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Date:         Tue, 24 Apr 2007 19:55:04 -0400
Reply-To:     "Peter T. Owsianowski" <pnoceanwesty@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "Peter T. Owsianowski" <pnoceanwesty@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: The two kinds of Vanagon owner..
Comments: To: vt <samcvt@comcast.net>
In-Reply-To:  <021101c786a4$71fcf430$6401a8c0@TOSHIBASamC>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

I once walked right by Todd Duell's '85 Westy 9didn't know him at the time) in the parking lot at B&N with my nose in the book I had just bought. Nancy was with our daughter in her car and called me on the cell phone to ask me if I seen the Westy in the lot. I u-turned and went back and put the Buses by the Beach website on Todd's windshield.

The book? "Beetles, Buses and Beyond!"

On 4/24/07, vt <samcvt@comcast.net> wrote: > > And, I have enjoyed not having a car payment since I bought the 84 w/11k > miles on it in 1996 for $7k.. > > A couple of weeks ago, my son and I were walking out of B&Ns with our bags > of books, and someone had parked the same year, model nose to nose with my > Westy. Adam exclaimed loudly, "Geesus! They're mating?" > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Geza Polony" <gezapolony@SBCGLOBAL.NET> > To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> > Sent: Tuesday, April 24, 2007 1:18 PM > Subject: Re: The two kinds of Vanagon owner.. > > > > Spoken like a true VW bus person. Vanagons being the last of the VW > > Busses. > > > > The VW ethic also means you get to groove on nature while you're waiting > > to > > get it fixed...towed...whatever. > > > > Cars are supposed to break down--that's what they do--and we need, as a > > society, as a planet, to come to terms with that, to accept it, with all > > the > > cosmic implications it may have. > > > > That's what differentiates the true VW bus driver from the RV driver, > who > > in > > the case of a breakdown is swearing about how he can't get the 440 HP > ski > > boat he's towing to the man-made lake in time to watch Fox News on > > satellite. He doesn't get the cosmic implications of it. > > > > Grooving on nature is impossible in an RV, inevitable in a VW Bus. > > > > You're right, this does beat working. > > > > > > On Mon, 23 Apr 2007 22:42:04 -0700, Don Hanson <dhanson@GORGE.NET> > wrote: > > > >>Ben's got it right..You either re-work all the weak points in your van, > or > > you "hope for the best(but expect the worst)" > >> > >> Now I may be off in my thinking, but personally, I would rather have a > > machine that I've brought up to whatever level of "perfection" I can > > afford > > (time or money) my own self. Yeah, If I were a billionaire, I would > just > > have a bunch of vehicles and some people to take care of em for > me...but > > there are few of those..Jay Leno, Lyle Lovett (with motorbikes) Paul > > Neuman..etc.. > >> Even a brand new vehicle screws up often..A brand new camping vehicle, > > ever more often...I once inherited an almost new Bounder when my father > > passed away and my mom no longer wanted it..Got talked into taking it to > > Baja instead of my 'regular' Baja outfit..usually a splitty, or a Ford > > pickup, or something simple....By the time we reached our furthest point > > south, I was steering with a set of vicegrips on the steering > column...The > > wheel fell off in my hands! (when we got back to the US and our mail, > > there > > was a "recall" notice from GM saying.."You should have your steering > wheel > > checked at the dealer before you continue driving your new Bounder"...No > > shi+! > >> > >> I spent that whole winter 'fixing' Mo-Ho stuff on the beach in > > Baja..."What good is a VCR if your generator won't run " or "Hey Honey, > > the > > holding tank is full..what do I do?" Or, Honk! honk! Frantic waving out > a > > window, pointing down near the right of the Mo-Ho...Steps are hanging > > down...A flat? Of course it is the inside dually and the jack doesn't > > work > > in sand...Like that... > >> > >> No, Give me a twenty year old vanagon and $10 grand...Keep your new > > Mini-Winie, your Adventure Wagen, Your Prevost motorcoach.. > >> When my van's alternator belt broke recently near Boron, California > this > > past trip...I knew exactly what it was..No Flatbed ride to the > dealer. No > > "Bosch Hammer." instrument to hunt up to "diagnose the fault"..I just > > fished > > around under the bed and found my tire chains..took off all the hooks > from > > the tensioner rubber thingie and used that to drive the water pump and > the > > alternator till I got to a town with a parts store, camped in front till > > they opened and got a new belt. > >> You can't even see the belts in some of the newer cars...If you have > > satellite reception, you can maybe call ONSTAR and ask..."Hey, Onstar, > > where > > is my frikken alternator?" Or if you are a millionaire, you discard > that > > car and get another new one brought to you.. > >> Me, I would rather KNOW my van, inside and out, from personal > > involvement.Sure, you have to spend some money to get it right (enough) > > but > > when you are satisfied, you actually know you have good stuff, done > right. > > You won't ever get your money back out, but then when you drive a new > car > > off the lot, you lose a bundle anyway... > >> > >> You start with a new camper, you just start over with new > > problems....New *expensive* problems that aren't user serviceable...Call > > the > > dealer, call the flatbed...call you mommy..they still break..Gimme one I > > can > > fix most of the stuff on before it breaks (again?) and I think that is a > > better way..of course, I may be a little "off" in my thinking.. > >> Don Hanson >

-- Pete '79 Westy "Aardvark" '87 Westy "Joe's Van" '02 Audi A6 Avant WWW. Busesbythebeach.com


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