Date:         Fri, 18 May 2012 09:43:28 -0700
Reply-To:     Stuart MacMillan <stuartmacm@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Stuart MacMillan <stuartmacm@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: I'm getting the FAS Gen 5 and info
Comments: To: ddbjorkman@VERIZON.NET
In-Reply-To:  <1271577.710078.1337308110711.JavaMail.root@vms170029>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

Yes, I expect to have well over $20 grand into my ’85, but that includes the purchase price of $7500.   Just for comparison, I paid $18k for my ’84 back in ’86 ($33k in todays dollars), and $32k for my ’97 EVC in ’03 ($37k in today’s dollars). 

 

Pretty consistent.  I figure $20 about right, and you can’t find anything similar at any price in the US, only in Europe for over $50k.  I spent two years looking at all the options, from converting a Ford Transit Connect (way too short), converting a Sprinter 2500 (too big and too expensive), ’78-’79 Westies (too primitive), the EVC (BTDT-a money pit and poor camper compared to the Westy) and finally arrived at the Vanagon Westy as the best camper solution, just like the rest of you!  Needless to say the Sprinter Class B conversions are too big and too expensive too.

 

Then I went back and forth about a ’91 vs. an older model, and found all decent ‘91s for sale on the west coast were $15k to over $20k, and most had recent expensive engine work that I didn’t want since I planned on a conversion.  There is a big difference between the ’80-’84 interiors and extras, so the ’85 was as far back as I would go.  One found me, and it wasn’t even advertised for sale!

 

Stuart

‘85 Westy

 

 

 

Oh my goodness gracious I just looked it up and it's somewhere north of 20 grand! For a Vanagon!!  It's a good thing it took that long so I didn't notice.  So that's where all that OT money went.

 

Dave B.