Date: Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:52:15 -0500
Reply-To: The Bus Depot <vanagon@BUSDEPOT.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: The Bus Depot <vanagon@BUSDEPOT.COM>
Subject: Re: Thoughts on Travelling w/ 4 year old
In-Reply-To: <SNT130-w3393CFEF093947E49BD50CDF9E0@phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
> Well I gotta bug up my butt to go see the Wanee Festival
> (http://www.waneefestival.com/ ) in Florida this spring. Take
> a week or so to take our time driving back and see some
> friends in the Carolinas. It is a 15 hours straight drive
> and I know that is out of the question with a 4 year old,
> we'd break it up in two chunks, use a motel on the ride down...
That looks like a great festival! I've seen many of those bands many times
and they're well worth the trip! In fact my wife and I will be seeing Jorma
and Hot Tuna in just a few weeks near Philly.
Regarding the ease of traveling with a small child, I think it largely
depends on the child, or perhaps more accurately the parent ... that is to
say, what the child has been taught to need/expect. At 4, a child is still
pretty malleable, and even if there are a few snags on this first long
journey, it is not too late to break him/her in to the wonders of the road.
My daughter (now 11) was at her first music festival at 2 months old, and by
6 months had spent a month traveling through Europe in a VW camper. Frequent
camping trips in our Westy - local and long distance - have been a big part
of her summers literally since she was born. The longest one that we do
annually is about an 8-9 hour drive, which we often do straight but
sometimes break into halves if we visit friends en route. I'm not a huge
fan of electronic diversions in the car, preferring to teach her from a
young age to embrace the journey itself as part of the experience, rather
than something to be merely endured in order to reach a destination. So we
have never done in-car video, and minimized the use of video games. We'd
spend time telling stories, listening to music, playing "I spy" and other
road games, and used the periodic video game, rest stop, etc. as a diversion
when necessary. She would bring coloring books and crafts when younger,
novels now that she's older, to pass some of the time. She has grown to love
the trips and the music festivals. She never complains about the drive
(although neither of us would mind if the long ones were a bit shorter!),
and would be absolutely heartbroken if we missed either of our two favorites
(Grassroots Fest near Ithaca, NY; Great Blue Heron fest near Erie, PA) even
once.
I have since remarried, and now have two other small children from my wife's
first marriage. While my wife is well traveled and a veteran of many
camping trips and concerts, she stopped when she had kids. When they took
long drives to vist family, her children were used to virtually nonstop
entertainment - DVD's or video games, a constant barrage of snacks, and (if
both parents were present) Mom in the back playing with them the rest of the
time while Dad drove alone up front. I have to admit some initial skepicism
as to whether her children could handle long drives without incessantly
demanding attention or entertainment (which quite frankly drove me nuts). I
have to say that I was totally surprised! This summer will be their third
year joining us (they were 4 and 6 the first time). They're not quite as
"low maintenance" on long drives as my 11 year old was at their ages (which
is to be expected given the different upbringings), but in just a couple of
years they've already made huge strides. The portable DVD player broke and
was never replaced. They talk, play, read, and do crafts, and the drive is
pleasant even if there are rough spots here and there (which, again, is to
be expected with small children). Most importantly, they LOVE the family
camping trips and festivals! I have no doubt that when all three children
are grown and look back at their childhoods, they will cherish these
memories.
On the other hand, I have a friend whose kids I would never take on a road
trip. They have no idea what it's like to spend even the shortest time
without a wheelbarrow full of toys, a backpack full of video games, and a
library full of DVD's. I firmly believe that it all comes down to what you
as a parent teach your kids they "need."
So, ultimately you know your child better than anyone else does. But at
four, it's certainly not too late to open up your child's horizons and start
new family traditions! I''d say go for it!
You might consider breaking the drive up into three days since it's your
first long drive. However you could stop at campgrounds instead of motels
(or maybe one of each). The Westy is plenty big enough for three -
especially if all you're doing is pulling over for the night - and you can't
have a campfire and roast marshmallows in a hotel room!
You may also want to consider an awning or side tent for the festival
itself. While the Westy is plenty roomy for an overnight stop, if it rains
and you are indoors more than hoped, what's cozy for adults can feel cramped
to kids (especially after all that driving). Our Ezy-Awning goes up in about
10 minutes, and is therefore well suited for overnight use (such as on the
way down and back) as well as weekend use. A side tent is a bit of work to
put up, and only worth the effort if you're in one place for a weekend IMO.
But it basically doubles your living space. There's tons of room to play,
and an inner cabin to store coolers, toys, etc. so you're not tripping over
them inside the van. I would personally bring both, but at least the
awning. Here are links to both. However, the Tent will probably be sold out
by April, as we are running low and the new version won't be in until June.
http://busdepot.com/details/awning.jsp
http://busdepot.com/details/spacemaker.jsp
As for the vehicle itself, you can put a passenger side 3-point seatbelt in
your Westy, and for safety's sake I'd recommend it. (As far as I'm
concerned, letting the child out of the seatbelt while driving is out of the
question. Pull over; the extra five minutes won't kill you but the lack of a
seatbelt might.) We sell the genuine VW 3-point seatbelt, which is the one
I'd go with. It uses the stock mounting points that are already
factory-welded to your Vanagon under the side panel, and the reel sits
behind the panel out of site. Most importantly, while you can save maybe $20
or $30 with aftermarket, the factory one is designed and tested by VW
engineers to do its job properly if the unthinkable happens. That peace of
mind is well worth an extra few bucks to me. You will need the following two
part numbers:
http://busdepot.com/details.jsp?partnumber=253857816D
http://busdepot.com/details.jsp?partnumber=253857816KIT
AAA Plus or Platinum is a great idea. And I'd defiitely have the whole van
gone over top to bottom by a knowledgeable specialist if you don't work on
it yourself. Of course anything can happen when driving old vehicle (of any
make) long distances, but identifying and fixing any potential issues up
front will greatly reduce the risk. Bring along a Bentley manual
(http://busdepot.com/details.jsp?partnumber=BENTLEYVV91) in case you do have
a breakdown. Even if you don't do the work yourself, if you end up broken
down at a Chevy mechanic in the middle of nowhere, at least you can hand him
a shop manual so he isn't going in blind.
I hope you have a great time! We'll look for a trip report on the list at
the end of April!
- Ron Salmon
The Bus Depot, Inc.
www.busdepot.com
(215) 234-VWVW
_____________________________________________
Toll-Free for Orders by PART # : 1-866-BUS-DEPOT
| 
