Date:         Fri, 21 Apr 2000 09:24:00 -0600
Reply-To:     "Jon B. Kanas" <kanas@QUALITY.QADAS.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "Jon B. Kanas" <kanas@QUALITY.QADAS.COM>
Subject:      I want to go on my trip....
Comments: To: john@DATAKNIGHT.COM
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII

John,

I think you're getting a bit too worried about "what you've gotten into".
Please let me give you a little history, and hopefuly a brighter
perspective.

I've owned three VW campers over the past 20 years.  The first one was a
1971 which was a horrible rust bucket.  My fiancee at the time, now wife,
was thrilled when I finally got rid of it.  She hated it.  No more VS
busses, ever she said.  I was sad, but understood the validity of all of
her complaints.  Within three months, she had to have another one.  It was
just too nice on trips, and for hauling stuff around town.

I bought a 1983 Westfalia with 40K miles on it.  We drove this, including
many delightfully long trips through rural America, until it had 140K
miles on it.  Yes, we did have to do head gaskets.  No, we didn't worry
that it would not start or that it would die in the woods.  It had to be
towed once when I severely flooded it in the Colorado mountains as -30F.
I sold it when I located a 1987 Westfalia Syncro.  I sold it for nearly as
much as I paid for it, with 5 years and 100K more miles on it.

Now I have a 1987 Westfalia Syncro.  We travel in it extensively, usually
for 2 to 3 weeks at a time.  Now we are travelling as two adults (term
used loosely), two small children, two golden retrievers etc.  We're in
Colorado...  lots of hard mountain passes, cold weather, stream crossings
etc.  I am confident that this Vanagon will serve us well for many long
trips, as well as serve it's other purpose of hauling whatever will not
fit in the other cars.  We're seriously considering a trip to Alaska in it
and we're not going to rebuild it before we go.  We'll clean it up, make
sure important stuff like the cell phone antenna and stereo are working,
change the oil, check the coolant, check the tires and take off.

The Vanagon list is a wonderful place...  but remember, it is a group of
enthusiasts who love their vehicles participating in a predominantly
technical interchange.  You hear about a lot of problems because that is
why many people participate in the list; they need answers to technical
problems.  I have been active in the list for a couple of years, yet I
mostly lurk unless there is a question asked which I feel competent enough
to answer, or have a technical question of my own, or want to rant (like
today).

Don't let the list scare you away from your Vanagon.  There is nothing
quite like travelling in it.  Fundamentally, it is a very solid, high
quality vehicle.  Remember, too, most other cars are at the recycling
center by the time they reach the age or mileage of the Vanagons we
discuss here.

Enjoy...
Jon