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Date:         Sat, 27 Nov 2010 12:26:40 -0800
Reply-To:     Jake de Villiers <crescentbeachguitar@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jake de Villiers <crescentbeachguitar@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Reality Check on New & Better VW Campers
Comments: To: Jonce Fancher <streetbugs@frontier.com>
In-Reply-To:  <20101127032155.DB34718E2B8@relay04.roch.ny.frontiernet.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Your van is 21 feet long? Try 15 feet! ;)

On Fri, Nov 26, 2010 at 7:22 PM, Jonce Fancher <streetbugs@frontier.com>wrote:

> Yep That about sums it up! > My shop we make Windshield Covers, Bras/Masks, Tire covers and do > interiors on these things. They are INSANE inside and out if you have > the coin to push them. What kills me is they tend to need a Tow > Vehicle which adds to the confusion and pain. We did some work for > one this past summer that was 43 feet long! Talk about massive and > Taller then most we see. Blocked out the sun sitting in my drive. > One guy had the massive land yacht and towed a air cooled Bug. Did > another that towed a 34 or 36 foot triple axle trailer that held his > and hers Mazda miata. Hard to believe it but I have seen it. I > usually show off my 21 foot Gas Pusher Vanagon. Not sure if they > understand what I am getting at when I point it out to them. > > All in good fun! > Jonce > > > At 01:25 PM 11/26/2010 -0800, Loren Busch wrote: >> >>> Mega Millions or Power Ball you can expect to see me in a 40' Land Yacht, >>> >> >> You can use some of those millions to hire someone to read the >> manuals for you...my brother's 35' "diesel pusher" came with a custom >> ballistic nylon briefcase twelve inches thick, filled with twelve >> solid inches of manuals. Aside from knowing how to run things, >> there's a maintenance schedule for the Allison six-speed automatic >> transmission, there's a maintenance schedule for the Onan 12 kW >> generator, there's an extremely stringent maintenance schedule for >> the Caterpillar engine, there's a maintenance schedule for the >> Freightliner chassis...he's been to Winnebago school, Freightliner >> school... >> >> It's a very very serious piece of equipment. The cabin slides are >> hydraulic, and they're *strong.* The leveling feet carry seven >> thousand pounds plus each, and I've seen one punch a hole six inches >> deep through an asphalt parking pad in a state park. It's about >> twelve feet high IIRC, and just washing the windshield is a job. The >> systems control panel is maybe eight inches wide and taller than a >> man, and it's not full of empty panel space. That's for the >> generator, inverter, furnace, air conditioners, engine-heated hot >> water, electric-heated hot water, fresh water, gray water, black >> water. And you have to (or at least he does) worry constantly about >> tank capacity, pumpouts etc. >> >> The interior furnishings are built with the expectation that it's >> going to be driven on tip-toe, which he's only very gradually >> realizing. I was on board when he tore the bathroom apart (somewhat) >> going around a traffic circle. He's never ridden in the back, so he >> has no idea what the passengers experience driving down the Skyline >> Drive at five over the limit... >> >> It has Corian countertops -- and barely enough excess load capacity >> for passengers and some baggage. I bet its usable load capacity >> isn't a great deal bigger than a Vanagon's. >> >> It has acres of custom metallic gold-beige paint on acres of custom >> panels that cost the earth if you dent one. >> >> It gets around 5 mpg from a hundred-gallon tank of diesel that also >> fuels the Onan. If you're not plugged into fifty-amp service >> (including running down the road) you have to run the generator to >> power the air conditioning. >> >> With all four slides open it's enormous, and with them closed for >> travel it's cramped. To level the thing and open the all four slides >> when you stop takes possibly close to ten minutes. To close it all >> up and pull up the feet somewhat less. The whole thing is as >> discreet and inconspicuous as a Greyhound bus. >> >> I admire the heck out of the thing, and you couldn't pay me enough to >> own it or be responsible for it. For that much aggravation I'd have >> a large sailboat instead, and I'd much rather have a smaller >> sailboat. Similar length but a quarter or less as much space and >> *much* simpler systems. And an engine a lot closer to 35 hp than 350... >> >> Riding in it through the city I was very grateful for the smoked >> glass -- I felt like a bloated plutocrat with the peasants outside >> staring in in envious wonder. >> >> Yours, >> David >> >

-- Jake

1984 Vanagon GL 1.9 WBX 'The Grey Van' 1986 Westy Weekender/2.5 SOHC Suby 'Dixie'

Crescent Beach, BC

www.thebassspa.com www.crescentbeachguitar.com http://subyjake.googlepages.com/mydixiedarlin%27


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