Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2000 08:51:40 EST
Reply-To: KENWILFY@AOL.COM
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: KENWILFY@AOL.COM
Subject: Re: "Drive-Aways:" Van Content
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
I just wanted to relate a couple of things here. One is I know there is a
program set up where college students drive peoples vehicles across the
country, etc for the cost of gas. I had a customer do this last summer to
get his Westy from Cali to New Jersey. One problem with this is, if there
are any problems lurking in the van, this is when they will pop up so this
might not be a good option for anything but a very solid van (the customer
had his rear heater core go on the trip, the college student was a German and
took it straight to the dealer. Could've destroyed the engine if the student
was less vigilant. You can see what potential for disaster this kind of a
scenerio could have.)
I have personal experience doing this kind of thing. If you will check the
archives for two years ago in August you will find the tale of my cross
country trip. I advertised on the List that I would be willing to drive a
fellow list member's van across country for him for the cost of gas and a
plane ticket back to NJ. One member responded and I went up to Long Island,
picked up a cherry '87 Westy with only 45k miles on it and then swung back to
NJ to pick up my 90 year old Grandmother and my best friend Brian. We spent
the next week and a half crossing the country on I-40 and having many
adventures. It was a trip and neither I nor, my grandmother, nor Brian, will
ever forget. My Grandmother always wanted to see the Grand Canyon and so I
prayed I could find a way to get here there, and I did (prayer answered :)
We had alot of fun, a great time together, and the van ran great the whole
trip (it did develop an exhaust leak after the first full day of driving, but
that was it).
We delivered it to the List member and flew back to NJ (I wouldn't advise
driving back right away as I was pretty sore from the road).
Great trip, great fun and lots of memories. Hope that some of the folks on
the list can get together to do something like this, this year. I would love
to take another trip (across the top of the US this time).
Just felt like sharing.
Thanks,
Ken Wilford
http://www.vanagain.com
John 3:16
Office (856)-765-1583
Shop (856)-327-0027
Fax (856)-327-2242
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