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snowleopard
Samba Member
Joined: May 29, 2007
Posts: 90
Location: San Fernando Valley, CA
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 Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2007 9:50 pm Post subject: Eastern Sierra Trip: Photos |
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Just returned from a weeklong trip to the eastern Sierras. The Green Machine worked great, even lugging up those three thousand foot inclines to get to trailheads. Here are a few pics:
This is Gray's Meadow campground, just below Onion Valley. Almost empty for two days. I painted the fiberglass top the week before. It had been a tan color. I thank the people on this site for giving me the fortitude to even begin painting it. Turned out really well!
This is the creek at Gray's Meadow, about 20 feet from my campsite. Full of trout!!!
Other Westies at the Kearsage Pass trailhead at Onion Valley.
Gilbert Lake up the Kearsage Pass trail.
The Green Machine near Tioga Pass just east of Yosemite.
A good time was had and the Westy was the talk of the campground.
_________________
85 Westy: The Green Machine
PCT Hiker: Mexico to Oregon on Foot
(It was faster than a Westy going up an incline) |
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captainpartytime
Samba Member
Joined: December 04, 2005
Posts: 715
Location: Mission Viejo, CA
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| Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2007 11:20 pm Post subject: |
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SWEET PICTURES!!! I love the Sierras! Did you go to Kennedy Meadows? How was the fishing? Did you end up using one of those coolant additives (water wetter)?
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-Kerry
1982 turbo diesel Westfalia |
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snowleopard
Samba Member
Joined: May 29, 2007
Posts: 90
Location: San Fernando Valley, CA
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| Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 5:53 am Post subject: |
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SWEET PICTURES!!! I love the Sierras! Did you go to Kennedy Meadows? How was the fishing? Did you end up using one of those coolant additives (water wetter)?
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I love the Sierras, too. I backpacked through the entire range while doing the PCT years ago and I still have a fondness for them. Been going to Lone Pine for almost twenty years to camp. I didn't head over to Kennedy Meadows...thought about it...but heading from the eastern side over that long road is where I lost my previous engine about ten years ago. 
I did use a bit of that "Water Wetter" and I think, based only upon previous experience in like temps (it was in the 90s during the day at lower altitude) that the engine seemed to run cooler. Never once had the light come on during multiple long climbs, including the lengthy ascent over Tioga Pass into Yosemite. So my totally amateur comment is that it seemed to work...? After your chemistry lesson, I had to try the stuff!
I was hoping to talk to you today and swap Sierra stories at the beach get together, but I'm too beat after the long drive back. Maybe at the Thursday get-together? Plus, I returned to find my household fridge had died while I was away...with an open can of salmon inside. Very nice smell. It's a horrible day when the Westy's fridge is actually colder than the one in your house.
As to the fishing!!! I don't fish, but so many people were catching trout near Onion Valley, that I went and bought a cheap $20 rig and some salmon eggs, headed over to Lone Pine, took a few hours to learn how to use the thing, and then proceeded to catch a nice 14" rainbow in about ten minutes.
_________________
85 Westy: The Green Machine
PCT Hiker: Mexico to Oregon on Foot
(It was faster than a Westy going up an incline) |
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vwjedi
Samba Member
Joined: November 29, 2005
Posts: 1463
Location: G-ville, FL - hopefully on a trail.
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| Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 12:52 pm Post subject: |
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Sounds like a trip we will have to take sometime, love the pics of the landscape, and of course your Van too. 
The green machine rocks! Nice looking rig.
I recently did a trip through the Smokies and was actually very pleased with how the 'ol wasserboxer faired, no light flicker either, however it was nice to be able to downshift to 3rd gear heading up some of the 6% grades. Hope to see you on the road. 
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1987 Wolfsburg T25 still riding out. A bunch of other VW's passed on... |
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snowleopard
Samba Member
Joined: May 29, 2007
Posts: 90
Location: San Fernando Valley, CA
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| Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2007 7:14 am Post subject: |
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I'd love to do the Smokies someday. The pics I've seen are mesmerizing, and I'm a National Parks junkie.... Any chance of seeing some of those photos of yours?
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85 Westy: The Green Machine
PCT Hiker: Mexico to Oregon on Foot
(It was faster than a Westy going up an incline) |
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kayakwesty
Samba Member
Joined: February 15, 2007
Posts: 687
Location: East Tennessee
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| Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2007 7:21 am Post subject: |
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not to highjack your thread ...but are those 16" GW wheels?
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1984 Westy 2.0 Jetta ABA Motor/1.8 head converted to auto tranny, with 180,000 on body, 55K on engine and transmission
B.5.5 Passat Wagen with 30v V6-67000 Miles
DAS AUTO
CHANGE YOUR FUEL LINES!
A post without pictures is useless
http://www.kayakwesty.com
http://www.waldensridgewhitewater.com/ |
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snowleopard
Samba Member
Joined: May 29, 2007
Posts: 90
Location: San Fernando Valley, CA
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| Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 12:31 pm Post subject: |
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not to highjack your thread ...but are those 16" GW wheels?
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Yeah.... I love them but sort of wish I had gotten the 15" as there were more options in an A/T tire. I managed to find Yokohama Geolander A/T in a 215/65 R16 but I had to order them.
In a different direction, on my trip I bought an inflatable kayak to do Mono Lake on. I'm wondering what solid body one person kayak you might recommend for a beginner, a sit on top version for lake or calm river travel, with some room for carrying a backpack?
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85 Westy: The Green Machine
PCT Hiker: Mexico to Oregon on Foot
(It was faster than a Westy going up an incline) |
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Dogpilot
Samba Member
Joined: October 03, 2005
Posts: 4205
Location: Flagstaff, AZ
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| Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 12:43 pm Post subject: |
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A good stable, sit on top I liked a lot was the Cobra Explorer. It has two dry compartments and room for diving gear behind you. Downside is it is a bit on the heavy side for that overhead grunt to the top of a Westy. I used mine to explore the Everglades canal system, and feed the endangered Everglade mosquito.
If you go visit Captpartytime in Dana Point, stop at Up Sports, it is right as you enter town. Lots of Kayaks there, it is where I bought mine. Good van repair shop virtually across the street.
http://www.upsportsoc.com/
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Geology with a Syncro rocks!
86 Syncro Westy AKA "The Bughunter"
98 Disco I
08 Range Rover SC
08 VW Rabbit S
1951 O-1G |
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snowleopard
Samba Member
Joined: May 29, 2007
Posts: 90
Location: San Fernando Valley, CA
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| Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 1:24 pm Post subject: |
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A good stable, sit on top I liked a lot was the Cobra Explorer. It has two dry compartments and room for diving gear behind you. Downside is it is a bit on the heavy side for that overhead grunt to the top of a Westy. I used mine to explore the Everglades canal system, and feed the endangered Everglade mosquito.
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Sounds good...except for that "grunt" part. What rack system do you use with your Westy?
_________________
85 Westy: The Green Machine
PCT Hiker: Mexico to Oregon on Foot
(It was faster than a Westy going up an incline) |
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Dogpilot
Samba Member
Joined: October 03, 2005
Posts: 4205
Location: Flagstaff, AZ
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| Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 1:51 pm Post subject: |
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I do not use a roof rack on the Westy, I use the Range Rovers roof rack for that purpose. It raises and lowers itself on command (also requests service on command). I already messed up one shoulder, and do not need a matching set. Things that where easy, no brainer, when your 20 are a whole lot different when your 50.
For occasional use I suspect you could make foam covered PVC rollers to cushion on top and act as a roller system and then use Kayak straps with gutter mounts to secure the kayak In an over the top, side to side and secure the bow and stern to the bumpers.. This is the original system I used when I first got my kayak. They did sell nylon covered foam rolls that you could put over a roof rack or some 1 1/2" PVC to make the rollers at Up Sports, they where about $10-15 at the time.
_________________
Geology with a Syncro rocks!
86 Syncro Westy AKA "The Bughunter"
98 Disco I
08 Range Rover SC
08 VW Rabbit S
1951 O-1G |
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deprivation
Samba Member
Joined: September 14, 2006
Posts: 1220
Location: Austin, Texas
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| Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2007 8:38 pm Post subject: Re: Eastern Sierra Trip: Photos |
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| snowleopard wrote: |
| Here are a few pics |
What is the little blue tank? Is that your greywater tank? What kind of tank is it and where did you get it? We still have not found a suitable sink-drain tank.
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1986 Westy 2WD auto a.k.a. "The Old Girl"
www.kittenfart.com |
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kevinbassplayer
Samba Member
Joined: June 15, 2006
Posts: 1041
Location: Nor-Cal
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| Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 7:34 am Post subject: |
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| Thanks for sharing, your van looks awesome! |
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snowleopard
Samba Member
Joined: May 29, 2007
Posts: 90
Location: San Fernando Valley, CA
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| Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 8:14 am Post subject: |
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What is the little blue tank? Is that your greywater tank? What kind of tank is it and where did you get it? We still have not found a suitable sink-drain tank.
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Yeh, the blue tank is my greywater. It doesn't collapse, obviously, so it tanks up more room inside while driving, but I like that it is made of sterner stuff. I got it at an RV place (a reservoir of interesting items for us Westy-ers) called Camping World which has a number of outlets here in California and is available online. Keep in mind, "Camping World" has virtually nothing to do with real camping...just an RV place.
-Richard
_________________
85 Westy: The Green Machine
PCT Hiker: Mexico to Oregon on Foot
(It was faster than a Westy going up an incline) |
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rockfish
Samba Member
Joined: February 13, 2007
Posts: 740
Location: Palo Alto, Calif.
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| Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 8:14 am Post subject: Re: Eastern Sierra Trip: Photos |
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| deprivation wrote: |
| snowleopard wrote: |
| Here are a few pics |
What is the little blue tank? Is that your greywater tank? What kind of tank is it and where did you get it? We still have not found a suitable sink-drain tank. |
Either that or a Makita tool case ...
I picked up the collapse-able gray H2O tank from GoWesty - works great and is easily stored when empty. |
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psych-illogical
Samba Member
Joined: October 14, 2004
Posts: 1181
Location: AZ
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| Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 8:24 am Post subject: |
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Great trip and a very nice lookin' van too. I just love the green Westys. You see so few of 'em.
My favorite boat is a recreational 12' kayak I got from LL Bean years ago. Can't recall the model but it weighs in at right around 40 pounds so it's easy to get on top of the Westy. My wife has a Perception sit on top boat that tracks true, has 2 dry compartments for gear and wieghs about 60 pounds. Takes 2 of us to get it on the van. The other down side to sit on tops is that they are of a self bailing design. There are holes in the bottom where water drains out if you take on a wave. The problem therein is that you're always sitting in just a little bit of water so your a$$ is always wet. I personally don't like that.
I've got a Thule rack on top of the Westy but I've seen Yakimas mounted on them as well. Both companies offer short 'gutter' sections that you can bolt to the side of the pop top to mount the racks. It works quite well but I can't get my van in the garage if I've got the racks on. So far, I haven't forgotten about it and tried to pull in. That would get expensive.
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83 1/2 Westy waterboxer
'57 Beetle-sold 
Coupla '81 BMW motorcycles (R80G/S; R100RS)
'96 BMW R1100GS |
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snowleopard
Samba Member
Joined: May 29, 2007
Posts: 90
Location: San Fernando Valley, CA
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| Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 11:52 am Post subject: |
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My favorite boat is a recreational 12' kayak I got from LL Bean years ago. Can't recall the model but it weighs in at right around 40 pounds so it's easy to get on top of the Westy. My wife has a Perception sit on top boat that tracks true, has 2 dry compartments for gear and wieghs about 60 pounds. Takes 2 of us to get it on the van. The other down side to sit on tops is that they are of a self bailing design. There are holes in the bottom where water drains out if you take on a wave. The problem therein is that you're always sitting in just a little bit of water so your a$$ is always wet. I personally don't like that.
I've got a Thule rack on top of the Westy but I've seen Yakimas mounted on them as well. Both companies offer short 'gutter' sections that you can bolt to the side of the pop top to mount the racks. It works quite well but I can't get my van in the garage if I've got the racks on. So far, I haven't forgotten about it and tried to pull in. That would get expensive.
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Thanks! I'm still looking around. I'm very much a beginner with this kayak thing and I do want something light so that I can fairly easily put it on top of the Westy. Let me ask you this: Can you raise your top with a single kayak on top? Or do you have to remove the kayak first?
-Richard
_________________
85 Westy: The Green Machine
PCT Hiker: Mexico to Oregon on Foot
(It was faster than a Westy going up an incline) |
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tsyn
Samba Member
Joined: March 04, 2007
Posts: 59
Location: Grass Valley, Ca
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| Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 1:00 pm Post subject: |
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ask you this: Can you raise your top with a single kayak on
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Snowleopard,
Yes you can, you might need help, though, depending on the weight of the boat. We have no problem lifting the top with a 15' canoe on top, but it does take two people, unless of course, you spend a lot of time in the gym doing military presses.
I got my racks from [/www.telusplanet.net/. A little pricey, but they are the bomb. They even make a rack with a bar that comes out to the side to facilitate loading of your boat.
As far as kayaks, check out norcalkayakanglers.com or www.ncka.org.
Best of luck |
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