Date:         Tue, 24 Jan 95 13:06:56 PST
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         David.Kao@Eng.Sun.COM (David Kao)
Subject:      Re: Collapsing Westy Tents


Erlk advised me:
>>
>>My advice to you is not to open the bag. Sometimes deadly bacteria can grow in 
>>there, which, if left untreated, can force you to hate VWs, cause you to give 
>>away all your worldly posessions, and cause you to run *nekkid* through the 
>>streets. Send the bag directly to me - I'll take care of it for you. ;>
>>
>>Seriously...want to sell it?
>>
>>-Erik Soule
>>82 Westy
>>65 Deluxe

Erik:

Don't get too excited too soon. It might be something else in the bag. like
a cheapy plastic tent sold in k-mart places, you know. As I said I'll find
out about it tonight. And if it is indeed a westy tent (I have to find out
what a westy tent is still), and as deadly as you described, you might have to
get it over my dead body. Thanks for the advice.

Whatever tent it might be I am sure it has not been used even once by my buddy 
before giving it to me. The 83 westy I bought from him (together with this 
yet to be identified tent, registered 59k miles, costed me $3500 2 years ago.
Today it is rgistered only 800 more at 60k miles. The westy has lived all its
life so far in San Jose and therefore is rust free. If what my buddy said was
true, the fridge has never been ignited, the stove has been ignited a few times
for warming some coffee, and the beds have never been slept on either. The 
pop top has never been opened in any camp ground yet. The propane tank was filled
only once...

Well, being a VP of a silicon valley semicondutor company, as my buddy is, 
he just couldn't find the time to use it. And somehow he got the westy into
the popular vanagon head gasket problem. From time to time the LED on the
temp gauge would flash and yell murder. The coolant reserve (or filler) tank
behind the license plate is always filled up by the coolant coming out of
the pressure tank, etc... Currently it is runs hot and powerlessly. Barely
able to pass smog test to get registeration.

I think I am going to tear apart the engine this coming Spring to fix the
engine problem. Then I'll manage to find out how to camp with this thing the
first time in my possesion. As far as the tent, if it is not deadly then I'll
just use it myself. If it is, then ..., I can't ship it to you ...(you know, I 
can get someone else to open it for me).

David