Vanagon EuroVan
Previous messageNext messagePrevious in topicNext in topicPrevious by same authorNext by same authorPrevious page (May 1999, week 3)Back to main VANAGON pageJoin or leave VANAGON (or change settings)ReplyPost a new messageSearchProportional fontNon-proportional font
Date:         Fri, 21 May 1999 08:26:06 -0400
Reply-To:     "Henning, Eric" <Eric.Henning@BAILEY.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "Henning, Eric" <Eric.Henning@BAILEY.COM>
Subject:      Re: First Westy camping experience (long)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"

I have a mental list of automobiles I would like to own over the course of my lifetime. A Westfalia has been on that list since about 5th grade. It took about 24 years but I finally bought a 1980 Westfalia (Vanagon) about 1.5 years ago. A grew up tent camping but my wife and two children (5 & 7 at that time) had never been. My wife actually had been camping before but that was with some wealthy friend who actually had servants do all the work, so it doesn't count. Well, I am far from wealthy, so I knew our first camping experience had to go well or it may be our last. Got out my old footlocker, filled it with pots and pans, propane lanterns, those wicker plate things that keep your flimsy paper plates from flopping over and spilling your food on your lap, packed some steaks, baking potatoes (as my wife is a nearly stock Irish woman, I knew potatoes cooked in the open fire would be bonus points), corn-on -the-cob, smores, ten kinds of tea (like them there' fancy restaurants), baked beans of course to be boiled over the fire, etc...

Packed up our bikes, some firewood, filled the water tank, coolers, sleeping bags, fishin' poles, cell phone,small dome tent for overflow, and headed up the road about ten miles to Bull Island State Park ( small park on an island in the Delaware River). Wanted to stay close to home just in case. We found a nice spot and I set up camp while the kids foraged for kindling and swung from tree vines. I soon discovered a certain plant that instantly burns your skin and feels like fire ant bites. A little water relieved this pain. My son soon found this plant also. With everything set up we headed over to the river for some fishin' and wading. Then rode our bikes around, over a foot bridge, and along the Delaware Canal. Back to camp for a delicious steak dinner. Everyone helped wash the dishes in the small westy sink. Sitting around the roaring campfire, life was good. Prior to the trip I had made my own screens for the front doors and sliding windows. I already had a snap-in screen for the rear hatch. I attached a rope tot he bottom of the open hatch that allows me to pull the hatch shut in the night if it gets too chilly. As we all lay in our bunks, a truly amazing sight unfolds. Instead of stars twinkling above us, the whole forest is filled top to bottom with fireflies. I had never seen so many. It was like the sky was dancing and putting on a show just for us! With a gentle breeze blowing, natures nite-lite outside, we all drifted off for a pleasant nites sleep.

A few weeks later, we packed up the Westy again but this time headed up to New England for a weeks worth of camping. It just keeps getting better.

Things I learned in that shake down trip. Use your tire jack in one corner to stabilize the Westy, less bouncing around as you roll over in your sleep. If you ever run across another stock jack, buy it and use two. For us, one adult and one child per bed. The upper bunk is a little larger but with two adults on top, creaks and groans with every move. Buy a screened room to put over your dining area. Keeps bugs away and gives you another "room". Definitely bring a small tent to store sleeping bags, coolers, or other stuff that just gets used occasionally (keeps the westy less cluttered). Find some of those small folding camper chairs (makes sitting around the campfire more cozy). If fishing, dig some worms at home rather than at the campsite. Definitely have a medicine kit. Bring your own life preservers so river wading can become river swimming. Get Tom Brown's Survival Guide (makes one for kids too!) Interesting reading and practical advice. This book was recommended by a fellow Type2-er.

Eric Henning 1980 Westy (just turned 70k)


Back to: Top of message | Previous page | Main VANAGON page

Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!


Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com


The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.

Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.