Date: Sun, 3 Jan 2010 13:39:23 -0500
Reply-To: Jeff Lincoln <magikvw@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Jeff Lincoln <magikvw@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Safe at home - what an adventure!!!
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Well, as you all may recall I posted on Wednesday that our urney from MI to
up state NY went well. * hours almost 500miles - peice of cake. Only issue
was some poor heat up front.
Well, Yesterday we headed for home - with a plan tstop near Toronto to visit
with Greg Potts and some other friends. Let me tell you we made it to about
20 min East of our friends and I noticed steam com from the back of the bus.
Sure enough the hose from the PS head to the coolant manifold had failed (I
had repaired it last week and thought it would hold but it did not). It was
very cold - luckily weve Greg a call and within about 25 minutes or so he
and our frd Adam had arrived with coolant and a replacement part. Can you
believe that Greg k the part of his own van (disabling it) to bring to us so
we could get home? Thanks Greg!!!! That's what the bus community is all
about - I greatly appreciate the rescue.
I was a bit anxious at first even though I knew help was close. Well, that
kind of frightened my 9 r old son. Then Patty spoke up and said, "Jack don't
be afraid. We are safe, our plans haven't changed, and we have friends who
are coming to help." I have to admit once she put it that way I felt betteas
well. The way I see it is there aren't many people who can be 4 hours from
home in a different country and have friends 20 min away (in North America
anyway) - that is unless you rive a bus or Vanagon!! Thanks again Greg and
Adam!!!!!
So a bit cold but no worse for wear we made it to Adam's pe for our visit -
late but unharmed. had some great veggie chilli, a brew, and some good
conversation. Our friends were kind enough to offer to let us stay but we
decided to press on. So ariund 12:30am we headed for home. Figured to cross
the US border around 4am. Right......bus ran great no futher problems - the
weather did not cooperate. We drove through a terrible snow storm hing west
on the 402. Started just before London, ON and didn't stop until 25km from
Sarnia, ON. Speed was 25mph or lower for hours. pulled in our drive way at
8:00am not 4am.
We did manage to hp a few motorists who were stuck or in the ditch along the
way. If only by offering temporary sanctuary until help arrived or calling
the O.P.P. to come help them.
Long story short it was an adventure - could have been a lot worse I suppose
- none of us are any worse for wear (a bit tired after driving for hours and
hours). Shoot the boy slept through the entire snow storm part - helping
stranded motorists and all.
OK, thanks for listening and thanks for such a great community! I'm going to
take a nap!
--
Thanks,
Jeff
'90 Carat (Grover)
'86 (We call this one Parts)
'78 Bus (Melissa) Patty's Bus