Date: Mon, 1 Jul 2019 10:28:47 -0400
Reply-To: alex@MEVAY.ORG
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Alex MeVay <alex@MEVAY.ORG>
Subject: Vanagon Reliability & Philosophy
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I've also been interested in exploring this, and I think Richard S
gave some great points.
I'm 5 years into my Vanagon, and it's given me the highest highs and
lowest lows of any vehicle I've owned. Some of the recent trip
reports have done a good job capturing the highs. As for the lows:
after endless weekends and evenings of work, sitting there staring at
a half-busted van and a to-do list that never gets any shorter... Rod
sticking through the oil pan (I-4) one day before your long-planned
trip down the CA coast with your SO... You know the routine.
At first, I approached the van like I would my other projects: as an
engineer (my day job). I would think through each repair and upgrade
to make sure it would last at least 1,000 years (or say at least 30),
and add to the todo list anything that might ever fail ever. This was
a recipe for negative thoughts and feelings about the van. I
struggled, even to the point of having impure thoughts about
Sprinters. At some point, I stumbled across this article, which I
found extremely helpful:
https://worldpowersystems.com/PROJECTS/wabiTekSabi/index.html
Among other points, it encourages thinking about objects as processes
or situations, not perfected Platonic ideals. Instead of thinking
about the van as an object I have thus far failed to perfect, it's
better to think about the process and context: the exchange of driving
the van, doing maintenance. A van by itself is meaningless...add a
driver, a 2-lane road, and that exchange of energy, and now you're
going somewhere. Instead of asking myself, "Is it perfect?", I
learned to ask, "Will it get me to the desert and back in relative
safety and comfort?" This is a much lower standard, but it gets more
to the heart of why I think we all do this. It acknowledges that,
even before you tighten that last bolt, the process of decay and
failure has started. All is flux, but that's OK.
Turning to more concrete matters, I think what Richard said about your
eyes and seat being the OBD hits the nail on the head. Being
mercilessly vigilant about understanding every creak, drip, vibration,
and smell is the best way to avoid big problems. You don't need to
fix it all, but I feel you need to understand it. For every issue or
warning sign, I ask:
What is the root cause?
How bad is this if it fails? (annoyance, or end of trip?)
Is it likely to fail all at once, or slowly get worse? (Will I have
some warning that a repair is required?)
Is there a possibility of cascading failure? (i.e., bad engine
mount->trashed exhaust)
Can it be repaired in the field?
Running through these questions for each issue helps me prioritize
repairs and understand the risks I am taking (or lack thereof) each
time I head out on a trip.
What other philosophies or mind-tricks have helped you enjoy Vanagon
ownership, or simply get out and back safely?
Alex
On Sun, Jun 30, 2019 at 10:32 PM Richard Smith <smirby@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> On reliability:
>
> I commend everyone who works on reliability, and I think it is something we should all be mindful of. Without the "RE" you have a liability. __
>
> On the "my wife/husband hates my van because it is unreliable" theme, I like to approach that problem from three directions:
>
> 1. Manage expectations. I start every (longer) trip with a reminder that we could get towed, and that it shouldn't be seen as a disaster. This may appease the karma gods - I haven't been towed yet - but it also sets the tone for whatever calamity arises.
>
> 2. Live in the moment. If our cars didn't falter from time to time, and we drifted along in uncaring bliss, would get get to meet those exceptional people who rise to the occasion? Every breakdown that I have had has been just as interesting as the rest of the trip.
>
> 3. Invest in your ride. Do the things that need doing, when they need it. Replace the fuel lines. Make sure the brakes, tires, suspension are all in good condition before you set out. This won't make it never break down, but it will remove some of the failure points. We don't have a lot of sensors telling us what is wrong, so your ears (and seat) are your "OBD" system.
>
> We often mistake the reliability that we see in others' vehicles for a completely trouble-free experience. They, too, have had their share of breakdowns, its just that we don't see them. In my time owning Vanagons (and a '73 bus before that), it has been no worse than lots of other cars, and better than many.
>
> For most of us, our vanagon is >30 years old. This carries with it a weighty responsibility in maintenance but also the need to embrace the uncertainty that it brings with it.
>
> Despite all this, it remains a joy to own, and if that comes with a frisson of excitement because of the chance of breakdown, I'll take it. Not for everyone, to be sure, but that's how I am dealing with it.
>
> ...r
>
> On 2019-06-30, 5:37 PM, "Vanagon Mailing List on behalf of Richard Koerner" <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com on behalf of rjkinpb@SBCGLOBAL.NET> wrote:
>
> Which brings me to a last point. A few months ago someone mentioned reliability as their main goal with their Westy. I am very interested in ideas about reliability that anyone might share.
>
>
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