Date: Mon, 23 Sep 2002 13:54:20 +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: Was: Side tent- Now: Westy popularity
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<P>Not to forget the hundreds of campers who will stop by and ask questions. With a side tent you can compete with any half million dollar RV. </P>
<P>On our last 9 week trip up to Newfoundland I had at least 50 campers who wanted to know where they could buy a Westy. Cheers,<BR>Hermann de Boer </P></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>Kansas City,Missouri
<DIV></DIV>87 Westy "Eurospec"
<DIV></DIV>89 Syncro GL
<DIV></DIV>"...even if you win the rat race, you are still a rat..."
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>From: Chuck Hill <HILLTECH@NETINS.NET>
<DIV></DIV>>Reply-To: Chuck Hill <HILLTECH@NETINS.NET>
<DIV></DIV>>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
<DIV></DIV>>Subject: Side tent observations
<DIV></DIV>>Date: Mon, 23 Sep 2002 07:51:55 -0500
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>Well, yes, side tents are neat, and a real, German side tent is going to
<DIV></DIV>>be an engineering masterpiece, just like our vans! I bought a German
<DIV></DIV>>"house" tent in Germany in the '60's and used it camping all over
<DIV></DIV>>Europe, and a big part of the USA before I ever had a bus or Vanagon.
<DIV></DIV>>It was a little longer than the current side tent Busdepot sells, and
<DIV></DIV>>had a sleeping room that could be put up or left stored.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>Observations on the sleeping room section, were the following. You have
<DIV></DIV>>a little privacy when changing clothes with kids in the rest of the
<DIV></DIV>>tent. It's warmer at night. It keeps out the critters, and that can be
<DIV></DIV>>very important. Once in Paris, about 6 in the morning, a kitten jumped
<DIV></DIV>>up onto my wife's chest and stared down at her. When Barb opened her
<DIV></DIV>>eyes, she was looking into the face of a huge, man eating tiger, or so
<DIV></DIV>>it seemed at a distance of maybe 12 inches. As I recall, she made a
<DIV></DIV>>female distress call. I was maybe 3' away and noticed that something
<DIV></DIV>>was not just right there. After that we put up the sleeping room. We
<DIV></DIV>>always carried a couple of folding cots that were quite comfortable. At
<DIV></DIV>>that time, all this stuff was carried in the front trunk of a VW beetle.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>Using a tent has advantages and disadvantages. Once in Venice, we got
<DIV></DIV>>to the campground, signed in, and had supper and a bottle of wine at the
<DIV></DIV>>campground restaurant. We had a real hard time, a REAL hard time,
<DIV></DIV>>figuring out how to put up the tent in the dark, after that wine, but we
<DIV></DIV>>didn't care too much either. Once in Spain, the thing almost blew away
<DIV></DIV>>when a thunderstorm struck. On the other hand they are actually fairly
<DIV></DIV>>roomy compared to the ~5 x 5 area in the middle of the Vanagon. On a
<DIV></DIV>>rainy day, you need the space. Packing it up wet and hauling it around
<DIV></DIV>>while it ferments is maybe not so great. A side tent is lots cheaper
<DIV></DIV>>than a poptop van, and travelling in a non-poptop is quieter and more
<DIV></DIV>>comfortable than a Westy. Kids like tents, and it adds to the
<DIV></DIV>>adventure. They're colorful. It holds your spot when you've driven the
<DIV></DIV>>van somewhere else. Etc.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>Try one sometime, you'll like it.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>Chuck Hill
<DIV></DIV></div><br clear=all><hr>Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: <a href='http://g.msn.com/1HM1ENUS/c144??PS=47575'>Click Here</a><br></html>
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