Date: Fri, 4 Aug 2000 12:26:55 -1000
Reply-To: Mick Kalber <hotlava@interpac.net>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Mick Kalber <hotlava@interpac.net>
Subject: Big Island vs REALLY Big Island
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Gun...
I really wasn't trying to rub it in... sure we have great places to go, but
you guys have the whole country! I can't go to Yellowstone or the Grand
Canyon, or Yosemite or...
Believe it or not I got Matson (the shipping company out here with the
monopoly on Hawaii shipments) to ship my 89 syncro westy here from Seattle
two months ago for just $850 instead of $1200 or even more they quoted for a
camper. We removed the propane tank and the knobs and grill from the stove
and shipped them separately (which, granted did cost a little extra), and
since it then did not have a stove (theoretically) and had no "permanent"
bed, they let it go as a car. Unfortunately you can't put anything in the
vehicle when you ship it. If you could it would be a great bargain
seemingly, except that things would disappear on the trip over. You can
only leave things inside that are bolted down.
I'd say buy a vw cheap over there, bring it over here and sell it, but that
may not work either unless you got it real cheap and it was in great
shape... believe it or not, Hawaii isni't too hip to vw buses. I can't
quite figure it out... they are the perfect car for here... at least the
syncros are. Most people here are into their jacked up big engine 4x4
trucks, etc. Not very many camper conversions. To illustrate my point...
in 1994 I found a 1990 syncro westy on a car lot here. It was cherry. Only
54,000 original miles, one owner, no rust, immaculate... the bomb! I was
only one year into a lease on a 93 Jeep Grand Cherokee and would have taken
a bath if I'd sold it and bought the syncro. But I wish I had taken the
loss and bought it anyway. They were asking about $17K for it and I'm sure
I could have gotten it for 15 or 16... it was only four years old mind you.
It sat on that lot for THREE MONTHS. NOBODY EVER BOUGHT IT! It made me
sick every time I drove past. They just don't understand/appreciate vw/vw
syncros here. But I do and my 89 is fabulous!
Yes, Molokai is killer... I've been meaning to look into what it would cost
me to ship my bus to another island for a little camping trip. I will be at
least $300 round trip, maybe more, but it might be worth it for a week or
ten day vacation to Maui or Molokai, or even Kauai. But first, I have a bit
of syncro exploring to do here.
Have fun on your trip... and shed a tear for us poor isolated islanders as
you travel the wide expanses of the really big island
Mick Kalber
Tropical Visions Video, Inc.
62 Halaulani Place Hilo, Big Island of Hawaii 96720
ph. 808-935-5557 fax 808-935-0066
hotlava@interpac.net
www.volcanoscapes.com
-----Original Message-----
From: The Gunnings [mailto:ngunn@landmarknet.net]
Sent: Friday, August 04, 2000 10:58 AM
To: Mick Kalber; The Vanagon List
Subject: Re: geo journey jealously
Hi Mick., it's not the "that wet drive to San Francisco" that bothers me so
much as the toll bridge from L.A. to Hawaii at $1,200 a pop. Had the
pleasure of living on the backshore of Oahu when I was much younger, many,
many, many moons ago. Also spent a chunk of time on Molokai, where I felt
as if I had maybe died and gone to heaven. I've always wanted to travel to
the "Big Island" w/ my Vanagon. The hard part is figuring-out which or what
commodity to load my Vanagon w/ for Hawaiian resale to pay for the cost of
the crossing, upon arrival. Any suggestions? Dave Gunning P.S. Living in
Hawaii leaves you very little room for "jealously" of any sort. Yeah,
right, rub it in!
.
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