Date:         Wed, 26 Mar 1997 22:21:52 -0800
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Barbara Sutton <bsutton@gladstone.uoregon.edu>
Subject:      First camping trip

Hello everyone. 
Just came back from my first "real" camping trip since I have the '91
Westie. It was a lot of work to go through more than 100 vanagon list
messages that I found in my PC upon arriving home! 
My wife,two friends and myself wandered around the Cascades and eastern
Oregon's high desert for three days. Took a lot of back roads (some
dirt)and encountered a lot of snow (including many closed roads, that is
when I wished I had a Syncro). 
About the vehicle, what can I say...everything was just perfect. It was
great to learn how everything works as we went.Being my first experience
with a Westfalia, I had to learn everything from scratch; from how to
make the fridge work to what goes best in which cabinet. Boy, did I have
fun. Mechanically, not a single problem. At some point,though, my two
front auxiliary lights stopped working.This happened at the same time I
was trying the fridge in the 12 volts mode, so I wonder if the system
was overloaded, and the lights' fuse blew out.In any case, I am very
satisfied. I saw many Vanagons and EVs, including what looked like an
'86 light brown (metallic) Westie that was going the opposite way in a
desolated mountain road. We exchanged "high-beam greetings".
Just out of curiosity, how long will a full tank of propane last? We
used it for the fridge (continually for two days and nights)and to cook
three meals and the thing is still going.
I have a beautiful vehicle! I guess I am literally a "happy camper" :)
Cheers,
Cris.
'91 Westie
'66 Kombi
'67 Deluxe