Date:         Thu, 13 Mar 2003 18:50:00 -0800
Reply-To:     Ed Llewellyn <edllew@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Ed Llewellyn <edllew@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      East to West Cross Country Trip - contacts requested
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Hello all,

I am new to the list, and new to Vanagons.  I just bought a 1987 Vanagon (white, passenger van
with pop-top added by the owner) in West Virginia.  I am in Oregon and will be driving it back
here from there next week.  I'm taking the interstates, full speed (63 mph?), and anticipate no
problems at all since the previous owner has taken good care of it and major (and several minor)
components are quite new.

BUT... just in case, I am looking for clubs or individuals along the way which might be good
contacts in case of problems.  Mostly what I would need is recommendations for decent nearby VW
repair shops.  My route will be I64 to St. Louis then I70 to near Colorado Springs, I25 to
Cheyenne, I80 to Salt Lake City, then I84 to Portland.  I'll be sleeping in the van.  So if anyone
is along that route and wants to give me a contact phone number ahead of time, that would be
great.  And if I do have problems, I will probably post to this list and ask for suggestions.

For that matter, if anyone wants to share a ride going west along that route, let me know.

I'll be carrying the list of repair shops from vanagon.com, but live contacts would be great also.
 Also, I know that my local trusted VW shop (Independent Bug Werks, Corvallis) is not on that
list, so I expect it has some gaps.

I have very little first hand knowledge of Vanagons, having been an air-head ('71 weekender, '66
splitie, '68 ghia) for about 25 years.  Now have a daughter and it is time to move on to the
1980's, looking forward to the nice heat and the pop-top.

For those who wonder why I am going so far for a van (wife included (no, not with the van)), the
van is a decent bargain by west coast standards (prices seem about 20% to 30% cheaper in the
east). I've got the time, and a frequent flyer ticket which may not be good forever.  And I will
enjoy the drive, even on the interstates. (last long road trip was 5 years ago from Oregon to
Alaska and back in the '71 with wife and 6 month old).  Yes, there is a little more rust than I
might find on a west coast van, but it doesn't look bad from the photos.  I view this as a learner
vehicle anyway, and if I like the water-cooled experience, another nicer low mileage Westy may
follow, who knows.  And just in case, I'm not yet selling my '71.

-Ed