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Date:         Fri, 31 Oct 2008 11:52:00 -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: Vanagon   ?Previa?
Comments: To: Don Hanson <dhanson@GORGE.NET>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="Windows-1252";
              reply-type=original

re : "The new VW van offering looks just like all the other minivans currently out there...same basic thing..."Mid-sized car chassis with lots of seats and room for the kiddies to walk around inside"...

and one more thing ................very low ground clearance. Quite decent ground clearance is definitely one of The Things that goes a long way towards making vanagons extremely versatile and useful in near endless ways.

Show my another vehicle besides the Vanagon that's affordable, comes with a huge family of afiencadoes and parts and upgrade support, is a living room, a bed room, and a kitchen, isn't crazy modern too high tech, and can work it's way down a non-road to a remote camping spot.

Toyota engine in a Vanagon perhaps ? It's very doable. Scott www.turbovans.com

----- Original Message ----- From: "Don Hanson" <dhanson@GORGE.NET> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2008 10:23 PM Subject: Re: Vanagon ?Previa?

> No, I think a 4x8 sheet would not go into any of the MiniVans without some > serious shoe-horning. > > That is a Vanagon plus, for sure. > > In my 84, with most of a Westie interior, I made a crude "stand" for > carrying lumber and plywood. With the whole interior still in place. I > fabbed up two pieces of 3/4" plywood in the correct lengths so that I can, > with just 3 screws, assemble a right angle stand that I rest one end on > top > of the closed-up stove cab. This stand sits cross ways inside, with the > second piece being a 'wide' leg, upright opposite the stove and right in > front of the slider. I leave a brace attached at one end, swing that up > and > screw it across the two legs so the stand doesn't collapse. I can even > get > a cold one out of the fridge after I unload, then lay down and rest while > I > drink it.. > When I have to haul a bunch of big material, (14' lumber will fit inside > with the hatch shut) or plywood, I assemble the stand then slide the ply > in, > from the back hatch, across the top of the bench seat back, with the seat > in it's upright position. The materials bridge across the seat back and > the > stand...If I plan on any spirited driving, I might put a clamp on the > whole > stack. This method makes it simple to load, I don't have any problems > with > the interior, and I still have plenty of room for the smaller stuff and > tools below the level of the seat back/stand. Recently, I had 9 sheets of > 3/4" Birch ply and about 30peices of eastern rock maple 1x hardwood, plus > my > table saw and all my hand tools, two saw horses and my dog in there..No > problemo.. Didn't even scratch it up anywhere.. > But a Vanagon is a camper and/or an almost truck. Those minivans are > more > like "almost cars"... > Interestingly, while reading up on the various MiniVans in my ongoing > Previa assessment, the MiniVan Pundits all mention how the Previa is > really > a great handler but wasn't widely accepted, in it's first form (with a > normally aspirated 130hp D.O.H.C. 4 banger) because it was considered > "underpowered" (here in the US anyways). At about 3200lbs and > 130hp...Still, that was a much better power to weight ratio than a > Vanagon, > eh? Like close to 25% more power with a little less weight..So Toyota > responded by slapping on a supercharger after about '94 and upped the hp > to > 160..That is Subaru-Vanagon territory, eh? > Also interesting (to me anyhow) is that they stopped with the 5sp manual > tranny in 94..Guess your average soccer mom didn't want to shift..So far, > I > have only found one listing (out of some 60 Previas nation-wide on > AutoTrader) for a 93 5sp...$3200 with "135k miles"...Also > interesting...No > timing belt, a timing chain...that's a Toyota, I guess...make it > dependable..then sell em...Not make em 'saleable' then fix the problems > when > they appear... > > Two different species...the Minivan and the Vanagon. The new VW van > offering looks just like all the other minivans currently out there...same > basic thing..."Mid-sized car chassis with lots of seats and room for the > kiddies to walk around inside"... > Don Hanson > > Date: Thu, 30 Oct 2008 17:06:30 -0700 > From: Rob <becida@COMCAST.NET> > Subject: > At 10/30/2008 04:45 PM, chris and/or ruth wrote: >>Scott, >>My brother in law swears by this vehicle; however he prefers to buy >>the near identical Mercury "VILLEGER". According to him, usually >>costs much less than the Quest.<snipped> > > Rob wrote: > > I know the Caravan will NOT take a 4x8 sheet without removing the > seats, any idea if this one will? I'm just curious as I already know > none of vans have the class that the original does. > > > > Rob > becida@comcast.net


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