Date: Fri, 26 Nov 2010 16:04:36 -0500
Reply-To: "Peter T. Owsianowski" <pnoceanwesty@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: "Peter T. Owsianowski" <pnoceanwesty@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Reality Check on New & Better VW Campers
In-Reply-To: <COL109-DS794E69FB15666775DE159EE210@phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Thought about this a lot. VW seems to be a company that has lost their
way. I don't know about your local dealer, but ours here in Northern
Indiana could care less about your business. I had an Audi A6 a few years
ago and had to have it serviced at the Audi/VW dealership. Always kind of a
chore and very expensive. It got totaled and I was very interested in a
Passat wagen. There almost uninterested in selling me a car. Ended up with
a BMW instead. I have purchased parts for the Vanagon from them over the
past few years and there is a disconnect between how we on this list feel
about our babies and what the dealership thinks of them, at least around
here.
That being said, our daily driver is a 2004 Chrysler T&C with 98K on it. If
VW came out with a really awesome Splittie-like bus with a very cool small
clean diesel, I might have to take a serious look at making that a daily
driver. We are lucky to only drive the Westy for campouts and little trips
around town - I realize a lot Volks on the list use the Vanagon as their
daily and would not want to make payments on a camper.
Frankly, I would be surprised if VW gets it "right" after how they rolled
out the Routan with those oddly uncomfortable Brooke Shields commercials.
Pete
'79 Westy "Aardvark"
'87 Westy "JoesVan"
WWW.Busesbythebeach.com
On Fri, Nov 26, 2010 at 3:17 PM, Matt Thyer <matt_thyer@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Can I get a Hallelujah from the chorus. You've pegged me brother Loren.
> Those campers are nice, but the price tag is awfully high. And that's just
> the capital investment. They tend to cost way more to maintain and their
> operating expense is extreme. Another thing to consider, how many of you
> would start hacking on something you paid that much money for to make it
> more your own? Not I, no way. Sticking with utility and function over
> flash any day.
>
> MT
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
> Loren Busch
> Sent: Friday, November 26, 2010 11:40 AM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Reality Check on New & Better VW Campers
>
> We can all drool and dream about a 'New VW Camper' but let me pose this
> question. How many on this list have a pocketbook that would allow us to
> run out and buy one if they showed up at the VW (or RV) dealer tomorrow?
> I'm willing to bet, based on other Class B campers on the market in the US
> and Canada, that the minimum you would see on the window sticker is around
> $65 k and more likely around $85k. Look at what the Class Bs on a Sprinter
> chassis marketed by Airstream a few years ago were going for: $95k!!.
> Many, if not most of us, are driving Vanagons not only for their utility
> but because of their cost. Even with what we have to spend (time and money)
> on keeping them running they are in an affordable range for a much greater
> part of the population than buying a new Class B. A good example is a close
> friend of mine. A couple of years ago she wanted a travel and camp vehicle.
> She was really interested in a Class B but was well aware of the trials and
> tribulations of a Westy so went looking for a new rig. And found that she
> could buy a 23 foot Class C for about $20k less than a good Class B!! And
> so she now drives a 23 foot Itasca. BTW, she also regularly attends
> WetWesties events as an SOB (Some Other Brand) but puts a home made VW logo
> on the grill!
>
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