Date:         Thu, 22 Jun 1995 03:09:46 -0700
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         ryan75@PrimeNet.Com (Ryan Michael Stevens)
Subject:      Re: Broken Vanagon slider handles

At 08:40 PM 6/21/95 CDT, Alex Munro wrote:
>My wife and I just decided to add to our VW "collection".  We are looking
>for a reasonably late model passenger Vanagon.  We are noticing (as we did
>when we started looking for our camper bus) that the majority of Vanagons
>have broken slider door handles (the outside one).  Can anybody tell me why?
>I'm sure we're not imagining this, I'm talking about over 50% here.  How
>much do they cost?

Mine failed, and upon inspecting the part, it seems to be caused by the
quality of the metal used.  I can't remember what I paid for the item, but
as I was working for a dealer at the time I'm sure whatever I paid would not
be representative of what the man off the street would pay.  I want to say
$25-$30, but don't quote me on this.  It is a very easy part to replace, as
I recall; no more than a 10 minute job. 

>Any hints on mechanical things I should look for?  I've been following this
>list for a few weeks, and have seen talk of bad head gaskets.

Cooling system woes on the water-cooled engines (not including the diesel)
seem to be the most common problem.  The '86 and newer models seem to be
much improved over the '83 1/2 through '85 models.  My '84 had blown head
gaskets when I bought it (used), but my '90 only had a leak at the water
pump.  The trick seems to be keeping the cooling system in good shape, and
never letting the motor get too hot.  Flush the coolant regularly, and fill
it according to the prescribed procedure.  It's a bit weird, but it works.
As far as keeping it cool, I went so far as to add a manual override to the
radiator fan so that I could activate it when I saw fit.  This still left
the automatic functions in place in case I forgot to switch it on manually.
I never had another cooling problem after that.

Another word of caution on the early water-cooled models is the price of the
hoses.  They are the strangest looking contraptions, almost like some sort
of genetic mutation, and cost a small, I take that back, large fortune.
These are not hoses you can pick up at your corner auto parts store.  

>Is the Vanagon a good road tripping vehicle?  

This depends on the model.  My '90 Carat was the best for camping and such,
as it came equipped with a bed, drapes, a table, flourescent light, etc.  I
really didn't camp out often enough to justify a Westfalia, although that's
the model I would have preffered.  The main advantage I find in the Vanagon
is the volume of the interior.  It's easy to walk from the front seats into
the back and the location of the engine makes it easy to put Items in the
very back and still have them accessable (i.e. not too low).  The only
downside I found was that in owning such a vehicle, I found myself called
upon whenever a road trip of any type was planned.  Skiing, camping, moving,
visiting relatives, etc., I was always called upon to drive.  Not that bad a
deal, really <g>.

>>Does anyone have A/C?

Ah yes, the old hair conditioner, I mean air conditioner.  My '90 was so
equipped, and it's a pretty good system.  It puts out enough cold air to
nearly freeze the inside of the vehicle; I sometimes wondered if the system
wasn't designed for the commercial versions in Europe and elsewhere as a
refrigeration system for carting around perishable items.  Never a complaint
about the output, only the loss of refrigerant.  I've heard this from owners
of similar vintage machines that this model does have a tendency to lose the
refrigerant after a few years, necessitating a periodic refill.  Perhaps
this situation is isolated to a few of us; check with what others have to
say on the matter.  My dealer was never able to come up with a satisfactory
solution, so I just got used to recharging it every couple of years.

I may have mentioned a few negative items, but let me add that I would not
hesitate to buy another Vanagon.  There just isn't another vehicle on the
market that combines as many positive virtues in one car.  I refer to the
solidity, handling, space, build quality, quality of materials, aesthetics, etc.

Best of luck on your search,

Ryan