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Date:         Sat, 17 Mar 2012 20:50:53 -0700
Reply-To:     Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Full Westy vs Weekender
In-Reply-To:  <1332032884.69301.YahooMailMobile@web110415.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

> > I like'em both, even tin-tops can be fine campers for 2. > John > I have a tin top with a westie 'kitchen' that works perfectly for us. We don't normally 'camp' in the Vanagon very often, but I do use it for bike races, for windsurfing trips, for work and as our second vehicle during our extended winter trips south.

I left out the wardrobe cabinet and the rear overhead one in order to fit my tools and bicycle gear inside better, and camping around others with a soft sided vehicle is often too noisy (generators, etc) I like being able to 'camp' overnight almost anywhere while underway to a distant destination and to be able to have my coffee waiting on the stove....I reach up and light that right from bed, wait till it perks and the van is nice and toasty....then get out and get ready to resume driving.

I love being able to change clothes at a bike race, to have cold drinks in my fridge, to wash my face in the sink, to get to a race location the night before and not have to schlep things into a motel room, to wonder 'what did I forget?'....I leave my bikes and gear in the van almost always...so if I have an extra hour or two, no matter where I am, I can just gear up in the van and take off riding, return and clean up inside and not 'gross out' the civilians by changing clothes behind a towel in the door of my Priius or something...

I like the tin top in the wind, too. We have plenty of wind in the Columbia River Gorge and 'camping' in the Southwest during the winter months....windy periods....very windy...are frequent and violent....not good for a Westie with tent...

Some day I may own a Westie, it would be nice to stand up inside at times...dunno if the extra weight and windage would be worth it for as often as conditions would allow me to pop the top, though. Extra cost, too as Westies seem to be worth at least twice the tin top price... I would also like a wider sleeping platform...I am going to work on that...maybe I can come up with something in my current van. For the two of us, sleeping in the Z-bed is tight, and my wife likes to "plop down" rather than sit down, so I've configured our portopot cabinet to be the proper height to slide under the bed as a support when folded down, to prevent the front panel from breaking off under Wife-plopage...

On my last trip, I had a full load and I still managed a pretty comfortable trip home, despite the 3 month supply of tools, bikes and camping gear...

Don Hanson


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