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Date:         Fri, 14 Sep 2001 10:27:22 EDT
Reply-To:     Oxroad@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jeffrey R <Oxroad@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: My Westy as an everyday vehicle... a little long.
Comments: To: cr_rowland@yahoo.com
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

Chris--

Your bus had 145K on her. Your commute is 50 miles a day, or 250 miles a week, or 13,000 a year. So lets add to that 13,000 some driving to the grocery store and the hardware store and to relatives houses and to the beach and maybe even a camping trip here and there. So now you're putting, conservatively I would say, 16,000 miles on your Westy a year. By the end of a year you've got 161,000 on her. by the end of the two years I think you said you'd drive it daily you'd have 177,000, and by the end of three short years you will retire your Westy with about 200,000 on her. And I would argue even with the $3500 you'd put into your Westy over the three years at 200,000 miles she's just about done. (my math is no doubt wrong, but bear with me)

I'm sure there are some who will say they've gotten 300,000 out of their busses or more. But realistically I think you're pushing it at 200,000--even with a new engine and trans and what have you. I'm all for doing work on your bus--but for me the real joy of a Westy is camping. And haveing the option to camp at the drop of a dime. Having a easily maneuverable vehicle with most the comforts of home at your disposal. Not having to make hotel reservations. The option to stealth camp along the way to the destination. The luxury of a sink and fridge and bed on a long road trip---even if it's just the pleasure of a drink of water from the sink with out having to pull off the road--or washing up after you spill the soda. (yeah--that's me).

My point is, the Westy is cool. It's great to have. But you only use about 20% of it's worth when you use it as a commuter. And every mile you put on it on your way to work is a mile you won't be able to use on a destination to parts unknown for a trip. So you could feasibly use up all the available mileage having wasted 80% of the vehicle in the process. (this kind of math, I'm sure, makes sense only to me). A vehicle is a finite entity. One day your bus will be worn out. Could be ten years from now, or it could be three. Could have years of memories from great trips far and wide or could have dings in the door from the parking lot at work.

I've driven my Westy every day for the last year. I used to use it only for trips and put about 6,000 mile on her a year. This year I've put on about 20,000. One long trip cross country--great. And the rest piling on the mile going to work and the like. Right now I'm doing all I can to get a second car. Driving the westy daily was part of the plan when I moved...but the plan was temporay--till I could afford a second car.

Here in LA it doesn't fit in many parking garages because of height. It get dinged up at Ralph's (grocery store). It's crappy on gas in city driving. It has no power steering which is no problem on the open road--but squeezing into tight spots is a drag. And with every mile I put on her I know that's one less mile toward Wyoming, or Colorado, or parts unknown. And that frustrates me.

I can't wait till I can park it. Catch up on some upgrades, maintanance and repairs. And drive some VW Fox--or if I'm really living large, a Honda-- till it will go no more.

That's my 2 cents Good luck Jeff 1983.5 Westy LA,CA

In a message dated 9/13/2001 7:12:38 PM Pacific Daylight Time, cr_rowland@YAHOO.COM writes:

> It has 145K miles on her 15K of which I have put > on. The 1.9 hasn't given me any problems and drives well--I can do 70 mph at > 3900 RPM and typically get 20-22 mpg averaging between 60-65 mph on the road. > > My daily commute is 50 miles round trip, all highway driving. >


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