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Date:         Sat, 7 Oct 2000 09:05:00 -0700
Reply-To:     Steven Johnson <sjohnso2000@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Steven Johnson <sjohnso2000@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Trip report (summary and longer version) was:URGENT HELP NEEDED
              in Iowa (around Davenport area)
Comments: To: Joel Walker <jwalker17@EARTHLINK.NET>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Hi all,

I'd like to take the time to thank all of you that contributed to my plea for help (via Joel Walker) while I was out in Iowa wondering if I was going to make it Massachusetts or if I was going to have to dole out a healthy sum of $$$ to some questionable or quite reliable mechanic. I'd like to especially thank Joel for his efforts and concern for my wife and myself 's welfare. We did make it to Massachusetts and did so by basically stopping every 60 miles or so (based on toll road turnouts) to check the level of the coolant and to add when necessary. I typically added a few ounces (maybe .5 to 1 pint) every 120 miles. That's the basic summary of how we got here. I've since acquired a dial-up and can now access my email and the web. If you want more detail about the trip, read on!

The general gist of this trip is because I left my old job and Intel (sjohnson@pcocd2.intel.com) in Folsom, CA and am reporting to work this Monday at Sun Micro- systems in Chelmsford, MA. This came about when I decided that 16 years at Intel was enough and I wanted a change. I lived in the Central Valley all of my 46 years less 1.25 years commuting to the Silicon Valley in Santa Clara. Anyway, I because of the snow and po- tential rust, I opted to purchase another vanagon transporter so that I could park my VW camper in a garage to avoid rust damage. This '86 transporter was shipped along with my wife's '86 Nissan Sentra thanks to the generosity of Sun. So with the rest of our belongings, we headed out of Sacramento around noon.....in the opposite direction, because I needed to drive down to my mom's in Manteca, CA to say a last goodbye before we headed east.

At around 5:00PM we arrived back in Sacramento and continued on up I80 towards Reno.

Now let me get this piece of information out before I forget. I knew about this flange leak for Months and wasn't too worried about it as it didn't leak too much and the coolant was not leaking at any alarming rate at all. I had gone on other fairly extensive trips with very little coolant loss at all. So, I thought we'd be okay for 3,000 more miles. Little did I know.. ....

So we tootled along all the way to Wendover, NV and stopped there at 4:00AM and stayed at a Super 8 motel as the camper was too loaded down for any kind of lodging that would be comfortable with all the rest of our belongings in the van. Besides, Sun was covering the cost of lodging, so why not be as comfor- table as possible?

Next morning at 9:00 I checked the coolant and added some as usual, loaded the van, secured the bicycles and headed out after getting a quick breakfast at "The Red Garter Saloon". MMMM---MMMM! ;)

So we were on our way and I also want to mention that we did experience some of the hesitation problem which I though that the 22uf capacitor solution would fix. Well.... compared to my last drive through Nevada (which seems to be the place where it bucks and hiccups the most) the camper performed much better. So despite some bucking, I was pleased with how well it did perform.... I thought that maybe it was because I hadn't put in the additional ground strap from the AFM to the block that may be the reason for it not completely fixing the problem.....??? Probably won't know for a good while...

Okay, so on we went through the Salt flats, the Salt Lake City (SLC) detour loop on 215 and back up on to I80 again. According to Linda (my wife), she experienced no further engine hesitation. That would explain why I slept so well.... :)

I took over driving after a fuel stop and coolant check in SLC and as we continued on up over the Mountains. I enjoyed a lovely view of the foilage color all over the range there while Linda got some much needed sleep.

This was my first time on this part of I80 and didn't know what to expect. I just wanted to get to the next destination to meet my goal of 500 miles a day. The trucks drove by and passed us quite quickly as I main- tained a speed of 60 - 65 MPH. I hear most of you shuddering at such a slow rate, but I drove conserva- tively thinking that maybe it would keep the coolant loss down. Anyway, most of the scenery was pretty and it gradually gave way to open prairie with canyon pockets with small caches of snow here and there. It was pretty much mile after mile of gentle up and down rolling highway for most of the way. After a couple driving trade-offs we made it to our next destination of Cheyenne, WY where we stayed for the night at a Best Western motel. Nothing special, just unload that night and then reload the next morning.

Our next destination was Lincoln, NE where we planned to spend two nights so that we could get to go to the State Records and obtain a copy of my father's birth certificate. Linda is doing genealogy research and this would help her confirm information about my father's parents. We had to go to a library to get on line to make sure of my father's birth date as I did not know it off the top of my head. We also contacted my mom who, of course, confirmed it. So we got the certificate, did some laundry, dinner and pretty much ended the day early on.

The next day we were supposed to receive an express mail from the representative for our temporary lodgings in Mass. Well, by 11:00AM, there was know sign of a package with our apartment keys and I was really not happy about this as I needed to get down the road to our next destination - 500 miles away (Gary, IN). I talked with the rep. on the cell phone and said I couldn't wait any longer and headed out of town around 11:15AM. When we got to our first fuel stop, I noticed that the coolant had gone down dramatically and was not very delighted with this new problem. I added coolant back up to the max. line and hoped that it was just a fluke and headed down the road. At our next stop about 50 - 100 miles later, the new rate of coolant loss was confirmed and I started to worry. Where was the nearest large town/city with a VW shop? I decided that we could keep adding coolant and hope that nothing drastic happened. I had brought another gallon of pure coolant with us to make sure we could make the full trip. At this rate though, I'd have to get more. We made it all the way to Jordan, IA where I located a VW dealer from the phone book. I talked with the service rep. there and was weighing out my options of staying to wait for them to fix the leak or to just continue on with crossed fingers and extra jugs of coolant to satisfy the vans thirsty need... :(

Since the dealer stated that if the heads had to come off, the earliest it would be done would be the next week, I made my decision and purchased four jugs of the Audobahn coolant and headed out east.....

Living dangerously, I left a message with Joel Walker, (one of "the" vanagon authorities and the only one I had the phone number for) who I knew could trust to help make contact with someone from this area of the country. I kept driving on and on and added coolant about every 60 miles or so. This seemed to be the best amount of miles to stop and check the leak progress and to determine if more needed to be added. On average, I added coolant every other stop, but I wanted to stay on top of any possible further damage that might translate into more $$$$....

By the time we arrived in Davenport, IA, I decided it would be best to stop. There was a thunder storm accompanying us a little too close for comfort and I thought it best to call it a night and to let some of the stress go so that I could think better. When we arrived at the motel, the storm really bared down and there was quite a dazzling display of lightening strikes. I thought about the propane tank on top of the van and decided that I didn't really have anywhere else to leave it, so there it stayed. We were in our room and I was looking out the window when a bright strike hit just outside the window and popped on someone's car antenna. I said, "Wow!" Linda yelled, "Get away from that window!" I promptly did and the phone rang.... It was Joel.....

[Wow! what an omen!!]

I discussed the situation with Joel and at the time I thought it might be the heads leaking as well, but he felt that it was probably the flange further opening/warping and that I should not try to drive further. So my plan was to get up early the next morning to fix the leak. I thought I had the correct sealant (High Temp RTV) but as I found out the next morning, it was the wrong kind.... bummer!

So, taking another chance, I decided to keep nursing the coolant reservoir and heading further east. We made it all the way to Erie, PA (~600 miles) from Davenport, IA, where we found it extremely difficult to find a no-smoking, first floor room or any rooms at all. Finally at one of the exits, there was a no-smoking room that we were happy with. The coolant loss was unchanged thus far and I started to become optimistic about our chances.....

We ate very little for dinner that night as we were both tired and stressed from the long trip and the added bonus of leaking coolant. So we went to bed and woke up to our final day of moving....

Linda drove us from Erie through most of PA and a lot of New York. This allowed me some sleep and rest. We stopped regularly for the 60 mile checks and the rate of leakage remained the same or sometimes a little better, sometimes a little worse. I added coolant as needed and we kept driving with more and more rain added to the mix. It drizzled on and off most of the day.

That evening, as we arrived in MA, the rain increased. It got darker and darker and the rain came in sheets and was blasted into our windshield by trucks and other vehicles. We progressed through the mountains of western MA and it seemed to go on forever. As I watched the miles click by I started thinking, "hey, we're getting within AAA Plus towing distance.." :)

I kept driving and watched to see how slick the road was as best I could. Occasionally, I'd slow down because it rained so hard and the surface of the road was not visible. This went on for quite some time. At around 8:00PM, we finally got off the I90 turnpike and headed north along I495 which is the outer belt way around Boston. We had about 30 miles to go and I wanted to stop for dinner before we arrived to get our bearings and to make sure we had food in our stomachs for the unloading part of the adventure.

After a couple bogus turn-offs for places to eat we found a nice dinner spot called "Ken's American Cafe" just north of Bolton, MA. We both ate to our hearts content and I was able to contact the rep. that had our keys for our apartment.... She had decided to hide the keys so that when we arrived, I could locate them and gain access. I also needed the directions on how exactly to get to the apartments, which I got as well.

So we headed out thinking we were almost there..... But, as be were driving along shortly after the restaurant stop, a minivan in front of us hit a slick spot and careened off the inner guard rail and then shot across in front of us as I slowed down (Linda was urgently telling me to stop!) not wanting to skid myself on one hand and yet not wanting to collide with the other van. Fortunately, neither happened and the other van stopped immediately after it hit the outer guard rail. I pulled over just behind them and Linda hit the flashers. We got out as the husband was helping his wife out and hugging her. Linda stayed with the van while I asked if both were all right? I asked if they wanted me to call 911 (seems stupid now, but you never know). So I had Linda call and then she got out and helped to comfort the wife as she was obviously in a bit of shock. We talked with the couple and off and on we looked at the damage. The horn was blaring but I didn't want to get close to the vehicle because I wasn't sure of its condition. The front end was damaged badly and I assume that it would be totaled by the insurance company. The rain continued and other motorists stopped. One of them recommended that we stand behind the guard rail as it was apparent that another vehicle could do the same or worse. So we stood back for what seemed like a quarter of an hour before a police officer arrived. I stated to him what had happened and he checked out the couple and said that a fire truck and ambulance was on the way. Several more police vehicles arrived and finally the fire truck. Not long after, the ambulance arrived and from there we said our goodbyes and the officer in charge allowed us to go.

We finally found the entrance to our apartment complex and made it to the door. I tried finding the keys, but did not find them. So, once again, I contacted the rep. from the company and explained what had happened. She exclaimed, "Oh my goodness!" and that she had actually stopped at the accident and talked with us to make sure we had contacted the police!

This was too wild and funny! So she said she had decided to deliver the key personally and there we met and had a good laugh about it. From there we got our belongings in and finally got a real good night's rest!!! :) So we made it in good shape and I'll get on that coolant leak right away!!!!

Thanks to all again for your help!!!!

Thanks Joel!!! Your the best!!!

Steven & Linda

P.S. For those of you who got this that are not on the vanagon list, I just wanted you to have a copy so you could read this account of our journey as well....

--- Joel Walker <jwalker17@EARTHLINK.NET> wrote: > Steven Johnson, of the list, late of California, is > on his way with > his 90 camper to his new home in New Hampshire. his > bus has started

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