Date: Mon, 19 May 2008 13:29:03 -0400
Reply-To: "Jack R." <jack007@COMCAST.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: "Jack R." <jack007@COMCAST.NET>
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"
Reminds me of the book... Zen and the Art of Motorcycle maintenance.
Maybe someone should write a sequel and call it... Zen and the Art of
Vanagon maintenance.
It's all about the journey... not just the destination!
And what better way to take a journey, but in a Vanagon!
Thanks for sharing your adventure!
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Malcolm Stebbins
Sent: Monday, May 19, 2008 11:48 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Nova Scotia to Michigan: trip report
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
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