Date: Tue, 16 Oct 2012 16:27:18 -0400
Reply-To: apetermarsh@ME.COM
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Antony Marsh <apetermarsh@ME.COM>
Subject: Re: Kens trip & can Westys climb mountains?
In-Reply-To: <201210161948.q9GJmgvm028725@imr-ma04.mx.aol.com>
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But - in 1989 I drove my 1987 Syncro (new when I bought it) complete with our then three year old son PJ on a four week adventure starting from Omaha NE. Headed north to Moosejaw in Canada, stopping in Banff to pick up my wife and six month old daughter. Daughter was a possible SIDS baby and had to be hooked to a breathing monitor 24/7 from birth AND close to our local Hospital. She couldn't travel until she was six months old.
Made a snowman on the shores of the partially still frozen Lake Louise, threw a few very cold snowballs before driving into Vancouver taking the ferry to Vancouver Island and goofed off for a week with old school friends. Calling in at Seattle on the way back, and all points to Omaha. Had a ball - the van ran like a Rolls Royce and being still relatively new - gave great mpg.
Doesn't sound like much now but at the time it really was an adventure. Did ALL the touristy things one can do with two young BRATS and enjoyed every minute of it. All done in a Syncro.
Now I have a real Motor Coach and never use it because it does 5mpg. Go figure.
Happy trails
Peter Marsh
Naples FL
On Oct 16, 2012, at 3:48 PM, tstone8359@aol.com <tstone8359@AOL.COM> wrote:
> Ken will doubtless chime in here but I don't think he drove a Vanagon on his trip out west. He has a lot of kids. I think his sister said he drove an RV.
>
> Sent from my mobile phone.
>
> ----- Reply message -----
> From: "Spencer Allen" <spencervw@AOL.COM>
> Date: Tue, Oct 16, 2012 11:35
> Subject: [VANAGON] Kens trip & can Westys climb mountains?
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>
> After reading Ken Wilfords great trip report of his travels across the U S of A I started thinking about the trip to some of the same areas my family took in our then new 1985 GL. There were 4 adults and 3 kids with the van packed for 2 wekks of travel. We flew across the flat lands but when we hit the mountains of Colorado we were almost rolling backwards by the time we crested some of the steeper mountain roads. We were in the truck lanes and even they were honking at us to get out of the way. This was a manual trans so I was constantly stirring the stick to find the right gear. I want to go back to Colorado next year in my 85 auto trans Westy but am worried about a climbing those mountains in a 1.9 auto trans. Can you guys share your westys in the mountain driving experience. Thanks.
> Spencer
