Date: Fri, 2 Mar 2007 08:32:14 -0800
Reply-To: Old Volks Home <oldvolkshome@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Old Volks Home <oldvolkshome@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Thinking about living in my van full time for a bit
In-Reply-To: <45e82415.303acad7.03d6.ffffb3b1@mx.google.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Oh yes, they know about it. I have 24 hour access to my office and the
facilities for shower, toilet, etc. I do pay a stipend for being hooked up
to the electrics. It's at the back of the warehouse in a covered open area
and on one of the support columns is mounted a dish for satellite TV
(broadcast TV reception sucks in Ventura, CA). I don't take the dish on the
road (yet).
Luxury appointments are the satellite system, a 17" flat screen TV
w/built-in DVD and a small microwave. Of course, there is the requisite
electric ceramic heater. When on the road, I leave 'em behind to "rough it"
(I do have a small B&W TV I take along).
Correction - The VW/Porsche Toy & Lit Show at the LAX Hilton is on March
10th, not the 11th as I previously reported.
--
Jim Thompson
84 GL 1.9 "Gloria"
84 Westfalia 2.1 "Ole Putt"
73 K Ghia Coupe "Denise"
72 411 Station Wagon "Pug"
oldvolkshome@gmail.com
http://www.oldvolkshome.com
***********************************
On 3/2/07, Joy Hecht <hecht.joy@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Jim, do the folks where you work know that live in your van?
>
>
>
> Joy
>
>
> :::-----Original Message-----
> :::From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
> :::Of Old Volks Home
> :::Sent: Friday, March 02, 2007 2:16 AM
> :::To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> :::Subject: Re: Thinking about living in my van full time for a bit
> :::
> :::Actually I have 5 - I also have a 04.5 Kia Spectra EX to drive around
> :::when I
> :::wanna look "respectable" ;-)
> :::
> :::All vehicles are parked in various locations throughout Southern
> :::California. Since I park semi-full-time "Ole Putt" at the biz I work
> at,
> :::I
> :::keep the Kia parked there as well. The GL is parked at the biz for
> time
> :::being as well as I use it to haul stuff to the local VW shows every
> once
> :::in
> :::awhile (see it at the VW/Porsche Toy/Lit Show at LAX Hilton March 11 &
> :::the Phoenix Bug-O-Rama on April 15th). The 411 Wagon and the Ghia (the
> :::only
> :::stick shift I own) are parked in North Hollywood at a friend's during
> the
> :::painstaking process of rebuild and restoration proceeds at a snail's
> pace
> :::(lack of time and cabbage mainly).
> :::
> :::When I had a REAL place to live and the Old Volks Home going full-time,
> I
> :::had as many as 16 VWs at any given time, of various years, models and
> :::heritage, from 50 on up......I'm holding the current collection at
> where
> :::it's at, no more vehicles (I can't afford the insurance!).
> :::
> :::OK, what I really want to round it out to 6 is a Rialta! ;-)
> :::
> :::As far as the interior of Ole Putt holding up, it's done pretty well
> over
> :::the years. When I purchased it in 1996 with a blown up 1.9 (thrown rod
> :::thru
> :::the case, #2 piston in very tiny pieces, camshaft in 3 pieces, etc.,) I
> :::only
> :::paid $1000 and the machine was in mint condition otherwise, so clean
> you
> :::could eat off of the carpet front and rear. I upgraded the front seats
> :::from
> :::an 87, so the ride's more comfortable, but most everything's still
> there.
> :::The fridge's combustion chamber needs to be taken apart, cleaned and
> :::reassmbled so that the fridge will run better on 'pane. But I don't
> :::wanna
> :::haul it out to work on because I live in the dang thing and the 110VAC
> :::function is working just fine.
> :::
> :::The water system and stove (both not used very often except when out
> :::doing
> :::some serious camping) functions as well as the day she rolled out the
> :::dealership in '84.
> :::
> :::The only area that needs some serious attention is the seat bottom
> (rear
> :::seat) of the bed. It's really gone to seed and needs to be re-foamed
> and
> :::re-covered. Again, I haven't found (in my travels) a temporary bottom
> &
> :::back to install so I could have it (and the seat back to match) redone.
> :::I totally flaked out on Ron Salmon's offering a few years ago of the
> :::original seat material to have them re-covered (sigh). Maybe I'll take
> a
> :::trip out to Pomona Swap Meet this Sunday in the GL to see if anyone's
> :::parting out a Vanagon Westy interior.
> :::
> :::Every six months or so I do "spring cleaning" and washing all walls,
> :::cabinets, curtains, etc. It's all about a "routine" you have to get
> into
> :::and then it takes care of itself. Maintenance and adhering to schedule
> :::is
> :::what it's all about. My ex-wife over 30 years ago mentioned that my
> :::doing
> :::good housework & domestic chores with her was one of only a few good
> :::things
> :::she loved about me (I won't go into the rest, thank you [TMI]).
> :::
> :::But there are times when it would be nice to have a little more room -
> :::hence
> :::the wish for a Rialta...........
> :::--
> :::Jim Thompson
> :::84 GL 1.9 "Gloria"
> :::84 Westfalia 2.1 "Ole Putt"
> :::73 K Ghia Coupe "Denise"
> :::72 411 Station Wagon "Pug"
> :::oldvolkshome@gmail.com
> :::http://www.oldvolkshome.com
> :::***********************************
> :::On 3/1/07, JordanVw@aol.com <JordanVw@aol.com> wrote:
> :::>
> :::> In a message dated 3/1/07 4:22:10 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> :::> oldvolkshome@GMAIL.COM writes:
> :::>
> :::>
> :::> As of today, I have been full-timing in "Ole Putt" for 8 years now.
> :::Beats
> :::> living on the street, but there are times it would be nice to have a
> :::cozy
> :::> and warm apartment or house to live in. But on my pay-check and the
> :::cost
> :::> of
> :::> housing in Southern California, that's not gonna happen soon.
> :::> --
> :::> Jim Thompson
> :::> 84 GL 1.9 "Gloria"
> :::> 84 Westfalia 2.1 "Ole Putt"
> :::> 73 K Ghia Coupe "Denise"
> :::> 72 411 Station Wagon "Pug"
> :::>
> :::>
> :::>
> :::> Jim.. where do you park your westy and all your cars?
> :::>
> :::> also, id be interested in knowing how a westy interior holds up after
> :::> living in it fulltime for 8 years straight....
> :::>
> :::> chris
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