Date: Wed, 29 Oct 2014 17:26:15 -0400
Reply-To: Jason <uberhare@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Jason <uberhare@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: VW Camper Conversion Showdown
In-Reply-To: <CAFdLW6kAp63nEXQcAFN5t5nbJrBd8QF4iotQn4bqVgZQek8oAA@mail.gmail.com>
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Bigger is better..... That's why I bought an LT. :-)
Jason
On Oct 29, 2014 1:15 PM, "Dan N" <dn92610@gmail.com> wrote:
> "It must be a cultural thing."
>
> YES... I'd add bigger is better...
>
> I remember in 1990 a friend bough a Westy full camper, 2 month later he
> sold to get a Westy Syncro full camper, 6 month later he sold it to get a
> Bounder motor home
>
> On Wed, Oct 29, 2014 at 10:08 AM, Stuart MacMillan <stuartmacm@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > These are all modeled after our beloved Vanagon Westies (Vanagon
> content).
> > Safety standards killed the Vanagon (among other things), and we got the
> > Eurovan.
> >
> > Unfortunately, VW got burned so badly on the Eurovan they likely won't
> have
> > a van option in the US until they make it here or in Mexico. Strong Euro
> > (I'll never understand why, given the Eurozone's terrible economy),
> import
> > taxes, US safety standards, etc. made them uncompetitive. In 2001 they
> > bumped the horsepower from 160 to 201 and dropped the price $4000 as a
> last
> > ditch effort to remain in the US minivan market, but gave up in 2003. Too
> > expensive and too few of the standard bells and whistles American's want
> > (it
> > didn't even have cup holders). The EVC was converted here by Winnebago
> on a
> > partially finished stretch chassis to avoid tariffs, and it sold well,
> but
> > the end of the EV was also the end of the EVC.
> >
> > The most realistic option to hope for is reasonably priced conversions
> from
> > Roadtrek, Sportsmobile, and Pleasure-Way on the soon to be arriving Ford
> > Transit platforms, but these companies will need to go back to their
> roots
> > to develop a basic "camper" conversion as opposed to the Class B
> motorhomes
> > they make now. If you haven't seen it, check out the Westfalia Nugget on
> > two different Transit platforms.
> >
> > The reality is most Americans want Class B or larger motor homes and big
> > trailers, just look around any large campground. My son found his '87
> > Westy
> > this month because the owners tried it for a summer and just had to have
> a
> > bathroom. Or at least the wife did.
> >
> > It must be a cultural thing.
> >
> > Stuart
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
> Of
> > James
> > Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2014 7:24 PM
> > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> > Subject: Re: VW Camper Conversion Showdown
> >
> > I've wondered this too, Jim - while we love our Vanagon, my wife in
> > particular doesn't like the steady, expensive string of maintenance to
> keep
> > it in good shape and on the road. She dislikes it to the point of
> plotting
> > with one of her German M.Sc. classmates how to get a new VW camper
> brought
> > to Canada - until we discovered that a private individual cannot import a
> > vehicle less than 15 years old into Canada anymore.
> >
> > Anyway, with the help of said German friend, we worked out that the
> landed
> > cost of a new VW California Beach (current name fo the Weekender) would
> be
> > about $50k Canadian (depending on exchange rate, a little less in US$),
> > assuming buying one in Germany or France at MSRP and exporting it, with
> > container ocean freight and about $3K for homologation here (an estimate,
> > but a decent one). A full camper edition of the VW California would be
> > about $5k more, and the current 4 wheel drive set-up would also be about
> > $4k.
> >
> > (IF you want to look for yourself, and can read a little French, here's
> the
> > VW de France webpages. Remember to deduct the French VAT from the quoted
> > prices - an exported van would not have to pay European sales taxes.
> > http://www.volkswagen-utilitaires.fr/fr/models/california.html )
> >
> > At $50k, that undercuts the various van conversions available in North
> > America (GM van or Sprinter or RamPromaster based) by $30k or more. And,
> > really, $50k isn't that far above a loaded Chrysler Town and Country,
> > Toyota
> > Sienna, or Honda Odyssey, which both push $48k optioned up, and you get
> > something that gets better fuel economy than the Chrysler, Toyota, or
> Honda
> > (admittedly diesel, but 4-5 mpg highway is not to be sniffed at), and, at
> > least in Weekender form, seats 7, sleeps 4, and will tow up to 2 tons.
> > (The
> > NA rating will undoubtably be lower.)
> >
> > If VW Canada would announce tomorrow that they'd bring them in, I'd put a
> > $10k deposit down the same day. The funny thing is, having done this
> > calculation, I've floated it past a lot of the people in campgrounds (and
> > elsewhere) who stop by our Westfalia to admire it/reminisce about their
> old
> > one, and many of them - perhaps a third - claim that they'd pop for $50k
> > for
> > a modern version (but wouldn't buy an old one).
> >
> > Gowesty continues to sell a small stream of re-built Westies for prices
> > that
> > look that that import 'quote' - so I think there is a market that VW is
> > missing here in North America. The California would make a great
> > range-topper for VW, along with the CC and the soon-to-be discontinued
> EOS.
> > They wouldn't even have to change the name. (Though licensing a
> > 'Westfalia'
> > sticker for it might be a good idea, marketing-wise.)
> >
> > James
> > '91 Weekender
> > Ottawa, ON
> >
> > > Date: Tue, 28 Oct 2014 19:28:26 -0500
> > > From: jim.felder@GMAIL.COM
> > > Subject: Re: VW Camper Conversion Showdown
> > > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> > >
> > > You'e right, it doesn't cost $8.00 a gallon. It costs more like $12.00
> > > a gallon once you figure out how much of your income tax goes to
> > > getting the oil to our shores. That can't be all of the story, there
> > > has to be a market for these convenient, well-thought-out things.
> > >
> > > Jim
> > >
> > > On Tue, Oct 28, 2014 at 6:44 PM, Stuart MacMillan
> > > <stuartmacm@gmail.com>
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > > > Two reasons: Gas doesn't cost $8/gallon here, and few American's
> > > > will pay $100k for these when they can get a used motorhome three
> > > > times the size for half the price. It's why we keep putting money
> into
> > our Vanagons.
> > > >
> > > > Stuart
> > > >
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On
> > > > Behalf Of Steven Johnson
> > > > Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2014 4:27 PM
> > > > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> > > > Subject: VW Camper Conversion Showdown
> > > >
> > > > Why oh why aren't these offered in the US!!!?
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIUwrCRNj3M
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Steven
> > > > 91 Westy
> > > >
> > =
> >
>
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