Date: Fri, 27 Feb 2009 12:26:47 -0800
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: Opinion on Long Trip w/young driver to Florida from Texas
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re
"the only
> things that are likely to go wrong are random problems that could happen
> to
> any vehicle."
Can't agree actually.......a vanagon is fundamentally more challenged than
most vehicles ......particularly in the cooling system department.
On a 86 or later one.,............all you need is a crumbling plastic
coolant disturber thing..........( for example.........that's just one part
of about 60 that can leak or fail in a vanagon cooling system )
or the steel insert end slipping out of a main coolant pipe, or any other of
50 or more 'happens easily ' small issues............
*combined with* ....inattention, lack of familiarity ..........music turned
up super loud..........
there is just Some Risk loaning out a car, especially a 20 year old
vanagon........even if it's a low miles 91.
Somehow......people not familiar with the car, or cars in
general...........there is some chance that if something small goes wrong
.........
it isn't noticed,,,,,,,,,,, and no action is taken by the
driver...........like stop and check things out etc......
then as you mention, there is the 'strange shop in who knows where factor
'..............
I would suggest , if you must let someone else use it.......lots of
incantations, incense burning, prayers and crossed fingers....
With luck it'll be all right. I rented my personal vanagon to some friends
to go to Burning Man ..........it worked out just fine.....
but there is always some risk in loaning a car. 'somehow' ..........'they'
just don't seem to have the same savvy about it that you do.
I wouldn't want to deny the guy his adventure ....for sure........
just recognize that most of what can happen to your van is totally out of
your control when it's on a long trip with a person who doesn't own it.
btw........on trips, at every short stop............I check that the
pavement is dry under the van where I park it........
then check for fluids there when I come back.
And I often sniff in both upper air intakes ( the right side one is block
off from the engine area some, though, on 86's and later ) ..........and
smell for coolant, burning oil, gasoline fumes etc.
You really can not be too careful about vanagons............especially the
cooling system . I tell people all the time .............'they are not
Toyota's or Fords, and they take special care and understanding."
I hope it goes well, just cross your finders and pray ~! -lol.
Scott
----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Sullivan" <sandwichhead@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Friday, February 27, 2009 7:31 AM
Subject: Re: Opinion on Long Trip w/young driver to Florida from Texas
> Allan, I will be using these comments to make my decision and it seems
> that
> it is leaning toward letting him go. If so, he's gonna make a BIG deposit
> in the favor bank. :-)
>
>
>> <Well a 3,000 mile road trip is probably LESS stressful to the vehicle
>> than
>> 3,000 miles running around town. As long as you trust him to do things
>> like
>> check the oil at each fill-up, not run it at red-line the whole way, etc.
>> it
>> will probably be fine. You seem to have the van in good shape, so the
>> only
>> things that are likely to go wrong are random problems that could happen
>> to
>> any vehicle.
>>
>> Allan
>> --
>> 1983 300D
>> >
>>
>>
>
>
> --
> Michael in San Antonio
> 91GL AT 'Gringo'
| 
