Date:         Tue, 20 Jul 2004 01:53:40 +0000
Reply-To:     joe trussell <vanagongl@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         joe trussell <vanagongl@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      short trip report
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed

Hi Folks,

One thing I enjoy about the list beyond technical stuff is hearing about how
people use their Vanagons, so I thought I'd share:

We loaded up our '85 GL and headed to Winter Park from Denver last Friday
morning.  I recently put in a manual rack, new AFM, oxygen sensor, idle
stabilizer, all new vacuum lines, and tune-up.  I took out the middle seat
and baby seat (baby stayed with grandma) for room for our stuff and threw
the bike carrier on.  We did fine, relatively, getting up the first two
gigantic hills into the mountains at around 40 MPH in third gear.  We got to
the switchbacks for Berthoud Pass (approx. 11000 feet I think,) and stayed
steady at around 30-35 MPH while several trucks with camper trailers started
passing us...

I told my wife, "if any of these trucks get up to the campground that I want
to get to before us, and the place is full, we're getting a new engine."

Thankfully for my wife and our checkbook, we got to the campground and had
beaten the rush and found the perfect spot, and the van ran beautifully.  We
set up camp with our tarp shelter (I'm too cheap for an awning--an 8x12 tarp
and four long pieces of cord strategically tied to the off-side of the
vanagon through the jack points and around the side mirror then to the trees
on the door side works really well!) and it started hailing and raining
something fierce...

Several beers and UNO games later, as we sat comfortably in our Vanagon
watching the rain and others at the campgrounds hiding in their tents, I
told my wife, "this is the reason we have this thing.  Even if we don't do
this but once per year, it's worth it."

The rain stopped, we went on a hike, came back and built a big fire, had
dinner, then slept comfortably in back.  It was the first time I'd used the
airlock hatch extension, and it made all the difference in the world (thanks
Eurocampers.com!)

We got up Sat. morning and went to the Winter Park Music Festival, and got a
front-row spot in the lot.  We cooked breakfast on our Coleman stove and
offered Mimosas and Bloody Marys to our neighbors.  I got several
compliments on the van, too, which always puffs my chest up.  I told my
wife, "this is the reason we have this thing.  Even if we don't do this but
once per year, it's worth it."

After a day of music, we headed back to the camp (and re-attached our awning
after I skillfully almost parked in sorta the same position) and built a
fire and enjoyed the evening.  I was opening my mouth to say it, and my wife
said, "I know, I know.  This is the reason we have this thing..."

We had a smooth trip back down yesterday. I unloaded everything, took off
the bike rack, reinstalled the middle seat, baby seat, and put the stroller
in, and now it's a family hauler again  (the coolest family hauler in town.)

And even if I only got to drive it once per year, it would be worth it.

Joe T.
Denver, Co
'85 GL 'action van'

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