Vanagon EuroVan
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Date:         Wed, 18 Aug 1999 12:12:54 -0500
Reply-To:     Jim Fritz <jfritz@DECORAH.K12.IA.US>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jim Fritz <jfritz@DECORAH.K12.IA.US>
Subject:      Re: Clever! was: Check out this Westy
Comments: To: Bulley <gmbulley@BULLEY-HEWLETT.COM>
Content-Type: multipart/alternative;

Reply to: RE: Clever! was: Check out this Westy Volks, I for one am quite content with our Westy. However, 15 years down the road when I hope to really get serious about this travel thing, my Westy is gonna be a little long in the tooth (as will I!) and I'll be tiring of crawling underneath it somewhere on I-80.

The things that do appeal with the GTRV over the Sportsmobile is the overall layout. Compare the window size and amount: especially over the galley. The sportsmobile layouts hardly give any view from behind the driver because of the cabinets. Entry into the side doors looks much less encumbered on the GRTV. Compare the rear passenger proximity: on some of the Sportsmobile layouts the cabinetry hides the driver in his own little cubicle and would make communication nye on impossible with rear passengers. The bed on the GRTV definitely looks larger than the Sportsmobile and for someone who's 6'4" thats a serious consideration. Because my wife suffers from MS, the air conditioning option is a definite plus.

No clue on the quality of finish but can it be any worse than a Eurobago? (Not wanting to bash Winnebago, as it is an Iowa company, but its no where in the same league with my Westy!)

Basically, GRTV ripped off the best features of our Westys, and then added to it. That to me is a bit disgusting but so is the fact that VW seems to be kissing us all off. I prefer the VW soul but if they don't do something to improve on the Eurobago I doubt it will seem as interesting to me in my golden years.

My 2¢, and that's before taxes.....

Jim in Iowa 91 Passat Wagon GL 89 Westy 66 Beetle

Bulley wrote: >Now before everyone goes stomping on this GTRV thing, has anyone driven one >or owned one? I think it looks pretty clever. Everytime I see a big Ford >Econoline van, I think about the unique possibilities in what this company

>has achieved. > >Granted, I LOVE our VW Westy, and this Econoline thing could never replace >it. But GTRV seems to have cured many of the ills of the VW without being >substantially horrible. I would like to see how well engineered/quality of >fit and finish before I drew hasty conclusions. The base van, the ford >Econoline is rugged and solidly built. It looks like the designers of the >camping gear did a good job of designing as a small yacht, ala Westfalia, >rather than as a small house, ala Win-or-beg-o. Except that tacky apartment >style kitchen faucet and the stupid microwave...what's up with that? > >If it is built as durably as our Westy, and costs in the "high $30's" as >advertised, I wouldn't be so quick to blow it off. > >Please issue receipts for $.02. > >G. Matthew Bulley >Director >Bulley-Hewlett & Associates >www.bulley-hewlett.com >Cary, NC USA >888.468.4880 tollfree > > >-----Original Message----- >From: Steve@Schwenk-Law.com [SMTP:Steve@Schwenk-Law.com] >Sent: Tuesday, August 17, 1999 2:12 AM >To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM >Subject: Re: Fwd: Check out this Westy > >Obviously, there are not 30 years of engineering tied >up in that thing like with the real westies...just >baltant copying of the concept. they got the concept, >but missed the soul. that van has no soul. mine has >lots! So does yours, of course. > >Scott Davis wrote: >> >> ------------------------------------------------------- >> >> Subject: Re: Check out this Westy >> Date: Mon, 16 Aug 1999 23:42:30 EDT >> From: OuiSki1@aol.com >> To: wjohnson@TCSN.NET >> >> In a message dated 8/16/99 9:19:28 PM Eastern Daylight Time, >> wjohnson@TCSN.NET writes: >> >> << http://www.gtrv.com/ >> >> I dunno, Wes, maybe it's just me, but somehow drivin around in a >fancied-up >> Econoline just doesn't seem enough like "fahrfegnugen" to make the >switch! >> >> S.Davis


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