Date:         Fri, 12 Jul 2002 00:17:38 -0400
Reply-To:     julian burden <julian.burden@VIDEOTRON.CA>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         julian burden <julian.burden@VIDEOTRON.CA>
Subject:      Re: [South Carolina Trip] or why I love my Vanagon/Westy
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

You want positive stories for balance? OK . . .

A few years ago we hired an '85 vanagon (set up as a partial camper) for 6
weeks of touring around Europe - we did a lot of driving and the only
trouble we had was when the battery died. Fortunately we were only 50 metres
from an auto parts store, and the cost of the battery was reimbursed when we
returned the van.

Based largely on that experience, when we arrived in Vancouver we purchased
an '85 westy - drove it around Vancouver Island, down to San Francisco, back
to Vancouver and then across to Montreal. That's a lot of driving - the van
"stumbled" only twice (early symptoms of vanagon syndrome? water in fuel?)
but otherwise performed perfectly. The only preparation prior to departure
was an oil and filter change, new alternator belt and two new tires.

To get the westy registered in Quebec we needed to replace the heater blower
and the rear right bumper cap.

The van has been off the road for the last two weeks, needing clutch work -
we hope to have it back soon.

So, total work (including initial preparation) for over 20,000km has been:

- oil and filter changes every 5,000km
- heater blower replacement
- two tires
- alternator belt
- clutch

(note that I've left the bumper cap off this list!).

All-in-all we are extremely happy with our 17 year old van that has
travelled 330,000km.

Actually, one other thing I've done to the van was to fit Vanagains "shifter
kit" - about US$27 and about 30 minutes work. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - our van
shifts beautifully now (although I do have to push the shifter down to get
it into 1st - must look at that).

----- Original Message -----
From: "Helga Wasserboxer" <helga@PRAIRIE-WOODS.ORG>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Tuesday, July 09, 2002 1:56 PM
Subject: Re: [South Carolina Trip] or why I love my Vanagon/Westy


> On Tuesday 09 July 2002 08:38 am, Royston, Jerry wrote:
>
> > Anyway, I think it's important for people to report on these successful
> > problem-free trips so that we get more of a balanced view of the
Vanagon's
> > reliability.
>
> I couldn't agree more.  Last month my wife and kids took my '87 Westy to
> South Carolina to visit family and the beach (yeah, I didn't get to go :(.
> 3800 miles, the only problem was the fridge not working correctly.
>
> > We even camped on top of a 7-story parking lot in downtown Halifax.
>
> This is about the coolest idea I have heard for a place to pop the top.
> People usually talk about Wal-Mart but I really have no desire to be in
that
> kind of a parking lot.  But a penthouse ...
>
> > Gerry Royston
> > '87 Westy
>
> Helga '87 Westy 175,000