Pete, I've been "kicking the tires" on Honda Elements for years. I think they are a well planned and useful vehicle - not a Vanagon - but a bit of the same spirit. You could throuw a matress in the back - or all four seats fold flat into a bed - and yes I have seen a pop top conversion for them. I've heard pros and cons to them but right now if I were to buy a new vehicle - that would be it. According to the response I finally received from VWOA - the appreciated the letters sent but "do not have any plans to build a new bus/camper at this time". Shame - they really could have a huge hit if they designed it right. Thanks for the article. On Sun, Jul 27, 2008 at 5:15 PM, Peter T. Owsianowski < pnoceanwesty@gmail.com> wrote: > Agreed. Was checking a Honda Element today. Rubber floors, boxy, > versatile. You could throw a mattress in there and sleep. I think > there is even a Poptop conversion kit for those things. > The new Beetle worked - VW seems never to miss an opportunity to miss > an opportunity here in the US. > > > > On 7/27/08, Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote: > > thanks for posting this link. > > nice to see VW is the 3rd largest auto maker in the world after GM and > > Toyota. > > You'd never know it here, as VW is pretty small in the US market, > > numbers-wise. > > 231,000 cars total sold in the US in 2007 isn't very much at all. > > > > Well I hope they do well. Persoanlly, I just do not see any way to make > a > > quality product in the US with US workers..........and often the UAW > Union > > gets in .............Toyota is turning into GM .........with union > workers > > in their US plants now. Quality just goes down. Toyota's are stil good, > > but not the 'just will never die and so reliable it's boring' that they > once > > were, close still, but not like they once were quite. > > > > I'm actually rather offended, as a consumer, that VW is hanging their > badge > > on what is really a Chrysler Van. > > You know.............they *invented* a genre ..............and they > should > > stick with it ! > > > > I figured out what a Vanagon really is - it's a 'sporty not-quite-truck' > > .......... > > good ground clearance, great versility .........even the boxy aspect is > all > > right. Like an upright and proud all around do anything van. Whether > > hauling people, semi-off roading, camping, or hauling stuff.........does > it > > all. > > > > THAT is what they should make. Something that's not a 'me-too low to the > > ground, soccer mom and grocery hauler' like this van that they will be > > comong out with. > > We shall see. > > one thing for sure .........their products better get good fuel mileage ! > > why don't we start a letter campaign to VW of America explaining that > we're > > not interested in a soccer mom mini-van, but we'd go nuts over a modern , > > and NOT too modern ( ! ) , interpretation of the Vanagon. > > scott > > www.turbovans.com > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Peter T. Owsianowski" <pnoceanwesty@GMAIL.COM> > > To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> > > Sent: Sunday, July 27, 2008 7:13 AM > > Subject: VW's New Chattanooga Plant > > > > > >> http://www.star-telegram.com/102/story/785205.html > >> > >> > >> > >> -- > >> Pete > >> '79 Westy "Aardvark" > >> '87 Westy "Joe's Van" > >> WWW.Busesbythebeach.com <http://www.busesbythebeach.com/> > > > > > > -- > Sent from Gmail for mobile | mobile.google.com > > Pete > '79 Westy "Aardvark" > '87 Westy "Joe's Van" > WWW.Busesbythebeach.com <http://www.busesbythebeach.com/> >
-- Thanks, Jeff '90 Carat (Grover) '86 (We call this one Parts) '78 Bus (Melissa) Patty's Bus |
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