I'd try a medium flat blade screw driver.
Many vanagon locking gas caps will open with a screw driver in the key slot.
Try medium force at the most, not brutal gorilla force ..
sometimes they open just fine that way.  I have at least two vanagons where
a screwdriver is the gas cap key, on stock gas caps.

Scott
www.turbovans.com

----- Original Message -----
From: "Joy Hecht" <jhecht@ALUM.MIT.EDU>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Thursday, April 14, 2011 6:36 PM
Subject: problems with lock on gas tank cap

>I found out this evening, when I stopped to fill my nearing-empty tank,
>that
> I can't get the key into the lock on the gas tank cap.
>
> Has this happened to anyone else before?  The key works fine in the
> ignition
> and the doors, so I assume the problem is in the lock.  I will try other
> keys, but I doubt that will solve it.
>
> I figured I'd start by talking to the locksmith shop on the corner, rather
> than talking to a vanagon repair person.  Unless anyone has other
> suggestions?
>
>
>
> Joy
>
> oh, and in case it matters - '89 vanagon.  But on this issues, I can't
> imagine it would matter.