Hi everyone its me the newbie = again. I'd like to thank everyone for their responses on my previous questions on = air vs water pumpers, and how much weight the top bunk in a westy could hold. Now I seem to be confused in the area of heat, as = pertaining to the air cooled vanagons. I keep hearing people say that their = is no heat in air cooled vanagons. and although I did own a '63 beetle, it had = no heat parts installed in it, as it was a show car and only driven in the = summer months, so I have never experienced a cold winter, and they do get cold = here in vancouver BC. trying to heat myself in a air cooled vw. Now Ive = also heard of people saying that if you do get the heat working that it can get too = hot, and that they had to take off their jacket while driving. So what is the = truth about the heat? also how is the front window defrosting work in a = vanagon? Is their a cold air fan or anything? Keep in mind I have = absoulutly no experience with vanagons, but I do positvely drool everytime I see a = vanagon westy of any year. The other question I had was that some of you = guys have told me that the cooling system on a water cooled vanagon can be a = problem, but also that you have to watch out about burning out valve # 3 or something = in an air cooled westy. Does this mean that in an air cooled westy I = could not say do something like drive from vancouver to california straight, which = is like twenty for hours, with only stopping to go to the washroom, and switch drivers. Also I know westies were made for camping, and all the = westies I have looked at have many,many miles on them, but what do you guys = honestly think of the power in a westy. for example in my beetle with a 1200 it was = great around town, but maxed out at about 50 miles an hour before feeling like = I was in a space shuttle launch with all that vibration. I loved it for = the city but for the whole time I owed the car I never once took it on the = freeway, I always drove the longer way so as to drive on city streets. And Up = tiny little hills it was like forget it, I ll felt like my engine was going = to explode doing ten miles an hour up a hill. I dont want to make = anyone mad, Im not slammin vw or anything, I just want real honest opinions on if = these vans could be driven across the country through the rocky mountains and such, = I am mainly refering to the air cooled vanagon westys but am also very = interested in the water cooled acounts anyone might have. Now I know people have = driven them long ways but were they cursin the whole time. In a general pole = do you fellow list members have true confidence in your vanagons releibility to = go on long trips. I currently own a 93 gmc jimmy 4dr 4x4 that is for sale so I = can buy a westy. Now in this gmc, i would feel completely confident = driving across north america, but its a boring vehicle with no character. I also = have complete confidence in my wifes 95 vw golf, I would drive that any = distance, but its too small. I have always loved vw's and am proud to say that I = loved them on my own with no outside influence from friends or family, in fact = when I bought my beetle, I thought my family was going to dishone me. = Them all being G.M. nuts, my brother is a mechanic at gm for the last 15 years = and he is the one that persuaded me to buy the jimmy. But I cant live this = way, I neeeeeeeeeeeed a westy, I cant no longer live with out one. What = Im trying to say with all this jibberish is. Im trying to find support and = wonderful stories of happieness and content of vw owners and their vanagons, to re = asure my passion for a great vehicle. Thanks to all who reply, and also = sorry to those anoyed by this message, for taking up so much = bandwidth.