Date: Mon, 23 Aug 2004 14:49:10 -0700
Reply-To: Tobin Copley <tcopley@SFU.CA>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Tobin Copley <tcopley@SFU.CA>
Subject: Re: swapping vanagon for Prius (was RE: license plate light bulbs
In-Reply-To: <CBF9000F-F547-11D8-877B-000A95ABA42A@pottsfamily.ca>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed
On Aug 23, 2004, at 2:02 PM, Greg Potts wrote:
> Look around for a "DIY garage" near urban centers where you can rent
> space to work on your own vehicle. Get the bentley, and get familiar
> with the minor mechanical systems on your vanagon. If you can tune a
> bicycle you can swap the fuel pump on a vanagon. The investment in
> tools and manuals will pay you back many many times over. And the
> personal satisfaction involved in acquiring a new skill is not to be
> discounted, either. You don't have to know how to tear down an engine
> or reprogram the fuel injection, but being able to look after the
> simple stuff will save you a lot of $$$ and will help keep you in touch
> with the condition of the vehicle.
While I certainly appreciate the spirit of Greg's advice (I hadn't so
much as changed oil on a car 10 years ago, and now I do nearly all the
work on my vanagon myself--including "deep" stuff like replacing engine
bearings and transmissions. Personally, I think self-sufficiency with
cars is good, and I encourage everyone to take the initiative and learn
about how their car works, and to start learning how to fix it,
starting with easy, routine maintenance. It's all good, and there are
lots of resources out there for people who want to pursue that.
However, I get the distinct impression from Joy's emails that not only
does she not know how to undertake repairs on her Vanagon now, she has
no inclination or desire to want to learn how to do so. And that's
completely within her rights, and it's great. That's what puts food on
the tables of mechanics' families, and sells new cars.
So the question is, if she both does not know how to fix her car and
she has no desire to learn, then which car is more suitable for her
extended trip: the larger but aging Vanagon, or the much smaller but
newer Prius? I wouldn't have a lot of confidence in the long-term
reliability of the Prius years from now, but right now it's pretty much
a brand new car. With only 20K on it, it's likely to be trouble-free
for a while--I'd guess up to 100K anyway. After that, well, who's to
say, but it's new and complicated technology. If Joy's trip is going
to be only a few months or a year long, she's unlikely to have a major
issues with it, and hey, it's still under warranty, right?
Now, I live in a very rainy part of the world, and the idea of making
camp in the rain, breaking camp in the rain, driving around in a steamy
little car full of soggy gear only to haul it all out that evening and
setting up the wet gear again, then sleeping in the wet sleeping bag in
a wet wet tent then packing it all up again in the morning and so forth
for days and weeks on end makes me just shake my head. If Joy's going
to spend her time in the desert or on the beaches in Mexico, then it
could be a great time for her.
I have a 22 year old diesel westy. I replaced a broken transmission
this spring, replaced the thermostat and replaced the rear brake
cylinders and shoes in preparation for a two-week camping trip with my
family into Northern BC (far away from Vanagon repair shops). The
result? Over 1,700 miles of great fun, and not so much as a mechanical
hiccup. Three days of torrential cold rain, yet we were dry and warm,
playing games over the westy table. Camp-mates were wringing out
sleeping bags, trying to repair torn tarps, moving flooded tents, and
comforting cold, wet, sleep-deprived children. Mind you, I drove the
whole way with one ear out for Expensive Noises, whereas the cold wet
sleep-deprived family was able to drive home in completely mechanical
confidence at 120 km/h in their Honda Odesseys.
To each their own, no?
T.
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