Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2001 10:35:37 -0700
Reply-To: PSavage <psavage@SABER.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: PSavage <psavage@SABER.NET>
Subject: Back From Mexico!
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Saludos Listees!
After four months & 9,000 miles in my '85 Westy
I am safely back in northern CA from mainland Mexico.
Que Milagro!
NO serious trouble, mechanical or otherwise.
Ni Modo!
(A tailpipe went south, after slamming over an unmarked "tope,"
but was quickly replaced by a ten year old welder for five bucks.
Ditto my A/C fan, which screeches unmercifiully now.)
Milgracias!-- to all who contributed to the success of this,
my second successful roundtrip SOB in this beloved Westy.
Your advice, suggestions, humor & goodwill proved invaluable.
Nuts & Bolts: My van, tho in lovely shape, inside & out, when
bought a year ago last fall from her single PO, now has 225,000
original miles. The engine was rebuilt by the PO at 175,000 miles.
In the past year I've have spent nearly $5,000 on maintenance.
Prevention is the name of the game.
Spares: Fan belts, lenses & tail light assemblies, hose clamps, fuses,
a case of Castrol 20/50, 1 gallon Autobahn coolant, 3 Mahl oil
filters etc. Heavy duty tow straps & jumper cables; emergenty flares.
A mounted fire extinguisher. A few very basic tools & lots of duct tape.
Tires: Kirkland light truck all weather from Costco, still have
plenty of tread with 30,000 miles on them. I like these tire!
Tires inflated 45 front, 50 rear.
Two round trips to Mexico--& not a single flat.
A spare ECU is mounted alongside the original, for a quick
changeover, if needed. I considered carrying a spare fuel pump,
& even a water pump, but, lacked the funds.
Happily, the Bentley never saw light of day!
Gear: Simplicity/ Low Tech is my approach.
My Wolfsburg is the "weekend" model & suits my travel style.
I much prefer to carry my little propane stove in a zippered bag.
A pair of 1 gal propane tanks fit nicely under the jump seat.
This allows me to set up my kitchen anywhere I like...
My sturdy pair of folding nylon ice chests, small & large, are preferred
to a quirky propane fridge or even a rigid chest. Much of the time,
I enjoy meals in little cafes & taco stands, cheaper than cooking.
I am powered by an aux house battery & a small solar panel which
I use in a variety of ways. A Radio Shack charger keeps my
numerous AA batts topped off to power flashlights & nifty clip-on
book lite for reading under the covers. I carry a power inverter
for my Canon digicam batt charger & coffee grinder.
All of my "kitchen" fits nicely into a large, heavy vinyl plumber's bag
from Travel Smith.
I don't like clutter.
Everything I need for a winter in Mexico fits easily under seats or in
a variety of nylon duffle bags behind the fold-down seat.
Four bungee cords secure my two captain's chairs to the luggage rack.
Seeing my van, fully loaded for a winter's Mexican travel, you wouldn't
suspect I was going anywhere--which is just the way I like it.
A fleece blanket, same color as the interior, camoflages luggage stashed
behind the fold-down seat.
Indespensible: Two large, folding, silver quilted sun shades--easily
positioned to block sun, are also wonderful for darkening the canvas
in the pop top when sleeping near bright light. On chilly evenings, I
use the quilted shades to keep the upper berth warmer.
Security: One large plastic police whistle & some pepper spray--
comforting to have on hand, but I've never needed to use them.
Luggable Loo: At under $20, this discreet porta-potty, a 5 gal sheetrock
bucket with comfortable seat/lid, is my MOST beloved item of gear!
Dubbed it my "huggable loo"--for women especially, this is the #1 piece
of Westy travel gear; pack a couple bottles of the environmentally
friendly blue liquid from Wallmart to keep it smelling fresh.
Thunbs up! on the solar powered Nicro vent, I mounted in the sky light.
Great when it's raining, or when beach camping when salt mist is heavy
while sleeping at nite. Helps keep the van interior cool, much appreciated
by Stella, my little Pug.
Camping in tropics/beaches: I replaced my screens with the
necessary "no-see-em" mesh, available at outdoor equipment stores.
I also attached a length of the same material to the sliding door curtain;
Cut it long enough so it hangs down over the threshold
at least six inches--otherwise a breeze will blow it open continually.
Costs: I spend $800 per month traveling in Mexico.
This amount covers gas, toll road fees, food, restaurant meals
(including the occassional splurge), camping fees, which run from a low
of $5 to a high of $15 per nite, beer & liquor, trinkets & gifts, email,
etc.
I could manage on less, if need be, & still do nicely.
I speak good Spanish, which is a factor.
I met LOTS of Volks traveling in VW vans & Westys--both airheads
& waterboxers. Many Canadians, others from Oregon, CA, Texas,
New Mexico. I met several other women traveling alone, as well--
including a 76 year old retired hooker from Las Vegas!
Just do it.
Great to be back!
Phaedra
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