Date:         Tue, 25 Dec 2001 02:49:41 +0000
Reply-To:     Hermann the German <urlauber10@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Hermann the German <urlauber10@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      trip report Kansas City/Phoenix
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed

Merry Christmas all!

Just to let you know:
Made it down to Phoenix in one piece. One Westy, Eurospec I4, fully loaded
with my wife, Madeleine 6 ,Ian 3 and a bunch of Christmas gifts . Left Lee's
Summit,MO, Saturday at 4 a.m arrived Phoenix Sunday 3p.m. Spent the night in
Albuquerque. Had a scare after Oklahoma City. Faint bucking, but turned out
to be just a tank of bad gas. Learned my lesson never to stop again at a no
name filling station. Gas mileage around 15mpg with tremendous headwind,
later on 21mpg even going 95mph (my wife gave me an ABBA CD for Christmas-
love going fast with ABBA - reminds me of the old German Autobahn
days)between Albuquerque and Winslow. Stood at the corner of Winslow
Arizona, great moment.
Before we left had a new transmission (Overland Parts)put in (after
300000miles on the old one). However, Scott my mechanic informed me Friday
night that the 4th gear syncro was bad. After lots of tears by SWMBO since
she wasn't going to see her folks for Christmas we decided to go anyway. My
old truckdriving training in the German army paid of (trained on a 1964 MAN
5 ton four wheel drive) lots of double clutching and "Zwischengas" did the
magic.
VW sightings:
of course nothing in MO,KS,OK, one grey vanagon near Albuquerque, a white
Westy near Holbrook, and a maroon Westy near Winslow. I waved furiously, no
response - I guess no listmembers.
A most enjoyable trip and proof again that a 15 year old 5000$ van can do
the same job a modern 30000$ minivan can do.
As a side note:  my neighbor's Town and Country just lost its transmission
after 60000miles. Cost approx. 3000$. My vans transmissions 1500$ (brand
new) after 300000miles.

Cheers,
Hermann the German



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