Date:         Sat, 29 Aug 1998 15:36:38 PDT
Reply-To:     Malcolm Stebbins <mstebbins@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Malcolm Stebbins <mstebbins@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      6,000 km trip: No Problems
Comments: To: vanagon@vanagon.com
Content-Type: text/plain

A while ago someone suggested that few of us post that “we had no
problems”.  Well we (my partner and my 16 & 17 year old sons, and me)
just returned from a 6,000 km trip from Nova Scotia (Halifax) to
Michigan (Harbor Springs) without ANY vanagon (1991 syncro westy)
problems.  No mechanical or camper problems.  Thanks you very much!!  My
two teenage boys are a problem but that posting goes to
teenagers@psycho.ego.

My carburetor never missed a beat and I averaged about 12 liters/100kms
or about 19.5 mpg (spot on the MPG Survey results).  Most of the drive
was on 2 lane roads while some driving was on the big 4 lane divided
highways.  I cruised about 110 kph (by the speedo) or about 3,600 revs.
We see much more on the 2 lane roads and as we go the same speed anyway,
so we try to avoid the 4 lane roads.

I started the trip with fresh oil and filter, fresh coolant, new brake
pads and rotors and new tires (yes, 5 ‘C’ rated), new fuel filter,
cleaned (K&A) air filter, fridge cleaned inside and out (and cleaned
burner chamber), new alternator belt (and spare), washed and waxed.

I kept track of the Volkswagen vans that we saw (I saw NO bus/van
burning, NO bus/van was broken down on the side of the road.)- I am
indiscriminate waver - buses, vanagons, ev’s ALL get waves and head
light flashes.  The best is when I get a BIG out the window wave - I
theorize that you are the list members.  I go further than that - in the
camp grounds I talk to all WV van owners and spread the word re
vanagon.com and chat with the folks.  My partner is not sure if I’m
‘cute’ or ‘crazy’.

Oh yes, the count of citing:
                Bus     Bus/westy   V’gon     V’gon/westy    EVC
Nova Scotia                                             2
New Brunswick  1        5               1               8       11
Quebec                  4       3               16
Ontario                         4               10      9
Michigan                                3               3       1

Grand total: 78  VW Vans of various discriptions.

All in all my 91 syncro westy (my third Westy in succession) lived up to
all expectations.

I have some “trip tips” but that will a separate posting.

malcolm S


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