Date:         Mon, 16 Jul 2007 11:55:43 -0700
Reply-To:     Brendan Slevin <brendan@BELLATAZZA.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Brendan Slevin <brendan@BELLATAZZA.COM>
Subject:      Why we do it.
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

This weekend was the maiden camping voyage of our new-to-us 84 GL Vanagon
named Totoro.  I'll get some pictures up somewhere.  Totoro was great,
though with no speedometer I was guessing our speed by the tach.  After
fixing the cable (sort of, it's missing the plastic clip so I fashioned one
from metal that is still working) on Sunday evening I found I was speeding
around town and slower than perceived in the mountains.  The need to go as
fast as I used to or push Totoro hard was difficult to suppress, but
eventually I realized I see so much more when I am not focused on getting
around that guy or get there 3.72 seconds faster.  It was very relaxing.

We started out of Bend in the late morning after getting a coffee.  The
drive up through the Cascades was beautiful, as usual, moving from dry
sagebrush and juniper up to pines and alpine meadows.  Icy glacial streams
flowing into lava flow-dammed lakes boiling with rainbows and kokanee.  The
view of Bachelor and the Three Sisters is more and more breathtaking as you
get closer and closer and eventually wind through them. Passing emerald
green Devil's Lake and the South Sister Summit Trail you see more lava flows
but this time they are veined in pumice and obsidian.  We made it to Elk
Lake amazed once again that we only live 35 miles from this serene beauty
and happy that Totoro made the trip flawlessly, if a bit more leisurely than
before.  We took a forest road around to the other side of Elk Lake and I
was surprised by how well the van took to the dirt and gravel.  We set up
camp, very simple with no tent or airbed, folded down the back seat, and put
up the snap in curtains.  It was so wonderful.  My wife, baby and I slept in
the bed while our ten year old was on the floor of the van in a sleeping
bag.  It was wonderful. The only complaint heard that night was about the
bugs that had flown into the van from having the windows down and the back
up.  I've already started solving that problem.  For ventilation I've taken
an old tent and carefully cut the back panel off.  I've got it mostly cut
down to the shape of the back opening of Totoro.  I'll install a few more
snaps along the bottom and, voila, a zip down window tent back for camping.
I am also thinking about getting the Velcro screens from Bus Depot.  Does
anyone have these or a picture of them?  Thanks!

Also, I rectified the hot air blowing in problem.   Seems the valve is hard
to open and close or the cable is corroded, not sure but I went under and
shut the valve by hand and now it's only cool air in there.  No more hot
shins.  I also went through and replace all the tiny bulbs in the instrument
cluster and heater controls  so we can see them at night.  Woo hoo!

Anyway, that was our weekend trip. Many more to follow, I'm sure.