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Date:         Tue, 5 Jan 2010 12:59:44 -0500
Reply-To:     Woody Halsey <WHalsey@SYA.ORG>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Woody Halsey <WHalsey@SYA.ORG>
Subject:      Re: 1991 VW Vanagon Synchro the perfect "getaways" vehicle
              Article 2010
Comments: To: Charles Nighbor <cnighbor1@COMCAST.NET>
In-Reply-To:  A<D17C95500E304F589B7AC20A81A9435F@gateway2v8e13w>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

OK, I want a Synchro!

Woody 83.5 V'gon Haverhill, MA

-----Original Message----- From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Charles Nighbor Sent: Tuesday, January 05, 2010 12:45 PM To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: 1991 VW Vanagon Syncro the perfect "getaways" vehicle Article 2010

Here is an article in the San Francisco Chronicle 01/03/2010 on Vanagon

Enjoy Charles Nighbor

Walnut Creek, CA

Owner of a 91 Multi Van

''Back in the '70s, around the time I finished law school, my wife Joelle and I decided that we needed some time off before I began my career. So we bought a lime green VW camper van and toured the country for several months. We had a fantastic time and still tell those stories. I have now been practicing law for 35 years and Joelle and I have three sons, aged 29, 27 and 23. Our passion is fly fishing, and when we moved from Southern California to Berkeley 14 years ago we started exploring the amazing rivers of Northern California.

During that time I became increasingly tired of sleeping on the ground and started looking for the perfect fishing vehicle. The Vanagon came to mind, but I initially dismissed it because our previous VW had low ground clearance and just wouldn't be able to make it to our favorite rivers and lakes. One day I wondered whether VW had ever made a higher clearance van, went online and found the Syncro.

The Vanagon Syncro was the pet project of two VW engineers who wanted to be able to take their campers into the outback of Europe and Africa. The result was a 4WD version of the Vanagon with high clearance that did well enough in off-road competition to make it into limited production from 1986-1991. Only about 1,500 camper versions were sold in the United States, and as a result they are quite rare now. I found my 1991 Syncro about two years ago and have been having a blast with it ever since.

Anyone who has ever driven any Vanagon comments on how fun they are. Sitting up high with a big ol' bus-type steering wheel is cool, and then there is this wonderful floating sensation that is hard to describe. When the going gets rough, the Syncro has a magic button that locks the rear wheels and a fifth "granny" gear that allows it to climb straight up just about any nasty hill. It is quite common for Syncros to pull all kinds of modern off-road vehicles out of stuck situations. In May of each year, "Syncronauts" from all over the United States and Canada gather for Syncro de Mayo at an off-road park in Hollister to charge up and down mountains, slog through mud bogs and see who can get the most air in their van.

With our Syncro my wife and I have rediscovered our love for camping. We now look for excuses to get away, and although B&B's are wonderful, it sure is nice to have our own cabin on wheels. We pull up, pop the top, pop a top and are cooking dinner before most travelers have unpacked their cars. Our family photos are on the wall, and Joelle has made a beautiful quilt that keeps the chill off. Last year at Syncro de Mayo we won the trophy for best campsite - Joelle thinks it was her quilt that did the job.

I have installed some aftermarket creature comforts, including a propane heater that runs on a thermostat, an awning, and extra batteries to run the DVD player and other appliances. The next project will be a solar system so that we can be out in the boonies for extended trips. Our vacation last summer was a three-week road trip through Oregon and Washington, and although we have traveled abroad extensively we were amazed by the fun we had, cool people we met and how stunning our country actually is when you get up close and personal. The VW is not fast, so when you go, you go at its pace, not yours. It takes getting used to, but quickly you relax, putt along, and start giving peace signs to all of the other "hippie vans" that pass. ''

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/01/03/MTF41BDHB6.D TL#ixzz0blEjizJG

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/01/03/MTF41BDHB6.D TL


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