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Date:         Sun, 14 Mar 2004 12:57:47 -0600
Reply-To:     Christensen <populuxe@QWICS.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Christensen <populuxe@QWICS.COM>
Subject:      Re: What's on YOUR checklist?
Comments: To: Jay Roth <bghuna@MCHSI.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Jay,

When I have my Vanagon in for service by a very qualified VW/Vanagon mechanic, I ask if anything else looks like it needs attention and what priority it is. Then I check my bank account(not kidding). yea, some will ask why I don't do it myself-- I do crawl under for normal maint. and I look for anything unusual like drips, corrosion etc. but because of my lack of a driveway I cannot do the type of maintenance others on the list are able to tackle. I have noticed that some folks will go crazy on maintenance on any vehicle before a 1,000 trip, however, they put that many miles on in 3 weeks of daily commuting and never think twice about it.

these are the things I carry but have NEVER used on the road except for the first week I owned the Van: basic tools (fit inside a small K-mart socket set box, that fits under the overhanging westy closet over the engine bay). That is all for tools. also, I carry my old belt from the alt/a.c. a pack of assorted hose clamps, pack of assorted fuses. wire, a tube of gasket compound, tube of Silicone caulk some good 3-M weatherproof tape. several pieces of odd vinyl tubes. A cable connector in case my throttle cable ever breaks. Zip-ties I SHOULD carry my Bentley manual but never seem to have the space/time to pack it. Cell phone. And I think I will join AAA If you have a Camper you probably carry water already

The ONLY thing ever needed on road was the 3-M black tape used in my first 10 miles of ownership when the front luggage rack began buzzing from wind. That tape is still in place. The head-light switch burned up. Luckily this happened at the end of a trip 20 miles from home and no special tools could have helped me with that one. clutch bearing hung up and stuck on short trip and managed to limp home. Once again, no special tools would have helped me.

Good luck, chris christensen 90 MV, 33,000 of 165,000 miles, original water-boxer engine

----- Original Message ----- From: "Jay Roth" <bghuna@MCHSI.COM> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> Sent: Sunday, March 14, 2004 7:05 AM Subject: Re: What's on YOUR checklist?

> It seems surprising to me that with the great number of list members out > there willing to help, this previous post went unheard with the exception of > ONE person! I'm interested in knowing what *extra precautions* to take and > mechanics to check in advance of a long trip. Certainly there is a checkup > routine many of you have! > > Many listees have suggested preventive maintenance is the key to maintaining > the life of a Vanagon, but only one offered advice as to what "extra" things > to look at besides the obvious (coolant level, oil level, belts...) I was > hoping such an experienced group could offer more guidance to a new Vanagon > owner. > > In VW Love, Light & Laughter, > Jay > '87 Westy "Ol' Blue", 327K > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Jay Roth [mailto:bghuna@mchsi.com] > Sent: Friday, March 12, 2004 6:10 PM > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > Subject: What's on YOUR checklist? > > > In getting ready for the season's first spring camping trip, and reading > tips from the list for the past year, I was wondering what is on YOUR > mechanical checklist for bringing a Vanagon out for a 24 hour roadtrip? > There's been much interest in preventive maintenance lately, instead of > bringing every conceivable replacement part, so what would you tell a newbie > to check mechanically before taking such an adventure with a family? > > In case you're interested this will be the "first" official trip of such > distance, so any reassurance for my wife will be greatly appreciated! > > In VW Love, Light & Laughter, > Jay > '87 Westy "Ol' Blue", 327K > --- > Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. > Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). > Version: 6.0.601 / Virus Database: 382 - Release Date: 02/29/2004 >


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