Date: Fri, 1 Apr 2011 09:21:43 -0500
Reply-To: mcneely4@COX.NET
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@COX.NET>
Subject: Re: friday question(s)
In-Reply-To: <009701cbf06f$a77f1230$f67d3690$@alfons-haar.us>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
---- Joe Luther <jluther@ALFONS-HAAR.US> wrote:
> Obviously, the members of the list really like Vanagons and go to great
> lengths to keep them running, improve them, modify them, etc etc.
>
> Why exactly a Vanagon, what is it about them that inspires everyone? I am
> on my first Vanagon, it arrived in pieces, so I haven't been able to drive
> it yet. I assume it will be sorta like my other air cooled buses, but
> slower.
>
> Having been a VW owner since my first 1967 bug in 1976 I'm well aware of the
> equal parts pain and pleasure involved with owning anything VW makes but I
> have always overlooked the Vanagon. I thought they were cool in a funky way
> but never thought about owning one until I found the one I just bought. I
> got it because it was rust free, low miles, had lots of spares, my main
> considerations for any VW/car purchase.
>
> Not an April Fools post, seriously, what is it about the Vanagon that
> attracts everybody to them? Just wondering and wanted to know the stories,
> I've seen some cool camping stories on here but I assume not everyone has
> the camper.
>
> On a related note, the only other make I've seen named by such a large
> percentage of owners is early Volvos. I've never named a vehicle before
> other than $%#!!!!*, which was my pet name for my 00 Passat before I lit it
> on fire (kidding about the fire, not about the name). I feel peer pressure
> to name the Vanagon, hopefully not $%#!!!!*.
Last concern first: I don't name vehicles, including my VW camper. They are objects, not organisms. They are not sentient, they do not have personalities, they do not have any of the attributes of critters except a metabolism, and I am in complete control of that (except when something fails that I am too ignorant to discover or fix).
Why the fascination with Vanagons? For me, it is strictly the utility for camping. I am getting older, my wife is in poor health, yet we still like the joys of nature. The VW camper provides a gentler way to explore than does a tent and other paraphernalia. For us, that's all there is to it. We still spend our time in nature on the nature itself, and somewhat on the camping that we associate with nature. It is not the vehicle, with camping and nature being media for enjoying it, but the other way around. If I could get an equivalent vehicle, from any maker, that had the reliability of a modern automobile, I would do it in a flash. That even includes VW, though they are less reliable than most.
mcneely
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