Date: Wed, 9 Mar 2005 11:29:32 -0800
Reply-To: Robert Keezer <warmerwagen@YAHOO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Robert Keezer <warmerwagen@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: Vngns ARE junk!
In-Reply-To: 6667
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
"COMPARED to a Class-C motorhome or other
> campervan,
> the Vanagon Westy is a sublime gift from the
> Teutonic
> gods, conceived in the crucible of Woden's mind and
> forged by the hands of mystical Rhineland dwarves."
>
Haa-Haa-That's it- well said! It's the camper that
outshines the rest-even Andrew has the Westfalia
camper inside his Furd.
I knew of the shortcomings of the stock Vanagon engine
before I ever bought mine.
I converted it to an inline four .
A lot of buyers don't realize that that engine will
give you no peace of mind, and was the worst engine VW
ever designed next to the 2-stroke.
Of course, just doing that work alone saved me 5
thousand.
When a sailboat mast breaks or the engine goes out,
you don't toss the whole thing.
A Westfalia is like that- but you have years to deal
with so you go over the whole thing before you use it
or it will seem like it is nickle and diming you.
Most car owners don't do the regular maintenance, like
my next door neighbors- they just buy a new car every
couple years after they thrash the old one.
With my '95 Golf engine and five-speed transmission, I
get up to 25 mpg.
That's pretty good for a 5,000 lb camper.
No need to go to Diesel for only one third more fuel
savings. And Diesel VW is rare, expensive and
maintenance on DIesel is typicallly double the cost of
gas, hence many Diesel owners do their own
maintenance.
Now every body with a new car touts maintenance free 5
year warranty.
But in five years it's worn out and resale value
doesn't exist.
Campers on the other hand have things that never go
out of style like sinks, beds, stoves, refidgerators.
Who wants to stay in a youth hostel if you aren't a
youth?
Robert
1982 Westfalia
--- Jeffrey Earl <jefferrata@YAHOO.COM> wrote:
> Whenever one hears such bold and absolute
> statements,
> before deciding whether it is true or not, it is
> perhaps wise to ask oneself, "Compared to what?"
>
> • COMPARED to a Dodge Caravan or any number of other
> off-the-shelf transportation appliances, the Vanagon
> is indeed a sinkhole of coins. Even during their
> heyday of the mid 80s, Vanagons were relatively
> rare,
> with an engine used in no other vehicle, so finding
> qualified and affordable mechanics was always an
> expensive and difficult proposition. Today it's
> nearly
> impossible.
>
> But time stops for no car. Roll into your local
> dealer's service bay with an '80 Vanagon -- or an
> '80
> Mustang -- and watch the blood drain from the face
> of
> the kid with the computer probe. Doing one's own
> work
> is crucial to affordable Vanagon ownership; remove
> the
> service tech from the equation and things look a lot
> brighter. An OEM rear brake cylinder for a '90
> Vanagon
> is the same part as for a '72 Bus, and The Bus Depot
> sells it for $14.95. A third-party aftermarket one
> for
> my '92 Dodge Colt, from a similar source, costs
> twice
> that.
>
> If my daily driver broke down as often as it seems
> many Vanagons do, I'd have been fired from my job
> and
> divorced by my wife long ago. Watercooled VWs have
> always had overly complicated and unreliable
> electronic systems, and having owned four VWs of
> this
> era, I suspect the Vanagon is worse than most in
> this
> respect.
>
> Frankly (donning flame suit here), without the
> Westfalia Camper package, I don't know why any
> reasonably cognizant person without special needs
> would own a Vanagon. Which leads me to ...
>
> • COMPARED to a Class-C motorhome or other
> campervan,
> the Vanagon Westy is a sublime gift from the
> Teutonic
> gods, conceived in the crucible of Woden's mind and
> forged by the hands of mystical Rhineland dwarves.
>
> Offering snug, dry warmth, the convenience of a full
> kitchenette, and the elegant ease of setting-up and
> breaking camp, the Westy is the perfect compromise
> between pup-tent camping and a large and expensive
> RV.
> Alongside such a large road-condo motor home, or
> even
> a used Sportsmobile, the Westy is far lower in
> initial
> purchase price, maintenance and insurance costs, and
> is very economical to fuel. With the onboard
> electrical generators, satellite TV, and
> hot-and-cold
> running showers found on many large RV’s, one could
> easily spend more time fooling around with the
> various
> household systems than enjoying the outdoor
> experience. The Westy is far simpler to operate.
>
> If you think a crosswind is a trial of nerves in a
> Westy, try a Class-C motorhome or fifth-wheel
> trailer.
> And many of these larger rigs are not allowed on
> main
> roads in certain premier travel destinations such as
> Zion and Glacier NPs, not to mention the rough and
> solitary backcountry gems we've had the pleasure to
> enjoy in our 48-hp diesel Westy. The only thing
> nearly
> as pleasurable as enjoying a hot cuppa fresh-brewed
> coffee while watching the sun rise over a remote
> desert campsite is re-fueling later that day; I
> often
> giggle like a schoolgirl when the tank is topped-up
> and I realize just how little my adventure is
> costing
> me.
>
> • In answer to my own rhetorical question: it
> depends.
>
> If you simply want to haul plywood home for your
> roofing project, or carry a pile of your
> larval-stage
> offspring to Chuck E. Cheese, for heaven's sake get
> a
> Honda MPV or a Toyota Sienna or something else
> approved by Click and Clack.
> If instead you want something kinda funky and
> possessing of a certain cheeky charm, and are
> willing
> and able to do most of your own maintenance, and
> have
> a backup means of transport, by all means enjoy your
> Vanagon.
> If you wish for all of the above, PLUS complete
> travel
> independence, versatility, low purchase and
> operating
> costs, and an earthy means to experience the sights
> and spirit of this great land ... well, there really
> IS no alternative to the Vanagon Westy.
>
>
http://www.vanthology.com/1Layout/Journeys/journeys.html
>
>
> Jeffrey Earl
> 1983 diesel Westfalia "Vanasazi"
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> __________________________________
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> Yahoo! Netrospective: 100 Moments of the Web
> http://birthday.yahoo.com/netrospective/
>
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