Date: Wed, 23 Feb 2000 22:53:17 -0800
Reply-To: Max/Joyce Wellhouse <maxjoyce@IPA.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Max/Joyce Wellhouse <maxjoyce@IPA.NET>
Subject: Re: Vanagon safety and design?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Jennifer: This as///le has to have stock in Daimler Chrysler. Let me TELL
you and the list about our brand new 1989 Dodge Grand Caravan SE.
Transmission toast at 80k,h yper-expensive cracked head at 90k. Tranny
ready to die again at 140k when we dumped it for ....yes a "better and
improved" 94 Town and country. Better motor, same tranny used car had 58k
on it. at 60k the tranny died the first time, within the 12k warranty it
died again. we're at about 10 months on the current one and it's feeling
like it's going down a third time. a friend of ours put 3 trannys in his
93 caravan before 60k! You think we rag on the leaky heads? Imagine what a
hypothetical Caravan.com list would be buzzing about.
The bad part is that the "new body style" Caravan has the same transmission
in it.
As far as safety goes, if driving my Vanagon gets me to heaven quicker,
what's so bad about that?
Dimwitted Moose and Flying Squirrel
-----Original Message-----
From: Jennifer Jones <jj1@MAIL.TDS.NET>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Date: Wednesday, February 23, 2000 12:21 PM
Subject: Vanagon safety and design?
>Hello - I will update further on this in another message, but I am just on
>the brink of buying an '85 Westy with 75K original miles, in excellent
>condition (haven't seen it in person, but was sent about 5 pictures and it
>looks immaculate), for $6500. I'm planning on having the owner take it in
>for a compression test, leak-down test, and maint. inspection. Anyway...
> was just on the phone with my insurance agent to see about rates for the
>Westy. He spent about 20 minutes trying to talk me out of buying it!
>
>His main issue (along with lack of power and crappy gas mileage) was safety
>and design. He said Vanagons just fold up like an accordion when hit. He
>basically said the design was terrible and that it was analogous to he and
>I went going into a garage and building a car. He specifically mentioned
>the how everything was run by cables that run underneath the car, and that
>these are susceptible to corrosion, etc.
>
>Anyway, given that eventually I want to use the camper for touring (as in,
>musical) and want to tow a small trailer with equipment behind, he tried to
>talk me into getting an early '90s Dodge Caravan with a 3.0 L engine. Said
>the they got great gas mileage, were very safe, and had a lot of power.
> And, that I could convert the inside into some kind of camper.
>
>Now, it must be said, he didn't change my mind - I want this Westy ! I
>also think Dodge Caravans have about as much character as a cardboard box.
> But, he did give me an interesting perspective. It must also be said that
>he's just the agent, not the underwriter, he so isn't in charge of whether
>they'll insure the van or not. It's possible they won't (guess they're
>afraid of people living in 'em - he he :)).
>
>I hadn't heard that about the safety, or about Vanagons being poorly
>designed. Obviously, since we're all on this list, we don't have the same
>opinion., but I was curious as to people's response to his views...
>
>Thanks, JJ
>
>(soon to be : '85 Westy!)
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