Erik wrote:

>With this talk of engine fires and decklids and such, I thought >I'd add
>my couple cents...

>Fire extinguishers are available from the marine industry >that mount in
>the engine compartment of boats, or in this case, your >vanagon. They are
>set to go off automatically in case of a fire. There was a >women
>listmember here about 7 or 8 months ago from the East coast >that swore
>by them. She had completely lost her '91 Westfalia and wasn't >about to
>do it again. These setups can be had for under $200 I'm sure. >If you
>travel with a dog or other animal it's a must!

      West Marine carries two brands of automatic fire extinguishers. They are
designed to activate when temperatures reach 165-175 degrees F. The cheapest
one covers  75 square feet and costs $169.99. The difference between these and
regular ext.'s is that these have a sprinkler type head on them. I have their
98 master catalog, but they also have a website at www.westmarine.com.
      I wonder how hot it actually gets in the engine compartment,? especially
during the summer months. I have a digital thermometer, so  I'll figure out a
good place to mount an extinguisher and tape the thermo there to get some
readings. Although it is COLD here in the east at the moment. I'll post my
findings.
      Usual disclaimers.....no sales pimping here. : )

Tim
Princeton, NJ
85 Westy Wolfsburg
84 GTI