Date:         Thu, 19 Apr 2007 07:57:46 -0700
Reply-To:     Michael Elliott <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Michael Elliott <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Ideas for lifting water into the Westy water tank?
In-Reply-To:  <46270B33.4060901@cox.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

We're obviously going to have to duke this one out. It will go down in
Vanagon lore alongside such masterpieces as "Less Filling, Tastes
Great," or "It's a breath mint, it's a candy mint." Or "gerry" with a
hard g or soft g.

When I go to Joshua Tree National Park -- which is high desert and has
no -- zero -- water, I first drive over the mighty ranges of mountains
between home and the park with an empty water tank. Before entering the
park, I stop at Coyote Corners in the town of Joshua Tree. Coyote
Corners is a store with hippie and rock climbing gear. They also have a
hose bib in the parking lot for campers and travelers to use prior to
entering the park. A sign requesting a donation prompts me to wander
into the store while the tank is filling, toss a buck into the jar, and
browse the goods. Picked up a tie-dyed sarong last time. Although I do
look mighty fine in a sarong, I thought it would make a colorful and
cheerful flag when hung from the awning in camp. It did.

Laguna Mountain, a campground at 7,000 feet due east of my sea-level
town, has two or three hose bibs scattered around the grounds.

Such places have trustworthy water. Most campgrounds and such have fine
water, and I use it. I didn't mind toting water up the coast this
January because the weather was cool, and the route pretty much flat.

But this summer I'm planning a trip up 395 along the east side of the
Sierra Nevada mountains. That's desert country because the Sierra scrape
water out of the air as it passes over them. Profile between here and
there is pretty bumpy, climbing over the infamous Cajon Pass, then
pretty much uphill through hot desert all the way to Lee Vining. This
drive has ruptured many a fine automobile. There are towns along the way
and I expect I will have no trouble finding city water should I need it.
But due west of those towns, and up about 5,000 feet, are the National
Forests and Parks. Should I find myself in a remote primitive camping
area that is so beautiful it knocks my eyes out and I decide to stay a
few extra days, I may need to add water to the tank. Rather than trundle
down 5,000 feet to the nearest town just to take on a few gallons of
water, I will be able to take on water from any nearby lake or stream I
can get close enough to. When a fellow is equipped with a pump, hose,
and chlorine dioxide, a good solar rig, cold beer in the refrigerator,
and some good books, such a fellow is sittin' pretty -- in my view.

--
Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San Juan Capistrano
KG6RCR



Mark Drillock typed:
> I won't dispute it, I am nutz. But not because I won't build a pump,
> hose, and battery setup to drag along so I can fill my water tank with
> water I know is unsafe to use and also drag along and use special
> treatments to reduce that risk when safe water is easily available and I
> have a vehicle that was built to carry several days worth.
>
> Because of hose length limitations I would have to camp or stop and fill
> where people with motor vehicles can get real close to the water,
> knowing that some of those people have little or no respect for what
> should and shouldn't go in that water.
>
> Since our vehicles weigh about 5000 lbs loaded for trips the addition of
> an extra 50 or 75 lbs of water is pretty minor in my nutty estimation.
>
> I also prefer not to cut my on board resources so finely that if
> something should happen or we should change our itinerary that we won't
> have an adequate supply of such a basic necessity as water with us at
> all times. I don't mind that others do so but I think them nutz for
> doing it on purpose.
>
> Mark
> Vanagon nut
>
> BA wrote:
>
>> On Wed, 18 Apr 2007 10:43:49 -0700, you wrote:
>>
>>
>>> I think you guys are nuts. At home before a trip I drain and then FILL
>>> the tank at a store with one of those purified water machines outside.
>>
>>
>>
>> And (with all due respect) we think y'er nutz.  :-)
>>
>> Serously, the thing is that we're (in SoCal) generally moving water
>> from approximately 500' elev. possibly down to approx. 200' below sea
>> level and then as high as 7000' feet.  That's our geography.  And
>> water is heavy.  So it's worthworthile to optimize water haulage.
>>
>> If we were still in the (relatively flat) midwest we probably would
>> pre-fill the water tank and not worry about where to get water.
>>
>>
>>
>> B&S
>> '87 Westy 'Esmerelda Blanc'
>> So Cal
>>
>