Date:         Wed, 25 Jun 1997 18:18:07 -0700
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Stuart Redford" <scr@pacifier.com>
Subject:      Ah! So nice to have a Vanagon sleeper again!

Last night was my first night snoozing in a Vanagon since Nov '94. Damn,
they make for cozy sleepouts.

I had a '91 Westy; sold it in Nov '94. I loved the capability to park and
nap anywhere.

This winter I decided I needed a tool for escaping "civilization",
occasionally. I found an '85 Weekender (Big sunroof, curtains etc..). It
sat in the driveway while I fiddled around getting it cleaned up and
solving the problem with wet subflooring pads. Finally, this Monday it was
ready for the big futon and all the sleeping stuff.

I went shopping with it to get a new comforter. Then I decided to drive up
the (Columbia River) Gorge just to enjoy the new toy. It then occurred to
me that, 'Jeez, I don't have to go home tonight. I can campout if I want.'
So, I did.

I found a sparsely populated USDA campground well into the Cascades. The
cedar smelled so wonderful.

What a treat to roll down the bed and futon, open the big sunroof and lay
in bed staring at the stars. I fell asleep but awoke sometime around 2 > 4
AM with a very cold face, shoulders and arms and had to close the sunroof.
There's still snow on the ground up there.

While I miss the poptop and cooking hardware in a Westy, I like the
simplicity and less weight of the Weekender (I had a '71 Weekender in the
'80s). I love the openair feel of that sunroof. 

Type IIs, Vanagons, EuroVans.....there's nothing like 'em.


scr