Date:         Tue, 24 May 2005 06:44:59 -0700
Reply-To:     Matt Barclay <mbarclay@OPENFBO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Matt Barclay <mbarclay@OPENFBO.COM>
Subject:      Re: Did I buy the Right Vehicle? Am I hearing all the bad.
In-Reply-To:  <025c01c5605e$0f7f4b00$040ba8c0@RON>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed

And get yourself a AAA or CAA membership.  You have to pay for the RV Plus
membership to cover your camper, but its well worth the piece of mind.
Actually, with the cheap insurance policies they sold me on my house and
cars, the membership paid for itself.

As far as mechanical work goes, the do it yourself aspect is one of the
greatest qualities of the Vanagon.  The systems are simple enough that you
can reason your way through most problems, and you don't have to plug your
car into a computer to figure out what's wrong.  Its been an awesome
learning experience, and if it isn't your primary car, who cares if it has
to sit in the driveway for a weekend or two while reading the bentley and
the mailing list for the info and tips you need.

Good Luck!

Matt

On Tue, 24 May 2005, The Bus Depot wrote:

> From: The Bus Depot <vanagon@BUSDEPOT.COM>
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: Did I buy the Right Vehicle? Am I hearing all the bad.
> Date: Tue, 24 May 2005 08:42:33 -0400
>
>> I have wanted one of these van's for years and looked around
>> for 2 months to get one in good condition in my price range
>> (87westy) I would love to take this thing across country but
>> now after reading this list I am unsure if it will make it
>> without me crossing my fingers the whole time. Am I hearing
>> the worst of the worst?
>
>
>
> Congratulations on your new Westy!  It's important to realize that what is
> posted here is generally the problems. Nobody writes in to say, "I drove my
> Vanagon and nothing went wrong;" they only post when something _does_ go
> wrong!  I have driven VW campers across country and across Europe without
> any breakdowns. On other occasions I have driven 100 miles and needed to be
> towed home. These are 25 year old vehicles, and any 25 year old vehicle will
> tend to be less reliable than a new or practlcally-new car. Also, they do
> have their own quirks (as do many vehicles of their vintage). It will be
> very important for you to have your Westy thoroughly inspected by someone
> experienced with Vanagons prior to its cross-country trip (in your hands).
> Vanagon.com, the list archives, and the Links/Resources section of
> BusDepot.com will give you some direction as to common failure issues. You
> will also want to keep a repair manual (which we sell) with you in case you
> need it on your trip. (Even if you don't work on the van yourself, it can be
> very useful to have one if you break down in the middle of nowhere and the
> only mechanic in the area never worked on a Vanagon before.)  With proper
> "care and feeding" a Vanagon in good condition can be an excellent and
> reliable traveling vehicle, but it will almost certainly require more
> preventative maintenance than, say, a late model minivan.
>
> - Ron Salmon
>  The Bus Depot, Inc.
>  www.busdepot.com
>  (215)  234-VWVW
>
> _____________________________________________
> Toll-Free for Orders by PART # :  1-866-BUS-DEPOT
>