscribe
"my name" Vanagon List note.