Date:         Fri, 21 Apr 2006 19:10:22 -0600
Reply-To:     Tom Boldway <jboldway@COMCAST.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Tom Boldway <jboldway@COMCAST.NET>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Ken Wrote:
Date:    Fri, 21 Apr 2006 10:52:13 -0400
From:    Kenneth Wilford <kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET>
Subject: Why buy when you can rent?

Let's face it, most of us buy Vanagon Westies with the strange idea that =
we are going to use it all of the time.  Instead it either sits in the =
garage for most of the year, or we drive it back and forth to work but don't
= use the camping equipment. <Snip>

Tom replies:
When I lived in Kansas I "used" my Westy every weekend! Friday after work -
headed out to camping, back Sunday Evening or Monday morning. And, on some
days after work I had my Kayak waiting INSIDE my vanagon - ready for me to
get out of work, hop in the panzerkampingwagen and head out to the lake.
However, as they say in Real Estate - Location, Location, Location. My job
moved me to philthadelphia and after 6 months of trying to "use" my Westy to
no avail I sold it. Drove it up to Valley Forge a lot - really lovely area,
but no cheap and easy camping nearby. Was nice to pop the top and relax
after a long bike ride or such, however.
So, you are correct for some people that are best just renting, but others -
even if only use them for camping infrequently - actually enjoy tinkering on
them. Ownership kind of gives you the "well 'I could' just hop in and hit
the road" - kind of a sense of "possible" freedom in what's left of our
"free" world.

Tom
<P.S. - "sits INSIDE the garage" ???? You've got some big garage door! ;~) >