Date:         Sat, 3 Sep 94 8:41:27 PDT
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Steve Johnson <sjohnson@pcocd2.intel.com>
Subject:      first sighting: winnebago rialta (eurovan camper)

> 
> well, folks ... i guess that guy in mississippi now has only TWO of those
> beasts left! i just saw one today on the way home. a genuine vw-winnebago.
> 
> and it is rather large! makes a westfalia camper looking kinda tiny. ;)
> but i didn't get a really good look as it was going the other direction.
> maybe i'll zip over there and take a peek over the weekend.
> 
> joel
> 

Hey all!

I have a trip report that I'm working on but I thought this was a good
place to put in a word about the Winnebago version of the Eurovan.  

We were in Bend, OR when we found a VW dealership that I wanted to go
to because I forgot to bring along antifreeze.  Can you believe it?  
Me! Forget the Antifreeze in a Vanagon!?!  What was I thinking? ;)

Anyway there was one on the lot (you know a Winnie EV).  It was pretty
nice.  Had the top up and all the hatches open.  Very effective.  The
Pop-top makes it look real nice and open because the canvas sides zip 
open as well as the front so it gives it a nice open feel.  There's
plenty of room in back of the driver/passenger area.  I was really
suprised at the openess of it.  The fold out bed is the same as the
Vanagon.  Lots of compartments for storage.  A real heater for camping.
My Camper was real jealous of that.  Lots of gadgets and lights for
keeping track of the stove/fridge/water tank conditions.  A real
sink that you can actually wash dishes in.  A real improvement over
the old bowl.  There's a water sprayer hooked up in the back for
cleaning your boots I guess or washing your hair.  I didn't get
that involved with it because the stick shock was just too much.
21.5K for the EV and 9K for the Winnie EV package.  Sorry Ric,  
that's just too steep for me.  The Vanagon Camper was bad enough
at 22K.  They did a real nice job though.  Although my wife pointed
out the the front seats had the old style VW adjustments which
I thought was kind of lame.  They had the ones that you have to
crank the big cog wheel type adjuster.  Too bad.  For 31K I'd 
expect electric ones with memorized adjustments and seat heaters.
Oh well, just my $.02

Steven

sjohnson@pcocd2.intel.com