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Howesight
Samba Member
Joined: July 02, 2008
Posts: 3280
Location: Vancouver, B.C.
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 Posted: Mon Jan 08, 2024 10:38 pm Post subject: Re: Poll: Long drive, did you make it? 1,000+ miles |
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Got back last night from Vanderhoof, BC after visiting family at their homestead up there. It's 1,135 miles all in. Stopped Wednesday night at 108 Mile House ( a little hamlet in central BC, not a home), the halfway point up to Vanderhoof. Like a moron, I left at 5:00 pm after a long conference down here in the city, with a plan to go half the distance that night. I forgot to bring a number of important items like a spare tire (it comes off to fit the rig in my garage), diesel/kerosene mix for my CDH, hat, gloves, sunglasses. Despite this stupidity, I got no flat tire, stayed warm, and did not go blind.
The only thing that went wrong was that the CDH sooted up and shut off up in Vanderhoof, but by then, I had a bed in the homestead and no need to sleep in the Westy. The first night at 108 Mile House was cozy with the CDH and a podcast. Here she is in the morning at 108 Mile House:
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'86 Syncro Westy SVX |
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Abscate
Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2014
Posts: 22707
Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
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| Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2024 12:26 am Post subject: Re: Poll: Long drive, did you make it? 1,000+ miles |
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There is nothing like the feeling of sleeping in the westy on a conference with the Kachig! Of a per diem lodging hitting your bank each night …
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.ssS! |
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Shonandb
Samba Member
Joined: January 12, 2019
Posts: 1234
Location: Vancouver, BC
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| Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2024 11:34 am Post subject: Re: Poll: Long drive, did you make it? 1,000+ miles |
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Not a Vanagon but I have a transaxle from a Vanagon if that counts.
Road Trip North in July 2022
Took a week and headed up North camping on a 5000 km (3000 mile) tour of Northern BC and part of the Yukon via the Alaskan Highway with my wife and teenage daughter and one of her friends. My daughter's friend's parents joined us on the trip in their SUV so we got some cool video as well but basically 4 of us in the Bus for 8 days.
Bus ran flawlessly and the longest day driven was about 9 hours from Liard River Hotsprings to Dawson Creek but we had to go through a few areas of construction which slowed us down. Our windshield has a few battle scars from rocks thrown up from large trucks but other than that, no issues.
Saw black bears, moose, caribou, deer, mountain goats/sheep, elk, bison, and even porcupines and had cool rainy weather in Prince Rupert (12 C 53 F) to hot desert conditions between Cache Creek and Yale on Hwy #1 where it hit 38 C (100 F).
Solar shower worked well and made the trip really comfortable. The Hotsprings were fantastic and the scenery was spectacular and changed significantly as we passed through West to East, South to North, West to East again, and North to South back to the Lower Mainland.
Only saw a couple Vanagons and 1 Eurovan along the way as well as only 1 Late Bay. Expected to see more VWs but every 2nd vehicle was either a pickup truck or various sized RVs.
* A nice bonus was having freezies straight out of the freezer in our old Dometic fridge when it was hot! Love that fridge as it kept the beer nice and cold too.
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76 Westy with a 2.5L Subaru SOHC + Vanagon (010) Automatic Transaxle
Build & Trip Thread: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=758760
Previous 1973 Panel Bus:
Click to view image |
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dhaavers
Samba Member
Joined: March 19, 2010
Posts: 7767
Location: NE MN (tinyurl.com/dhaaverslocation)
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| Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2024 12:00 pm Post subject: Re: Poll: Long drive, did you make it? 1,000+ miles |
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| Shonandb wrote: |
| Not a Vanagon but I have a transaxle from a Vanagon if that counts. |
1) Absolutely not.
B) Love it!
- Dave
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86 White Wolfsburg Westy Weekender
"The WonderVan"
<EDITED TO PROTECT INNOCENT PIXELS> |
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AndyBees
Samba Member
Joined: January 31, 2008
Posts: 2350
Location: Southeast Kentucky
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| Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2024 5:49 pm Post subject: Re: Poll: Long drive, did you make it? 1,000+ miles |
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Shonandb, thanks for sharing your road trip ...
Although I am from the SE USA, I can certainly relate to most of the places you visited. We want to go back to that area one more time (to make it 10).
I like the Bays, that's why I purchased one. Which Vanagon transmission are you using?
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'84 Vanagon Tin-top, ALH TDI. 1989 Tin-top
1983 Air-cool, 225k miles, 180k miles mine. Seven trips to Alaska from 1986 thru 2003. |
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Shonandb
Samba Member
Joined: January 12, 2019
Posts: 1234
Location: Vancouver, BC
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| Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2024 6:44 pm Post subject: Re: Poll: Long drive, did you make it? 1,000+ miles |
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| AndyBees wrote: |
Shonandb, thanks for sharing your road trip ...
Although I am from the SE USA, I can certainly relate to most of the places you visited. We want to go back to that area one more time (to make it 10).
I like the Bays, that's why I purchased one. Which Vanagon transmission are you using? |
Thanks Andy. I have an 010 from an 86 Vanagon with an external transaxle oil cooler installed. I had to modify a few things to make it work.
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76 Westy with a 2.5L Subaru SOHC + Vanagon (010) Automatic Transaxle
Build & Trip Thread: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=758760
Previous 1973 Panel Bus:
Click to view image |
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crazyvwvanman
Samba Member
Joined: January 28, 2008
Posts: 9966
Location: Orbiting San Diego
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| Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2024 6:46 am Post subject: Re: Poll: Long drive, did you make it? 1,000+ miles |
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Went to Baja to see the whales again in the San Ignacio Lagoon.
Drove my 87 Syncro about 1500 miles, most of it below the border.
No issues of any kind.
Saw several Vanagons along the way, mostly Syncros.
Mark |
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steve244
Samba Member
Joined: March 18, 2022
Posts: 1670
Location: GA
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16CVs 
Samba Member
Joined: February 22, 2004
Posts: 4036
Location: Redwood City, California
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| Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2024 9:14 am Post subject: Re: Poll: Long drive, did you make it? 1,000+ miles |
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I’ve never seen Marks Gold van without its box on the back.
_________________
1987 Syncro Westfalia Triple knob (bastard)
1989 Syncro Tristar Triple knob "Swedish"
2013 Jetta Hybrid a true "Zwitter"
Samba member # 14980
Call anytime number 650 722 4914 .
Keep Your van running and upkept tastefully for the love of the hobby.
Don't let your van end up in an "abortions" thread. |
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crazyvwvanman
Samba Member
Joined: January 28, 2008
Posts: 9966
Location: Orbiting San Diego
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| Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2024 9:24 am Post subject: Re: Poll: Long drive, did you make it? 1,000+ miles |
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Yes, I usually take my Baja Box and felt naked without it.
Packed light so it wasn't essential but I should have had it anyway.
We built some for a couple friends too, the white van has one of those.
Temps were lows in 50s, highs in 70s.
Warmer on the Sea of Cortez side than on the Pacific side, as usual.
Water chilly both.
Mark |
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dhaavers
Samba Member
Joined: March 19, 2010
Posts: 7767
Location: NE MN (tinyurl.com/dhaaverslocation)
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| Posted: Sun Apr 14, 2024 9:01 am Post subject: Re: Poll: Long drive, did you make it? 1,000+ miles |
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FWIW, cross post from “Eclipse” thread.
TL;DR…1900 miles, no issues…
| dhaavers wrote: |
4 days down, 4 days back. Here’s my report…
Day 1: 4 hour drive south, driveway camp with friends in S MN for beer, burgers & Friday night jazz radio. Then…
Day 2: Met up with bobbyblack & “D1” near Iowa City. First night together was Lowell IA, free camping on the Skunk River:
Day 3: 5-hour drive later, free dispersed camping in Mark Twain NF near Winona MO (complimentary acoustic jam included):
Day 4: Eclipse Day! Drove one more hour to catch up to friends in Mammoth Spring MO. Beautiful day!
Sorry to admit, my actual eclipse pics sucked but believe it or not, here are the van(s) under totality (Jupiter on the right):
So yeah, lots of people had to hit the road to get home ASAP but I took my time. 3 more nights on the road for me
heading back north, including McCormack Lake CG (Mark Twain NF again…again, free)… then Shimek State Forest in
southern IA (yes, free)… then my daughter’s driveway in Mpls (free) & finally home yesterday.
Total about 1900 miles, plenty of gas, 20oz. oil, zero issues.
See you in 2044!
- Dave |
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86 White Wolfsburg Westy Weekender
"The WonderVan"
<EDITED TO PROTECT INNOCENT PIXELS> |
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E1
Samba Member
Joined: January 21, 2013
Posts: 6662
Location: Westfalia, Earth
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| Posted: Sun Apr 14, 2024 12:39 pm Post subject: Re: Poll: Long drive, did you make it? 1,000+ miles |
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“D1” is copyright infringement, I own A1 through E1.   
Great stuff, glad you and Bobby (and *that* D1!) rocked it and can’t believe how dark it got!
_________________
‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman
Last edited by E1 on Sun Apr 14, 2024 1:56 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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steve244
Samba Member
Joined: March 18, 2022
Posts: 1670
Location: GA
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dobryan
Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2006
Posts: 16518
Location: Brookeville, MD
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steve244
Samba Member
Joined: March 18, 2022
Posts: 1670
Location: GA
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djkeev
Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32690
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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4Gears4Tires
Samba Member
Joined: October 08, 2018
Posts: 3116
Location: MD
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| Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2024 6:17 pm Post subject: Re: Poll: Long drive, did you make it? 1,000+ miles |
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Congrats on managing the return home!
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'87 Syncro
Ferric Oxyhydroxide Superleggera Edition |
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