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Date:         Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:36:00 -0700
Reply-To:     Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject:      Re: Vanagons compared to RVs
Comments: To: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="Windows-1252";
              reply-type=response

the stock Westy layout is very obviously designed with a two child family in mind. The small table is inteneded for between the front seats facing each other .......just right for smaller poeple, and so forth.

an auto trans stock Westy seems to eat up fuel all right. My 2.1 wtbxr engine auto trans 85 Wolfsburg Weekender got 16 mpg on the highway a year or so ago - not acceptable . I consider 18 mpg to be the bottom of the acceptable range. Many trans Westy, driven nicely .........good for 20 mpg, even slightly better. subaru engines in Westy's deliver a little better fuel economy and a whole lot more ooomph.

I'm sure RV's vary graeatly...........but when I look at the huge amounts of wasted space in them sometimes.....or just how overly large and heavy thnings on and in them are.............it just increases my appreciation for what a Vanaong Westy is, can do, and can become with careful mods ! Not a bad mini-RV at all. - a 6 person family though - no way. That WOULD be roughing it all right.

Perhaps the trend in american culture for 'big everything' is still at work - or, it'll be a while yet before all those kids grow up and go out on their own..............IF they manage to get out, and stay out , on their own that is !

you know what a 'market correction' is, in the stock market, right ? that's when prices fall............after a bubble had been building...........same in real estate. Sometimes they call that a 'market adjustment.' Hopefully..........we are in a huge market adjustment about how our culture lives - that there will be fewer giamt homes built, fewer monster gas guzzling pick up trucks and SUV's, less per capital consumption of resources, fewer calories consummed etc. !! Hey, we are not the worst emitter of green house gases now - china is. but.........that still hurts US, and all the other vanaogn loving people on the planet. scott

----- Original Message ----- From: "Dennis Haynes" <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> Sent: Monday, July 21, 2008 10:45 AM Subject: Re: Vanagons compared to RVs

>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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