Date: Tue, 20 Jul 2004 18:37:46 -0700
Reply-To: David Menche <dmenche914@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: David Menche <dmenche914@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: a home built camper that rocked 30 years ago. Re: What is
the worst design part in the Vanagon What a bunch of
wimps, whiners, winers and complainers.
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
back in my childhood, my dad took the 1963 microbus (standard bus) and
made a camper out of it, installed a sink (stainless steel) and a laminated
counter top across rear of front seats, under the sink was an electric
fridge/freezer, and a microwave oven, off to the side behind the driver seat
was a Sears portapotty (that flushed) He built a bed that dropped from the
ceiling for the three kids, and he and mon slept under on a second bed that
he made to fold out of the rear seat, lots of modifications, and welding of
brackets.
He installed a triple crank pulley, to power the stock 6 v generator, a 12
alternator, and 120 v alternator.
he had an electric pump (12 v.) on the sink, just turn the knob to get
water, and had a 12 v instant hot water heater he made from copper pipe and
wires, the hot water would be steaming out of the sink! The microwave
worked great on the 120 Volt system either while driving, or parked at a
slightly high idle, of course we could plug in if that was avalaible.
the five of us took a month long tour of Alaska/Yukon in 1974, 500 miles
of dirt logging roads included! This was better than any wetsy back then,
with the exception of no pop top (could have used that) i remember my mom
cooking for the Canadian boarder guard at the Northern most crossing to
demonstrate the microwave, he had yet to see one, much less one in a car.
But hey, Its not a car, its a VW.
----- Original Message -----
From: "gary hradek" <hradek@YAHOO.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Tuesday, July 20, 2004 8:39 AM
Subject: What is the worst design part in the Vanagon What a bunch of wimps,
whiners, winers and complainers.
> I think before you start listing the worst designs of
> the westy you consider what you would replace it with
> as an alternative.
> My wife's biggest problem is no toilet. I can
> always find a tree, even prefer a tree and in a pinch
> the good old plastic five gallon bucket I learned to
> use while working in the fishing business. My wife
> wants a toilet so what are my alternatives.
> http://www.winnebagoind.com/html/products/recVehicles/rialta/rialta.html
> The intersting thing about the rialta is that it
> does have the vw frame and engine. You want to look
> at an engine that is hard to work on look at the
> rialta. I am sure that it has a larger more powerful
> engine, some are 5 cylinder and I am sure that it has
> a larger gas tank. It seems a little low to the
> ground but it does have that toilet. If you have any
> question about whether you are the sort of person who
> belongs in the westy go see the rialta. Seeing the
> rialta makes me want to get started building that
> toilet in my westy. Hope she doesn't expect the
> flush knob to actually work? happy tails, gary
>
> Date: Mon, 19 Jul 2004 22:06:32 -0700
> From: David Menche <dmenche914@HOTMAIL.COM>
> Subject: Re: What is the worst design part in the
> Vanagon WAS-Re: OEM
> Pop Top
> Seals
>
> Ok, here it goes, (and I do Love my Vanagon)
>
> 1. needs a bigger fuel tank, cruising range is too
> low.
>
> 2. needs more power
>
> 3. needs a five speed (OD top gear) to get the rpms
> closer to 3000 at
> 70
> mph rather than 4000+.
>
> 4. Needs a better ventalation system up front, foam
> seals get old, and
> the
> vent can't be shut off.
>
> Items 3 and 2 are most important design flaws in my
> opinion.
>
> Love it cause it is roomy, very roomy. has good
> ground clearance, ok
> gas
> milage for the size of the car, up front driving
> postion simular to the
> old
> Microbusses, lots of windows which is great for sight
> seeing.
>
> If only VW had used a big subaru type motor,
> installed a 25 gas
> gallon
> tank, OD tranny, and did something a little better on
> ventilation
> seals,
> they'd still be selling them today!
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Eric Zeno" <vw4x4@FYI.NET>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Monday, July 19, 2004 12:04 PM
> Subject: What is the worst design part in the Vanagon
> WAS-Re: OEM Pop
> Top
> Seals
>
>
>
>
>
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