Date:         Sat, 18 Oct 1997 22:07:00 -0400
Reply-To:     stephen davis <sdavis@MAINE.MAINE.EDU>
Sender:       Vanagon mailing list <Vanagon@Gerry.SDSC.EDU>
From:         stephen davis <sdavis@MAINE.MAINE.EDU>
Subject:      new van and first trip
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Hey Folks
        I finally joined the club and bought a 85 Westie 2 weeks ago.  It has a
number of small problems (which I will post about later) that the PO failed
to tell me about (surprise, surprise) but all in all my family and I have
really enjoyed it.  I have owned a 74 and a 77(in which I circumnavigated
the US) before but the vanagon really surprised me with its comfort.  The
seats and the driving position are great.
        We took it on its first trip to Cape Cod last weekend and had a blast.  My
2 year old likes having the light on in the car if we drive after dark and
the light in the camper is hardly noticeable when driving.  He also loves to
use the area behind the back seat as a play area when we are parked.  We
were visiting a family with 4 kids and the van was a hit with them too.  The
kids kept asking if they could play in it and we had to give rides all
weekend.
        I want to thank all the folks on the list that helped me with information
as I wandered thru the process of buying a Westie.  The help and support has
really helped and I don't think I would have bought another one without
knowing that you all are out there with the knowledge I will need to keep it
running.

Thanks,

Stephen Davis
85 Westie