Date:         Fri, 31 Dec 2010 15:01:04 -0500
Reply-To:     Joy Hecht <jhecht@ALUM.MIT.EDU>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Joy Hecht <jhecht@ALUM.MIT.EDU>
Subject:      Re: The Looks.....(vanagon envy?)
In-Reply-To:  <AANLkTinF0tRr8qe0G76XJHDPKvh7uYLdp6V_BxBF_roD@mail.gmail.com>
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Idle curiosity - why the roof mounted spotlight?

I hope the fireworks are a good show!




Joy

On Fri, Dec 31, 2010 at 2:30 PM, Don Hanson <dhanson928@gmail.com> wrote:

>   I am spending some time in the Desert southwest in my 84 vanagon.  I am
> using the WiFi at the county library of a small town where lots of
> Weekenders end up as well as the off-road crowd and RVers galore.   The
> time
> between Xmas and New Years is probably one of the busiest times all
> year..lots and lots of people coming out and "camping" or having a
> Wilderness experience in their Jeep Laredos, their Range Rovers, their
> Prevost motor coaches, etc etc.
>
>   My vanagon is a low roof with a westie interior, the windows are dark
> tinted. I have some KC driving lights on the bumper and a roof mounted
> spotlight..2wd, but at a decent height from the road and on stout tires.
> Anyhow, I get so many looks as people saunter past and I am inside, unseen
> because of my window tint..People nudge each other and point or nod,
> usually
> with an approving grin...like.."Say, Harriet, maybe we should get us one-a
> dem, rather than this Lexus SUV, this Dodge dually pickup with the topheavy
> cab over camper..."
>
>  Pretty interesting.
>
>   And going in and out of parking spaces or negotiating a steep gully to
> get to a more isolated parking space in the "Wilderness"    Or pulling in
> to
> fill up with some $3.50 gas and knowing I'll be burning it at about 23miles
> per gallon rather than 2 or 3miles per gallon...that is pretty handy and
> satisfying.
>
>  It's gonna be really noisy tonight, as all the city folks party down out
> in the wilderness and blow off fire works, shoot their guns in the air and
> stuff...Most will leave early Sunday morning..to "beat the traffic" back
> into the city..
>
>  Interesting....camping around Southern California.
>
>  Don Hanson
>