7th annual family road trip

[71whitewesty]

First off I just want to thank the Samba members for all the help I've received here over the last 7 or so years. I've learned so much and it has given me the confidence to load up the family and take some incredible and more or less trouble free road trips.

This year we left with no plans, reservations or even a destination picked out but we were either going to Yosemite or the Bryce Canyon/Zion area.
We took Bus 2 for the second year in a row. It drives and runs so well and just doesn't have any real issues. Not to mention it was sitting in a field for 15 years when I found it and is itching for the open road.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=567878&highlight=white+swan

I'll mostly let the pictures tell the story but man if you have kids, load them up in the Bus and hit those National Parks because you have the best vehicle ever for it!

Here we go... I now try and take a departure picture each year.

First stop, Summer Lake Hot Springs in OR.

After the hot springs it looked pretty much like this, forever. One point we went 224 miles between gas stations, rolled in on empty

I'll be back with more in a bit...stay tuned
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71 Westy 1600 DP, all stock Bus 1
1970's Snow Trac 1600 SP (sold 12/2016)
1968 Tucker sno cat, sold 2021
1969 Tucker Sno cat 542
2017 VW Alltrac
71 tin top stock 1600 DP (project but runs)
Twin 71 White Westy, Bus 2, that I pulled from a 15 year slumber in a dry eastern WA field in 2015.
1966 Sundial Camper "Boomer"

[Stuartzickefoose]

Your welcome Sean! Send me a text I lost your number!
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Stuart Zickefoose

2011 Jetta Sportwagen TDi 6 speed manual

206-841-7324
[email protected]

[71whitewesty]

Eventually you have to pull over and camp somewhere and this is where we ended up the second night.

And in the morning it looked like this.

Then we got back on the those long roads.

and we ended up here on the third night.

Finally after all the driving we decided to go here, Bryce Canyon.

and we let our 54 horses rest and rode mules.

None of us had been to Bryce yet so it was a real treat. You can't take a bad picture there.

Stay tune, we're just getting started.
_________________
71 Westy 1600 DP, all stock Bus 1
1970's Snow Trac 1600 SP (sold 12/2016)
1968 Tucker sno cat, sold 2021
1969 Tucker Sno cat 542
2017 VW Alltrac
71 tin top stock 1600 DP (project but runs)
Twin 71 White Westy, Bus 2, that I pulled from a 15 year slumber in a dry eastern WA field in 2015.
1966 Sundial Camper "Boomer"

[71whitewesty]

The camp grounds at Bryce were ok, nothing special, but the meals were fantastic.

After Bryce we went to Escalante, UT and drove on some long dirt roads. This day was a muddy mess.

But I found a great place to wash the Bus after.

Drove through this canyon. No one around, cool slot canyons, just incredible.

Campers were happy. They are so dialed in the Bus. They know where everything is and we have everything we need.

Dinner in the bus when it rains too.

still more to come...
_________________
71 Westy 1600 DP, all stock Bus 1
1970's Snow Trac 1600 SP (sold 12/2016)
1968 Tucker sno cat, sold 2021
1969 Tucker Sno cat 542
2017 VW Alltrac
71 tin top stock 1600 DP (project but runs)
Twin 71 White Westy, Bus 2, that I pulled from a 15 year slumber in a dry eastern WA field in 2015.
1966 Sundial Camper "Boomer"

[71whitewesty]

After Escalante and Boulder UT we went to Zion. It was late Friday afternoon when we arrived 4th of July weekend. Camp grounds were full so I figured we would have to resort to driving out of the park to camp.
We decided to just cruise through one of them and this dude comes up to us and loves the Bus and asks if we want his campsite cause he's leaving. It was for sure one of the best sites there. We really scored because once there, we never had to move the bus cause we either biked or took the Zion shuttle. Zion is just amazing. Hikes that will scare the shit out of you, google Angels Landing. We started the last part of that hike with the kids and I was shitting my pants cause I hate heights, my wife lead. Then after just a bit she turned around and said no way. It was a shear 1500 ft drop, both sides with a chain to hold onto. I couldn't take any pictures, way too puckered but even up to that it was a fantastic hike.

and the daytime shot

Kids were getting plenty of sleep. We hiked our butts off everyday.

Taco night...again.

Bus Café was packed

more coming.....
_________________
71 Westy 1600 DP, all stock Bus 1
1970's Snow Trac 1600 SP (sold 12/2016)
1968 Tucker sno cat, sold 2021
1969 Tucker Sno cat 542
2017 VW Alltrac
71 tin top stock 1600 DP (project but runs)
Twin 71 White Westy, Bus 2, that I pulled from a 15 year slumber in a dry eastern WA field in 2015.
1966 Sundial Camper "Boomer"

[Xevin]

Nice buddy. Keepem coming
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Keep on Busin'

[71whitewesty]

Quick backtrack. This is at the Calf Creek Rec area campground. I love to take the kids out for evening or night hikes. They are such good climbers now. No doubt they both would have done that Angles Landing hike without me, in fact my son was pissed because we told him we were turning around on that hike. Anyway, it's fun to climb around with them.

We did take one wrong turn and went over the highest pass of the trip...and back, whoops.

This was near Boulder, UT

_________________
71 Westy 1600 DP, all stock Bus 1
1970's Snow Trac 1600 SP (sold 12/2016)
1968 Tucker sno cat, sold 2021
1969 Tucker Sno cat 542
2017 VW Alltrac
71 tin top stock 1600 DP (project but runs)
Twin 71 White Westy, Bus 2, that I pulled from a 15 year slumber in a dry eastern WA field in 2015.
1966 Sundial Camper "Boomer"

[71whitewesty]

So we had to blaze out of Zion (notice the red road) and get home in two days. Those were two long days of driving, stopping for gas, food, a park here and there and some occasional work things I need to deal with. It took us the full two days.

We drove through the salt flats on the way home and this sunset went on for the whole drive.

I've never been to the salt flats either so happen to be driving through it with a spectacular sunset in your old Bus was beautiful.

Ok, that's almost it. I will post some stats and a couple more shots next but I need to eat dinner first.
_________________
71 Westy 1600 DP, all stock Bus 1
1970's Snow Trac 1600 SP (sold 12/2016)
1968 Tucker sno cat, sold 2021
1969 Tucker Sno cat 542
2017 VW Alltrac
71 tin top stock 1600 DP (project but runs)
Twin 71 White Westy, Bus 2, that I pulled from a 15 year slumber in a dry eastern WA field in 2015.
1966 Sundial Camper "Boomer"

[hoagy86]

Awesome man looks like a great trip full of memories that's what it's all about thanks for sharing

[justcruzin]

Thanks for sharing. I enjoyed your trip. Looks like it was a lot of fun.

I want to do that trip one day. So far I've only gone through Oregon and Washington. Now I want to go the other way. Someday...
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Kim
Sacramento, CA

1964 Split Window Bus
1966 Beetle Build Thread= http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=472933
1969 Delivery Van= http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=566282
1970 Westy Build Thread= http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=479538
1971 Squareback Build Thread = http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6652459#6652459
1970 Single Cab, Samson = http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=8022609#8022609

[eche_bus]

Some beautiful photographs you took there!! Thanks for sharing. Refreshing to read about a long trip unpunctuated by mechanical failures, too!!

[wcfvw69]

Wow.. what an awesome trip you enjoyed. Thanks for sharing the pics!
_________________
Contact me at [email protected]
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Decades of VW and VW parts restoration experience.
The Samba member since 2004.

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[richparker]

71whitewesty and family ride again! That area of the country is beautiful, thanks for sharing.
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’71 Westy build
Adventure thread
’65 Deluxe Build
’63 Deluxe Build

[Globespotter]

Thanks for posting, and the pics are awesome!
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1977 Westfalia - October 2015 - Current
1971 Super Beetle - May 2012 - Current
1979 Westfalia - 1986-1991
1971 Super Beetle - 1977-1980

1971 SB Survivor Story: https://globespotter.com/
Road Trip Thread: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=511800&highlight=
My 77 Westy Thread: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=647114&highlight=

http://vw-mplate.com/mcode.php?lang=EN&id=30990
https://vw-type2-id.xyz/mplate/72067382

[crushie]

I might be wrong, but in the past I thought you posted pictures of one of your trips to music. It was such an heart warming post. Your family, a bus, and wide open roads. What more could you ask for. The pictures of another road trip, new experiences, with your family
are wonderful. Your children are bound to have wonderful memories of camping in the bus with mom and dad.
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1974 VW Combi 1800 Auto. Weber 32/36

[Hikelite]

Thanks for sharing. That's a wonderful area you toured through. The pics always look a little better with smiling families in them.
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~Kevin

My 1968 Campmobile

[Rubber Duck]

Lovely family and fantastic bus! You're doing a good thing there...giving your kids the best memories they can ever have, with family. As a father, that's the best gift you can ever give them!
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Rubber Duck
1974 Westfalia

[Amskeptic]

It is so good to see a VW bus being utilized to the fullest.

I love the Salt Lake flats at dusk. Without a whole lot of effort, you can imagine the salt as snow and feel a little chill overcome you.

Your kids are so lucky.
Colin
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www.itinerant-air-cooled.com

[airschooled]

Sean, thank you. These are the kinds of threads that keep us going when the oil is pouring down our armpits in the rain because we're stuck in Blythe with no cell service.

How many more years of the current sleeping arrangement until you need to upgrade the "upstairs?"

Robbie
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Learn how your vintage VW works. And why it doesn't!
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[71whitewesty]

Crushie, video will be coming. I don't seem to get to it until the fall but I did take the gopro and did my best to capture it. Also tried using a gimbal mount for the gopro so with luck they won't be as shaky. Although that gimbal took a crap about 9 days into the trip I still should have some steady footage.

AsiaB3, I don't know for sure how much longer I'll get out of the current sleeping arrangement but I would guess I have another 3-4 years before they want to set up their own tent outside. This family camping thing for sure has a window of opportunity that I'm trying to take full advantage of because I know soon they will just want to hang out with their friends.
But it's magic time right now....

So I took about 1000 pictures and this is a highly condensed version but I think you all get the general idea.

Here are the stats from this trip.

2854- miles traveled
11.5 - days on the road
1- quart of oil
148- gallons of gas
19.28- average mpg (sounds a bit high to me...lots of passes)
4- states visited
3- National Parks visited
11- nights camped in the Bus
1- hot spring
countless- peace signs, thumbs up, "I love your bus" comments and smiles from strangers.

Other notes of interest.
I did the valves and oil right before I left and decided to reuse my valve cover gaskets vs using new one each time as usual. Those suckers shrunk a bit and I had a little bit of leakage which I didn't tend to until I got home (hence the 1 quart of oil used). This engine is only a year old and I try and keep it pretty clean. Let me tell you, that little oil seepage made a real mess of the underside of my engine. Amazing what a little oil leak will do after you've driven on dusty, muddy roads. I'll be cleaning that little mess up as I have more time.
I noticed the higher elevations affecting the power of the bus but still no problems with passes etc as long as you have patience.
Engine is basically a bone stock 1600 dp. It never got hot (No gauges but each time I checked oil ect, it seemed just fine.

One small preventable bus issue. I let my emergency co-pilot drive once while I took a nap and while she was shifting down on the freeway for one of those invisible hills, it somehow got stuck in 3rd gear. We drove to the first off ramp in 3rd and I disassembled the shifter and unstuck it and put it back together, adjusted it and off we went, 20 minute delay and now my emergency co-pilot will never force those gears again. She watched my tutorial shifting class and I think she's got it now.

That's about it. This bus loves the open road. Look at her sitting all proud on the only concrete pad next to an outhouse for miles.

I also should mention that this trip was a week after a solo 1300 mile journey with just me and the Bus. I put about 6k on it over the last month.

We have a lot more trips in store for the summer. Not as long but still fun Bus trips. Of course anytime I turn the key and leave the driveway, it's a bus trip....
Happy bussing folks.
_________________
71 Westy 1600 DP, all stock Bus 1
1970's Snow Trac 1600 SP (sold 12/2016)
1968 Tucker sno cat, sold 2021
1969 Tucker Sno cat 542
2017 VW Alltrac
71 tin top stock 1600 DP (project but runs)
Twin 71 White Westy, Bus 2, that I pulled from a 15 year slumber in a dry eastern WA field in 2015.
1966 Sundial Camper "Boomer"