Date:         Mon, 5 Jun 2006 15:37:08 -0400
Reply-To:     Howard.Allen@FAIRCHILDSEMI.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Howard Allen <Howard.Allen@FAIRCHILDSEMI.COM>
Subject:      Reliability?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

Hi folks;
I bought my '84 Vanagon last fall to replace our 1971 Dodge full size van
which we use for romping around the great northwoods dirt roads.  My
motivation was chiefly price of gas, the old Dodge got about 12MPG and I
think the Vanagon (automatic) gets around 20MPG.  I have been on the list
lurking ever since, asking a few questions here and there, but I am
starting to wonder if I made a good choice in buying this van.  Seems like
there is an awful lot involved in keeping these things running what with
deteriorating cylinder heads, weird digijet stuff, those two little
microswitch thingys, etc.  The old DODGE with 318 V8 just ran and ran for
the ten years we had it and never asked for much other than gas, oil, and
tires.  One of the last trips was 2400 miles pulling a 2400 pound camper
down to western PA and back with no problems.

My concern is I don't want to find myself stranded in the north woods
somewhere with a broken van and some exotic part the cause of its demise.
I realize running a 22 year old vehicle can be challenging, but then again
my daily driver is my 19 year old K car, which is so reliable I haven't
had to do anything on it other than replace the radiator.

So, at the risk of offending an entire group of folks, what is the sense
of folks, are the old Vanagons reliable or not?  Would like to hear from
the watercooled 1.9 owners out there if you don't mind...

Best Regards
Howard Allen
S. Portland, Maine

"Incompetents invariably make trouble for people other than themselves." -
Larry McMurtry