Date:         Wed, 29 Jul 1998 12:41:39 CDT
Reply-To:     FHerzig@SWRI.EDU
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         FHerzig@SWRI.EDU
Subject:      Eurovan 1999
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

I stopped at the local VW/Chevy/Subaru/Kia dealer who has 2 1999 EuroVan
MVs and 2 EuroVans with the Winnebago camper conversion (a Winnebago
knockoff of the Wesfalia). The Winnebago EuroVan is a nice compact RV
for about $35000. The straight MVs are priced at $32500. For a plain
people mover, the MVs are too pricy for me. The Chevy Astro or GMC
Safari are the same length and height and 5 inches wider and priced from
$20000 plain to $28000 leather seat style. With the Chevy a parking lot
walk away from the $32500 EuroVan, this dealer wont sell many EuroVans. The
salesman said VW hopes to sell about 5000 a year in the US. This means
there wont be the volume of sales necessary to have mechanics familiar
with the workings of the EuroVan, there wont be third-party manufacturers
supporting the EuroVan, and most everything will be a dealer item (when
the dealer wants to carry it). Sounds like life with a Vanagon.

By the way, my 85 Vanagon GL hit 200000 miles today but it has been
a real challenge at times to keep from pushing it off a cliff. I
am the original owner so there was no DPO to blame for things just
VW.

Frank Herzig
San Antonio Texas