In a message dated 9/28/99 4:01:49 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
gmbulley@BULLEY-HEWLETT.COM writes:

<< on a Vanagon, you have the additional obligation of cleaning and
 repainting the seam seals on a yearly/biyearly basis. I do this by masking
 off the surrounding paint, cleaning with lacquer thinner and a LARGE number
 of q-tips, then repainting with touch-up paint to match your paint code.
 >>

seam rust comes from behind...  so you need to stop water from entering the
seams from inside your van, or in the rear wheelwells.
 the horizontal seam behind the rear wheel well, is actually the "floor" of
the rear battery box compartments (which, of course, on a vanagon arent used
for batterys)  on the earlier buses, and some early vanagons, there was a
drain hole at the bottom of these compartments.  in like 82 or 83 they
stopped putting the drainhole in them for some reason.  everytime it rains,
or you wash your van, water enters the rear air scoops, and falls down inside
and sits on this "floor" where the horizontal seam is.   i drilled a drain
hole in mine, on my 84, because there wasnt one there.   Incredibly poor
design from vw..
this is why that rear horizontal seam rusts.  also, get a flashlight, lay on
your back under the rear wheel wells, and poke around up against the body,
where that seam comes to the body..  most likely, you will find rust there..
on my '84, which has only 78k, and is completely solid, there was some rust
starting there..   try it, i think most of you will find that its rusting
there, under the factory seam sealer..

chris