Date: Tue, 24 Sep 2002 10:30:49 +1000
Reply-To: Steve Overmyer <s.overmyer@UWS.EDU.AU>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Steve Overmyer <s.overmyer@UWS.EDU.AU>
Subject: Re: Newbie Presentation
In-Reply-To: <200209231702.g8NH2h705297@cooper.uws.edu.au>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
Welcome to the list Truls...you'll find it a very helpful resource...
Congratulations on the Transporter bargain too...it's gotta be a good
deal at that price.
Regarding mountainbikes...or more particularly the transportation thereof,
I choose to carry them inside my van instead of on a rack on the back.
What I did was attach a number of quick-release axles on blocks to a length
of 150x50mm timber (and painted black)This length fits along the driver's side
wall behind the driver's seat and back to the rear seat/folding bed.
Bikes,with front wheel removed,are loaded in thru the sliding door and
straight into the quick-release mechanisms which holds them tightly.
For added security when travelling I can tie them back to tie-down hooks
below the rear seat.
Of course,this won't work if you have cupboards etc back there but if you
don't,the bikes fit in snugly with enough clearance to close the sliding door
without hitting the rear tyres.
For reasons like this type of versatility,I didn't fit out my van
permanantly for
camping,but prefer to take the gear with me as well as a big side tent.
This way,all manner of things can be carried in the van,ie musical instruments,
PAs etc and especially mountain bikes with greater security than a rear rack...
Not a solution for all but my 2nok anyway...
Cheers,
Steve O - mountainbiker in Oz
Blue Mountains NSW Australia
'92 Transporter WBX Kombi
'76 Transporter Double Cab
'68 Beetle
'00 Transporter 5Cyl Double Cab (work truck)
'98 Specialized FSR MTB
At 01:02 PM 23/09/2002 -0400, you wrote:
>Date: Mon, 23 Sep 2002 16:32:31 +0200
>From: Truls Erik Johnsen <truls@PLANETJOHNSEN.COM>
>Subject: Newbie presentation
>
>Hi!
>
>-Just joined the list, and thought I should make a short presentation.
>Bought my first VW Transporter Camper a few weeks ago (for the hilarious
>sum of 2000 nok (= 250 $)). It's a well-running '84 (148k km), camping
>equiped, but without a fold-up roof. Took a few pics of it when I bought
>it, and I've updated the gallery with new pics after the fixes and the
>repaint. Have a look here: www.superelectric.net/transporter
>
>It was painted really ugly by a youth travel agency, and there was'nt
>really any way to remove the paint. The solution then was to repaint it
>myself. It was also leaking oil, and the sliding door had nearly fallen
>of. The oil-leak turned out to be a loose oil-filter, and the door
>mechanism was worn out. A couple of runs to the local junk-yard solved
>that. I even "upgraded" to the newer mechanism, so now it slides "oh' so
>smoothly" :-) The next thing do to was to cover up the ugly
>paint/grafitti/tags. The color of choise was bright green due to the
>fact that this is the base color of the mountain biking net-magazine I'm
>working with (part time, working as a researcher/ph.d.-student full
>time), so logo's should be painted on later (the web-zine is in
>norwegian, but for those interested the adress is: www.terrengsykkel.no)
>
>
>The camping-equipment worked pretty fine. The only thing that needs some
>work right now is the fresh-water-pump. My mother insisted that the
>curtains and pillows needed a wash, and unfortunately she took care of
>that without asking. I wish I could have done that myself... ;-) After
>dealing a wee bit with a friend of mine, I traded a few bike parts for a
>CD-player, and a trip over the border to Sweden gave me some cheap
>speakers. The next thing now is to install a set of Bosch ekstra
>headlights i bought at a flea-market last saturday (30$), and get some
>heavy-duty bike-racks. Got a couple of Thule rails, and some
>quick-releases that I'll use to make my own rack. I'm also considering a
>rack on the rear door, but I have'nt decided on wether it's a good
>solution or not yet. Got a used one offered to me for about 125$, so I
>might go for that.
>
>Well, thats about it. Ohh! Who I am? ASL? 30/M/Oslo, Norway. Ethnologist
>by training, working at Agder University College on a project regarding
>mobile services/mobile solutions, with a focus on use and user-aspects
>(behaviour/culture/social-networks and such). This will (hopefully)
>result in a Ph.D. in four years time (we're paid to do Ph.d's over
>here). One of the four years will be spent in the states (Cali.), so I
>might be in the market for a Vanagon when I'm coming over in january
>2004. Ohh!: Avid mountainbiker. Been riding 12+ years. Current rides
>includes a Turner XCE, a Fat Yo'Eddy, and a Specialized singlespeed.
>Mountainbikes + Transporters (Vanagons), what a brilliant combination!
>:-)
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