Date:         Sat, 15 Jun 2019 11:26:55 -0400
Reply-To:     Maynard Southard <echomhs@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Maynard Southard <echomhs@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: For Ben T - Where has everyone gone?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

I've also been on gerry.vanagon.com for a long time. Not sure when I joined,
but it was probably just before 1998 when I got my second diesel vanagon, a
1982 Westy. I had been on a VW Diesel listserve for a couple of years before
that and a few members there had cross-posted to Gerry. I joined and started
researching diesel Westies before buying. The archives were great!

I've owned 5 Vanagons (all diesel). I have great memories from all 5! This
ListServ, and its members, have been constant companions to me on my travels
and travails. Thank you for always being there.

Maynard
1982 Westfalia 1.9L TD (2012 - present)
1986 DoubleCab Transporter 1.6L D (2001 - 2017)
1982 Vanagon GL 1.6L D (2001 - 2007)
1982 Westfalia 1.6L D (1998 - 2004)
1982 Vanagon L 1.6L D (1988 - 1992)

-----Original Message-----
Date:    Wed, 12 Jun 2019 10:49:43 -0700
From:    Jennifer Rabbitt <yoursocialconcierge@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: For Ben T - Where has everyone gone?

Here, here Mister Salmon
Jen Rabbitt
=E2=80=9990 Veuve Tintop

On Jun 11, 2019, at 1:07 PM, Mark Belanger <mbelanger@GMAIL.COM> wrote:

Got my '91 Westy Full Camper in 2000 after coveting one since '91 and
joined this list soon after. As a result, I discovered Bus Depot, =
Vanagain,
GoWesty and just about every other vendor I've used. Frankly, I'm not =
sure
old POKSWGN would still be running without this list and the wisdom
surfaced.

Thank you all for you varied contributions.

I'm not going anywhere.


-MB

On Tue, Jun 11, 2019 at 7:28 AM The Bus Depot <vanagon@busdepot.com> =
wrote:

>> We=E2=80=99ve had a good run.
>=20
> I can literally say that the Vanagon List changed my life completely.
> When I joined the list 25 years ago shortly after it started, I was =
"just"
> a Vanagon owner hoping to learn/share tips on maintaining and enjoying =
my
> Westy.   I was astounded by the internet's power to bring like-minded
> people together all over the world and made many friends in no time.  =
We
> had a real community!  Of course today with social media that's =
nothing,
> but 25 years ago it was not as common. In the process, I learned =
pretty
> quickly that I wasn't the only one who was frustrated with the =
scarcity of
> parts for my Westy and the prices/quality when I could find them.  =
Before
> long I was leveraging my experience as a buyer (in a different field,
> high-end audio) to facilitate group buys for list members (poptop =
seals,
> Bentley manuals), and it kind of snowballed from there.  The Vanagon =
List
> was a game changer. Until then the few retailers selling Vanagon parts
> marked them up 200 or 300% because they could.  Having a large =
community
> under one roof gave us instant clout. There were no advertising =
expenses
> and enough volume to negotiate with suppliers, so prices dropped
> tremendously. This in turn pressured existing parts suppliers to =
compete,
> resulting in better prices and quality throughout all channels.  Today
> Vanagons are affordable to keep on the road due in large part to the =
fact
> that the Vanagon List existed decades ago.  Even more instrumental, to =
me,
> was the tremendous support and encouragement that I got from the List
> Members (some of whom are still here today), without which I might not =
have
> made the decision to give up a safe paycheck and take the plunge in =
the
> first place.
>=20
> If on the day I joined the Vanagon List I could have looked ahead 25
> years, I would not believe how such a seemingly inconsequential act =
could
> impact my life. Of course no one thing determines the path you take, =
but
> the Vanagon List certainly played a large part. My family has seen =
much of
> this country and Europe from the windows and poptops of VW campers.  =
My
> children are more worldly for it and have a deep rooted love of travel =
and
> exploration.  I have met so many incredible people along the way and =
made
> many friends, both through my business and my travels.   I spend my =
days
> doing something I love, having turned my hobby into my livelihood - =
not to
> mention a dozen or so employees' families (some of whom have been with =
me
> for 20+ years) which are sustained by a business that might not have
> existed or succeeded were it not for the Vanagon List.
>=20
> I am also active on the Samba, the Vanagon Owners Group on Facebook, =
etc.
> But none of them will ever have the impact on my life that the Vanagon =
List
> did.  If the day comes that the Vanagon List has whittled down to just =
one
> remaining member, it will be me.  :-)
>=20
> Ron Salmon
> The Bus Depot, Inc.
> www.busdepot.com
>=20


--=20
________________________________________________________________________
Mark Belanger - mbelanger@gmail.com