Date: Sun, 25 Nov 2001 23:18:58 -0500
Reply-To: Ron Semko <vwbuspilot@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Ron Semko <vwbuspilot@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: A BIGGER Vanagon, sortof?
Content-Type: text/html
<html><div style='background-color:'><DIV>
<P>Go to:</P>
<P><A href="http://www.lazydays.com">www.lazydays.com</A></P>
<P>then "inventory", and put in: "new", "Winnebego", and "Vista" to see the "new" class "C" Winnebego on a Eurovan chassis.</P>
<P>We (yes I have changed from Bates Rv to Lazy Days, Dennis. recently Bates gave up the Beaver Safari and National lines to Lazy days, and well they made me a pretty good offer, and lets face it they are the largest in the "world", employee owned, and a great place to work, for many reasons). have about three of these in stock currently. I recently inspected one of them and it looks good. The fit and finish is there. I took the first one we got out for a spin, and with the new 201 hp VW engine, it performs quite well.</P>
<P>Granted not as big or comfortable as a Trap-i-Cal, but I believe there is a good market for this size RV.</P>
<P>Ron Semko</P>
<P>Orlando, Florida</P>
<P>rsemko@lazydays.com<BR><BR></P></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>From: Dennis Haynes <DHAYNES@OPTONLINE.NET>
<DIV></DIV>>Reply-To: Dennis Haynes <DHAYNES@OPTONLINE.NET>
<DIV></DIV>>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
<DIV></DIV>>Subject: Re: Vanagon versus Lazy Daze motor home
<DIV></DIV>>Date: Sun, 25 Nov 2001 01:40:45 -0500
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>Let me start off by saying that I own both an 87 Syncro Westy and a 1999
<DIV></DIV>>33.5 foot Tropi-Cal motor home (With Slide-out). If the VW is so great,
<DIV></DIV>>than why do so many Listees want to add more power, toilets, heat, AC
<DIV></DIV>>etc.? Because they want the comforts of the real RV without the costs.
<DIV></DIV>>Everything is a compromise. As for the awfull fuel economy, yours had a
<DIV></DIV>>problem or you drove very fast and up a lot of hills. My first motorhome
<DIV></DIV>>was a 1992 Tioga. Class C, 27 foot, 12,500 lbs loaded. At 55 mph I could
<DIV></DIV>>get almost 10 mpg. At the 65 to 70 I usually traveled, I got 7.5. This
<DIV></DIV>>was with the Ford 460 and 4 speed overdrive transmission. The coach I
<DIV></DIV>>have now weighs 16,300 lbs. empty. With the Ford Triton V-10, I get 8.5
<DIV></DIV>>mpg traveling 65 to 70 mph. Maximum wieght is 20,500 pounds. I usually
<DIV></DIV>>wiegh around 19,500 fully loaded which includes 75 gallons gas, 75
<DIV></DIV>>gallons water. I lose about 1 mpg when towing the Syncro Westy. In four
<DIV></DIV>>years, I have put about 60,000 miles on the two RV's. At least this is
<DIV></DIV>>60,000 miles less for the Syncro Camper which now has 185,000 miles on
<DIV></DIV>>it, (original heads and gaskets). By the way, at best, the Westy gives
<DIV></DIV>>me 17 mpg at those speeds. 70 to 75 mph with the AC on doing the NY to
<DIV></DIV>>Florida runs puts me down to 14 or 15. Especially with luggage carriers
<DIV></DIV>>on the roof and mounted to the hitch.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>Anyway, I do agree with many of your comments about the Vanagon.
<DIV></DIV>>However, there are times when we need more room or more equipment. The
<DIV></DIV>>Westy is somewhat limited to fair weather and really only two adults.
<DIV></DIV>>The four of us need more space. Sometimes we travel with more. I really
<DIV></DIV>>wish VW would accomadate us with something a bit larger so we could keep
<DIV></DIV>>on Bussin'
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>Dennis
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>-----Original Message-----
<DIV></DIV>>From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
<DIV></DIV>>Of developtrust
<DIV></DIV>>Sent: Saturday, November 24, 2001 7:54 PM
<DIV></DIV>>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
<DIV></DIV>>Subject: Vanagon versus Lazy Daze motor home
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>I thought I would share this with the group.
<DIV></DIV>><mailto:jimmary@softcom.net> jimmary@softcom.net asked me this question
<DIV></DIV>>in a recent private mail when he found out I had a Lazy Daze and sold it
<DIV></DIV>>now owning a Vanagon. "You had a Lazy Daze and now a Vanagon - how come
<DIV></DIV>>the switch.? LD is considered the Rolls of motorhomes."
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>My answer is this: First if you are considering buying a larger motor
<DIV></DIV>>home don't do it unless your ego is really there and you want to live in
<DIV></DIV>>it for extended periods of time.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>How many large campers, or seagoing boats or lake pleasure boats have
<DIV></DIV>>you seen sitting in driveways? How many truck camper shells have you
<DIV></DIV>>seen sitting there also using up that driveway space? Or how many people
<DIV></DIV>>have had to cut a special gate into their back yards to store the large
<DIV></DIV>>camper or boat?
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>The Lazy Daze gas mileage alone (and most small Campers too) was only 5
<DIV></DIV>>to 7 MPG. And my Lazy Daze was only 22 feet long. (Many get only 3 MPG.)
<DIV></DIV>>It was not practical as an every day transportation vehicle, or for
<DIV></DIV>>grocery shopping and such. Great for camping (about once or twice a
<DIV></DIV>>year) but that is about it. The Lazy Daze is like a large boat. You take
<DIV></DIV>>it out a few a year to justify owning it (except at first when it is a
<DIV></DIV>>new toy) or use it as a guest room then it sits in the driveway and
<DIV></DIV>>depreciates.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>Sure you have a full bathroom and shower, but my Vanagon has a
<DIV></DIV>>port-a-potty and a shower bag I can hang from the roof when I am not at
<DIV></DIV>>a campground.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>Large home owners may look down on the Vanagon Camper but I assure
<DIV></DIV>>everyone we have a way superior vehicle. Way, way superior. The Vanagon,
<DIV></DIV>>gets good mileage, is versatile, can go almost anywhere, functions as an
<DIV></DIV>>office, a kitchen, a dining room, a bedroom, a living room, a cargo
<DIV></DIV>>vehicle, and you can get up and go at the drop of the hat. And it
<DIV></DIV>>encourages you to enjoy the outdoors and fresh air, picnics and such
<DIV></DIV>>instead of being in the motorhome watching TV and using the microwave.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>The large motor home is a real chore to get going, can not maneuver
<DIV></DIV>>well, needs special handling skill, is a gas guzzler, hard to park,
<DIV></DIV>>needs special parts, blocks traffic, is slow uphill, irritates drivers
<DIV></DIV>>behind it, and on and on. AND worst of all it sits in your driveway most
<DIV></DIV>>of the time baking in the sun.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>And here is the real kicker. My Vanagon on the resale market is worth
<DIV></DIV>>TWICE what the Lazy Daze could get today.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>How do you like those apples?
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>William
<DIV></DIV></mailto:jimmary@softcom.net></div><br clear=all><hr>Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at <a href='http://go.msn.com/bql/hmtag_itl_EN.asp'>http://explorer.msn.com</a><br></html>
|