Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:14:14 -0400
Reply-To: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Vanagons compared to RVs
In-Reply-To: <4884D18A.6020901@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed
In New York, you can get an "RV" endorsement. This allows for operation of
recreational vehicle over 26,000 pound GVW and air brakes. It reqiures a
road test and demonstrataion that you know how to operate and test the air
brake system. No written test here unless you want CDL. Most states are now
reqiuring some type of license upgrade for this class.
Dennis
>From: Andrew Philbrick <herrschildkrote@GMAIL.COM>
>Reply-To: Andrew Philbrick <herrschildkrote@GMAIL.COM>
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>Subject: Re: Vanagons compared to RVs
>Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:12:26 -0500
>
>Why Vanagons are better - anyone who can drive a car can be safe while
>driving a Vanagon. As a city transit bus driver and a CDL holder, I am
>shocked (and quite a bit uncomfortable) with some RVs on the road. Some
>RVs people are driving here in Iowa are larger than a transit bus and
>yet those drivers need nothing more than a written test to drive that
>huge thing. Frankly, as Dennis said, RV design is getting bigger and I
>personally would feel safer with more Vanagons on the road than the RVs.
>
>Andrew
>
>
>Dennis Haynes wrote:
>>I guess you have to define fairly new. I don't recall a 26 foot
>>Southwind.
>>The model line starts at 30 or 32 feet now. It was a step above the
>>Bounder
>>and under the Pace Arrow for Fleetwoods gas line up. Fleetwood
>>products in
>>general depreciate quickly due to there being so many and thier
>>tendency to
>>age rapidly.
>>
>>No doubt the RV and boating industries are geting hit really hard. Except
>>for a trip to a ball game with some friends, I haven't used mine since
>>Christmas time. The cost of fuel though isn't the only issue as the
>>economy
>>is turning. I also haven'tdone any trips in the Westy this summer.
>>
>>I doubt the big RV industry is going to be gone any more than people
>>will be
>>living in large houses. Yes there will be a turn but the reality is
>>vehicles
>>like the westy are really only good for single folks, couples, and
>>maybe 2
>>kids. A family of 6 or more is not going to comfortably live in one
>>without
>>the aid of tents, trailers, roof racks, and then some.
>>
>>Hopefully what we will see is usable sized RVs becoming more fuel
>>effecient.
>>Over the last ten years they not only got larger, but also heavier
>>with no
>>attention paid to aerodynamics. The one I have now is so bad that rain
>>will
>>hit the windshield and be pegged in place, even with rainx. Why do
>>tractor
>>trialers get better mileage than even disel pusher RVs?
>>
>>Most RVs will do better 5 mpg. I get 8.5 solo, 7.5 pulling the Syncro
>>Westy.
>>The Westy is now only getting 16. My last RV was a Gas unit, 34' with the
>>triton V-10 and it did about the same.
>>
>>What I would be more concerned about is folks in the north having to heat
>>there homes. We may be huddling in our vanagons with the propex heater to
>>avoid those oil deliveries.
>>
>>Dennis
>>
>>
>>>From: Don Hanson <dhanson@GORGE.NET>
>>>Reply-To: Don Hanson <dhanson@GORGE.NET>
>>>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>>>Subject: Vanagons compared to RVs
>>>Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2008 09:16:32 -0700
>>>
>>> I just saw a fairly new Southwind RV, maybe a 26-footer, for sale in
>>>The
>>>Dalles, Oregon. This one was nice looking well cared for but without
>>>all
>>>the fancy extra rooms that slide out, etc..Still, a "Substantial
>>>Vehicle"
>>>$7k was the asking price.
>>> You can't find a decent Westie for that without being pretty
>>>diligent..Guess the big RV era is done..gone the way of the
>>>dinosaurs... I
>>>suppose it would be difficult to fund a cross country trip at 5mpg when
>>>diesel in Oregon is (today..) $5.10/gallon..
>>> Don Hanson
>>
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