Date: Mon, 19 May 2008 09:05:36 -0700
Reply-To: neil N <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: neil N <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Nova Scotia to Michigan: trip report
In-Reply-To: <865816.89679.qm@web45108.mail.sp1.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Nice Report Malcolm
Good to see and read. Right now I live vicariously through other
people's Vanagon adventures!
(I gotta work "straight through" for the next 2 months. Dang it! ---- :^)
Cheers,
Neil.
On Mon, May 19, 2008 at 8:47 AM, Malcolm Stebbins <mwstebbins@yahoo.com> wrote:
> This was a maiden voyage in my 'new' Dehler-van that I bought back in 2006 (http://gerry.vanagon.com/cgi-bin/wa.exe?A2=ind0511b&L=vanagon&F=&S=&P=28603 ). For a variety of reasons, the van sat for 2 years (http://gerry.vanagon.com/cgi-bin/wa.exe?A2=ind0712A&L=vanagon&P=R34218 ). At any rate I had yet to 'bond' with my van and this was a good opportunity.
> I've not been back to my native Michigan in several years, so with some trepidation, I spent a week doing all of the last minute things to get the van ready, and packed many boxes, an antique metal bed-frame that I was returning to Michigan, and a wooden chest that I was delivering to Ottawa, and I set off on Sunday, May 11, 2008 right on 10 a.m., from Halifax, Nova Scotia.
> My route was north-west up through New Brunswick, then basically south-west along the St. Lawrence Seaway through Quebec and west to Sault Saint Marie, then south into Michigan. The first night I made it to the NB-Quebec border. Most of the campgrounds are still closed, so I found a nice logging road up which to 'stealth-camp'. I knew the forecast was for a cold night, so I was prepared... and it was COLD. There was frost on the windows as I arose on Monday morning (with the one hour time change, it was light at 05:22) and on the road there was still snow still along the sides of the road and even a few moose!
> My goal was Ottawa where, I was going to meet Frank Condelli at the meeting of the Volkswagen Owners Club. I decided to stay off the super 401 highway and stick to the older, and MUCH more interesting 2 lane highway #132 that goes through all of the interesting little towns. Adroitly avoiding the traffic around Quebec City and Montreal, I decided to stop for the night at Montebello. I eschewed the grand hotel in Montebello, and was looking for an open campground, when a guy pulled into the space next to my van and starting inspecting the van. My van is a bit unusual, as it's a 1989 Dehler high-top factory Syncro 16, so he was very curious. After some discussion of the van, he told me that the municipal campground was closed, but was accessible and right on the water front. So I parked in the best spot and was the only van there, and my 2nd free night. I had time to go jogging and then managed to hook-up my shower to clean up from the run, and in anticipation of
> meeting Frank and his friends the next day.
> On Tuesday morning, it was much warmer (nearly 14 C) It's only a few kilometres to Ottawa, so there was no need to start early. Despite getting lost a few times (I took all back roads into Ottawa) I made it to my late wife's brother's house and returned his lovely wooden chest that he made when he was 16 years old and gave to his sister so many years ago.
> I then headed into Ottawa and was very early, so I hunted up an internet café to kill a few hours. Even at that, I arrived early for the VW club meeting. In due course many nice folks showed up and much discussion ensued regarding this-that-n't'other all VW related.
> I then followed Frank and Rita to their place in Almonte (an hour or so SW of Ottawa) for the night as he and I had arranged for Frank to do some work on my van. On Wednesday, Frank spent the whole day listening to my kibitzing and putting up with me looking over his shoulder as he wired in his headlight up-grade kit; re-did some very bad wiring that he uncovered; put a Westy kitchen trough in the Dehler interior (up above the kitchen cabinet); and wired in a manual switch for the radiator coolant fan. My part of the deal was to listen to Franks stories :-) ..... My thanks to Rita for her hospitality.
> Then on Thursday, I was up early (after camping in Frank & Rita's driveway for the past 2 nights) and on the road my 6 a.m. Heading west along the Trans-Canada #17. It's an interesting drive as it's 2 lane with varied topography, BUT, I kept moving, stopping only for gas, toilets, and to heat water for a cup of tea to drink while driving through towns/villages with such interesting names as: Mooze Mekkum, Waba Gishik, Wagoosh and past Seldom Seen Rd, and Wegas Rd. I crossed into the USA at Sault Saint Marie without incident and after a total of 13 hours driving that day, I arrived in Harbor Spring Michigan, my destination.Re the van: It has a European DJ engine that is a high compression engine (premium fuel) and has 115 horsepower. I'd have to say that I could feel the extra horsepower, as, even as loaded as the van was, it could actually hold its own on many of the hills. It burned NO oil on the way, and ZERO coolant leaks..... must be a first for any van I've
> owned! Statistically speaking, about 2,500 kms (1,550 miles). Fuel economy varied greatly with speed, 19 mpg (at 110 kph (68 mph)), then 22 mpg then 24 mpg to 30 mpg as I slowed to 60 kph (under 40 mph) on some back roads. On average (6 tanks of gas) the fuel economy was 12.45 L/100 km, or 8 km/l, or 22.687 mpg.
> The van ran flawlessly, again a first on any van that I've owned, but then again the van is in excellent condition and still has only 142,000 kms (88,000 miles) on it.
> The return trip will be through Boston in June as I stop by Bostig to have a nice new Zetec engine installed. Thanks for listening. Malcolm
>
--
Neil Nicholson. 1981 Air Cooled Westfalia - "Jaco"
http://web.mac.com/tubaneil
http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/
| 
