Date:         Sat, 12 Mar 2005 05:19:32 -0500
Reply-To:     Stephen Steele <steeles@HORIZONVIEW.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Stephen Steele <steeles@HORIZONVIEW.NET>
Subject:      Re: Vngns ARE junk! Wilder's Law
In-Reply-To:  <000d01c526a9$a6899490$47f55e44@noner4688xfd1h>
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A rambling rant...
It's interesting that as I read various opinions and the potential
permutations of Catman Wilder's Law; that Mr. Wilder professes that he,
himself, has always made money on his Westy purchases.  If that is the case
and his Law is valid, even unto Hisself the Lawgiver, then what is the
effect of his doubling the purchase price?  Nil. Obviously, there must be
some lower and upper limits applied to the Law in regard to market price.
For instance, the lower being the $500 Westy that needs $2K to bring it up
to reliability on the road.  The upper limit would be, say,  a $10K left
coast, rust free '87 Westy where a few amenities added might cost $1K.

IIRRC, a few years back, when he still owned and drove a VW van, SW
professed to mostly localized TX driving and camping, with maybe a few long
distance NM trips thrown in, again IIRRC.  IMHO, a lot of frequent posters
here tend to be tinkers.  Now , don't get me wrong, I really appreciate all
of the really important input on the technical aspects of maintaining the VW
van/camper but somewhere there has to be the point where the rubber meets
the road. Trading in Westies for fun and profit may be okay for some... I
like to drive and camp in mine. Buying vans to salvage/part out at a profit
is entirely different than picking up a parts van for my own use... keeping
the Westy on the road in the Land of NoVanagons (What the hell is that thing
Ethel?).

Westies that sit in the garage and never hit the road are seldom Happy
Campers.

True anomalies will always exist... Mr. Sinclair and his $2700 Sinkinto
Westy and $20K added to it with no miles driven (wheww!) being one of them.
OMG, these things were made to be driven/camped in! You know... beans 'n
wienies over a fire... the smell of pines in the air... struggling up that
hillside in the truck lane with a string of SUVs passing you like you are
standing still and you sitting there behind the wheel smiling smugly that
YOU have the real Sports Utility Van as you crest yet another hill to enjoy
the sunset.
Yeah.. these Vanagons are really j*nk.

There are a few timid souls who won't venture out unto the road (of life)
but who pontificate on the various and sundry finer points of Van ownership
from the viewpoint of the keyboard or the garage.  Many have needled and
harassed the Larry and Joys (and some will remember Phaedra?) of our List
for venturing forth sans knowledge and unprepared.  Some have even popped
the top a few times in or near their back yards. And then there are the
Happy Campers who hit the road. Until I can get out there again...I ride
along vicariously.
End rant.
--
Stephen
Chillicothe OH


on 3/11/05 21:17, Stan Wilder at wilden1-1@SBCGLOBAL.NET wrote:

> I think you got it exactly .................
> Just do like Joy Hecht take off across the country with little or no
> maintenance or knowledge of where the fuel filter is, where the brake fluid
> goes, how to remove the spare tire and just use Larry's list of good repair
> stations for VWs and Vanagons.
> Now that's what I call adventure by an optimist.