Date: Sat, 22 Dec 2012 06:46:56 -0800
Reply-To: Lisa Bloch <lab@RYNTH.ORG>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Lisa Bloch <lab@RYNTH.ORG>
Subject: Re: [WetWesties] Digest Number 5595
In-Reply-To: <1356091096.778.39269.m7@yahoogroups.com>
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On Dec 21, 2012, at 3:58 AM, wetwesties@yahoogroups.com wrote:
> As you are seeing this weekend it can get wet - but over the Jan - April 5 campouts last year it was never this wet. Still, we bring our patio canopy for a dry spot for the group to hang out and plenty of firewood. You can do the same. The vote seems to be for my Oyster Stew for the potluck. I think you'll get to meet our "famous" newbie Lisa who came to Camano Island last June to pick our brains about campers and ended up getting one after WW facebook posting about a van's availability and then a marathon import effort.
Maybe. I Believe the van will be ready by then...
The marathon import effort (most of the pre-import effort was expended by Keinan, our WetWestie in BC, with a lot of help from Perry, Stuart, and Larry in Seattle; thank you, thank you, thank you) was followed by an appointment with the Seattle police. To have their drug sniffing dog give it a clean bill of health. The import effort was weird enough that smuggling was the only explanation any of my friends came up with that covered all the weirdness. And I didn't want to find out about it by getting pulled out of a ferry line come spring!
After having gotten my clean bill of health regarding drugs, I took it to Porbug for an initial look-see. I took possession of it in Spokane with no, not a drop, of gasoline. Not surprisingly, that damaged the fuel filter, etc. So, replace those. The rear wheel cylinders and front wheel bearings needed immediate work. The awning was about to fall off, so remove that, revealing large rust spot. Treating the rust with naval jelly for the nonce.
Putting off until spring replacing the too narrow belts, the fuel vent hoses (not fully filling, or emptying, the tank until then), the coolant pipes, the coolant leak from the #2 exhaust port, the CV joint problems, the upper control arm problems, various dents, and the cracked skylight. I assume it's cracked, I haven't actually looked, but it was supposed to be cracked when it was sold to me.
Not supposed to be cracked was the windshield and the poptop canvas. George suggested installing a rainfly, but I'm going to try patching the canvas first.
I got the van back this last Thursday night, 6 days after it became mine. Ran errands with it Saturday, took it to the dog park Sunday. Wouldn't start to take me home. AAA towed it back to Edmonds. Relays and sensors replaced, got it Tuesday night. Made it as far as Costco (2.5 miles), stalled, wouldn't start, back to Porbug. New coil, distributor, Hall Sender Unit. Putting off getting new idle control stabilizer. Got it back yesterday.
Now that I can count on it starting (I believe! I believe!), it's being cranky about stopping. Felt like I lost the rear brakes twice on the trip between Edmonds and Seattle. I have an appointment (within walking distance) to have the master cylinders looked at next Thursday (Xmas and all that). And I'm getting an occasional whiff of maple syrup, which Kirk says may imply a new heater core. Not sure if that does interior climate or engine cooling. Maybe it's only asserting its Canadian origins.
This is my daily driver, so I haven't even looked at the state of the camping equipment. But I'm not going to intentionally spend my first night in the van with torn canvas, a cracked windshield, no awning, and the likelihood of freezing rain.
I want to be able to show it off!
Lisa Bloch and Zodiak, the reading dog
lab@rynth.org
'89 camper 2.1L automatic
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