Date:         Wed, 7 Sep 1994 15:03:32 -0700 (PDT)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         ray landers <rayl@netcom.com>
Subject:      Re: EuroVan Winnebago Test Drive

thanks for the very good review of the EuroVan Winnebago Camper.

now to my reply to a reply to that review:

On Tue, 6 Sep 1994, Mike Busby wrote:

> 
> We looked at one in the showroom.  We currently own a Eurovan MV with the
> Weekender package.
> 

we have a GL with the automatic, and a miniature daschound named oscar 
meyer. the dog may not have much to do with the van, but he is important 
to us.

> > 
> > Last saturday we test drove the new 95 EuroVan Winnebago Camper with an
> > automatic transmission (my wife does not want to drive a car with manual
> > shift!). Had all the power stuff (power windows, locks, mirrors, cruise).
> > Layout is pretty similar to a Vanagon Camper. A large auxiliary battery is
> > under the rear seat (bed) for all the camping gear.
> > 
> > Things I liked
> > --------------
> > * Lots of room.
> > * Built-in furnace
> > * Easy to open pop-up.
> > * Pop-up has its own light and openings on the sides also.
> > * Much larger propane tank.
> > * Engine seemed powerful enough.
> > * Handles nicely and was very quiet inside.
> 
> Ditto although we did not drive it.  The 5 cyl. audi engine in the
> Eurovan we do own has more than adequate power.  I cannot say much
> for the gas milage, though.

i would think that the term "adequate power" would be fitting ONLY for
those of us that know what the previous "normal" amount of power for a VW
van is.  
i find myself with the throttle wide open when getting onto the freeway,
and a few other times, and that's more often than i am realy comfortable
with. 
but i must say that at those times, there is actualy a fair amount of
power. enough to be considered "adequate", but far from the 396 gas 
guzzler V8 i am used to.

and speaking of gas guzzling, 10mpg in the city, and 15mpg at 65mph on 
the highway is not close enough for me to what was posted on the window 
sticker when we bought it.

i have always, yes ALWAYS, done better by %10 to %30 than the posted 
milage with my chevies and buicks, and nearly doubled the expected 
milage with one big, beutifull caddie.
so i would think that i DO know how to drive in a gas saveing manner.

if the tank were a TRUCK sized tank, 30 or 40 gallons, i might have an 
easier time getting along with the TRUCK type gas milage.


> 
> > 
> > Things I did not like
> > ----------------------
> > * Price sticker (around 31K; 22K for VW and 9K for Winnebago)
> 
> I don't think this is unreasonable.  A friend of mine paid more than this
> for a Suburban and he can't camp in it. :-)  This is a lot less than
> typical motor homes.

for that price it had better stand up to HEAVY use without needing alot 
of repair.

> 
> > 
> > * Gas pedal seemed too close to the center. I assume that is the case for
> > all EVs.
> 
> The pedals in my Eurovan are OK as far I am concerned.  What
> I don't like is the lack of a tilt steering wheel.

well, i'm danceing around with a 14EEE foot down there, so ALL those
pedals seem to be in the wrong place, and much to close together for my 
taste. but i have that problem with all vehicles, not just the van.

and a tilt steering wheel is needed, for sure.

and the seat needs to be more adjustable, and the seat belts are too 
short by about 8 inches for my comfort. i have to disconnect to reach 
across and unlock the passanger door.

> 
> > 
> > * Roof top luggage rack is smaller than Vanagon's (may be a problem for
> > Martha's shower scheme!)
> > 
> > * Miniblinds on windows instead of curtains.
> 
> I prefer miniblinds myself.  The curtains are hard for kids to manage and
> can be damaged easily.

curtains are much more forgiveing to being brushed against than 
mini-blinds.

> 
> > 
> > * There is no glass on the left rear (where the closets are). From drivers
> > side it makes it look like a cargo van (and ugly IMHO).

i'm not invalidateing you here, but this would NOT be a problem for us. 
in fact, some people find it rather VULGAR that i'm a big fan of wall 
murals on buildings and trucks. 
maybe i could find something to do with all that flat, vertical surface,
even if it has vents and other things that would have to be fit into the
picture. 

> > 
> > * From the outside the pop-up looks as if it does not belongs there. Again
> > this may be my personal taste but I like the much narrower Westfalia one on
> > the EuroVan MV with Weekender package.

i think we could agree here. i have always liked the way volkswagon has 
incorperated their pop-tops into the lines of the vans. there is CLEARLY 
something there, but, and i like your phraseing here, it looks like it 
"belongs there".

> > 
> > * Without the optional middle seat there is room for only two people to sit
> > in the back.
> 
> So get the middle seat.  The middle seat would be installed when using the
> van as a people mover.  I would take it out when camping.
> 
> > 
> > * The optional middle seat blocks the refrigerator and storage cabinets.
> 
> I don't see having the middle seat in when camping as there would be no
> room to set up the tables or move around inside the camper.  Since we
> are a family of four people, this would not be a problem.
> 

hmmmm. i would like to look at this in terms of our needs, namely, 
getting a wheelchair into that space. the camper on the showroom floor 
seemed to have enough room to get in, as long as the chair stayed in one 
place.
for us a camper-van would certainly be a second van, and we would keep 
the one we have for regular transport.

> > 
> > * Folding tables are stored behind the drivers seat and in front of the
> > refrigerator. They were rattling and making too much noise in the van that
> > we drove.
> > 
> > Bottomline:
> > -----------
> > EV Winnebago is not for us. We'll hold for a EuroVan MV Weekender. There is
> > one problem though. The salesman told me that VW may not bring new EV into
> > the US market until 1996 model year. I would hate to wait that long (a
> > Previa is NOT a replacement for our totalled 85 Westfalia!!!). Can anybody
> > else confirm this?
> > 
> > Asghar Bhatti
> > (mabhatti@uiowa.edu)
> > 
> 
> I would consider waiting until 96 as we were told that VW will be coming
> out with 6 cyl. versions of the Eurovan.  This should provide even more
> power and much better gas milage.  Even though the 5 cyl. engine has more
> pep that the 4 cyl., I still feel that the Eurovan is under-powered.

6 instead of 5. i can go for that. make it about 3.5 to 4 liters 
displacement, too. it might improve the gas milage to that posted on the 
sticker.

> 
> Also, the current Weekender only has a small refrigerator under a seat
> and a pop-up.  Are you saying that the '96 Weekenders are going to be
> full campers?
> 

good question. i want to see one.


                                             rayl@netcom.com
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