Trip report, Thanks to this Forum! pictures.

[dan vandenheede]

wanted to give a big thanks for all the great information from this forum- helped us find places to visit and camp and trails to drive on our recent Family Southwest trip. 22 days and 4700 miles and still so much we didn't have time for, but thought I would share some specific places and give credit where it is due..

I am trying to put pictures in post, if they don't work all pictures with descriptions can be seen at http://picasaweb.google.com/danvandenheede/ClydeInTheSouthwest#

Dogpilot, I e-mailed him as he live out t hat way, I said one thing we were interested in were indian ruins, he suggested Canyon De Chelley in Northern Arizonia on the Navajo reservation- great tip! we camped there 3 days (free), met a German couple with a unimog in campground and decided to drive into canyon with them as they said 4wd only- no AWD- and syncro is technically AWD and not known for deep sand prowess...

After letting some air out of tires and not following in the Mogs deep tracks- ruts- we did fine and never got stuck again... great scenery and ruins in canyon...

In Bryce we ran into another syncro who happened to be vwlovr from the samba! he had some great tips including that we should take burr trail into canyonlands- great call, awesome road with awesome views and killer switchbacks...

Other help came from reading posts- sorry if I don't credit- someone mentioned Goose Island campground outside Moab, checked it out for a few days...

Someone (skiracer??) recently mentioned the Jar handle trail outside Moab for syncro fun and great views and camping. I remember reading the thread and someone asked about taking there 2wd westy up the trail- I gotta say- forget about it! It took everything out syncor could give (stock and heavy adventurewagen loaded)- G gear, locker, slipping clutch to get over some rocks- still scrapped skid plates quite a bit- it was bad enough that wife and kids voluntarily walked some sections and feared I would go over cliff- but it was a great challenge, and view from top (last picture) was worth potential damage to machine (thankfully none)..

Also followed Route 66 on way out and met "Tow mater" from Cars movie in Kansas...

Few more pictures available at http://picasaweb.google.com/danvandenheede/ClydeInTheSouthwest#

Other stats-

4700 miles, never had to add any fluids! worst tank 14.6 mpg coming home, cruise set at 75 with headwind on I-80. Best tank- 2 tanks of just over 23 mpg!- amazing what slow sight seeing driving will do- had several tanks over 20, usually in mountains interesting enough- seems gain more going down off the gas then you lose creeping up in 3rd, sometimes 2nd gear.

reached just over 12000 feet in Rocky Mountain Nat. Park

No break downs or problems other than on first day I discovered I had no brake lights (cruise wouldn't kick off with brake pedal) Both switches were bad, replaced them in parking lot of Autozone and no more issues.

Van is stock, original 89 syncro adventurewagen and just turned 50,000 miles on this trip! I bought him a year ago with 38,000 miles from original owner!

saw 3 other syncros, about a dozen vanagons (in running condition, twice as many if count the out of service) about half a dozen bays and one running splitty- not near as many as out trip to Northwest 6 years ago- thought I would see more in Utah, Arizona, Colorado- one other adventurewagen in Moab- all these things must be getting rare! I knew they were rare here in Michigan, but expected more.

Thanks again for all the help, rather you knew you were helping or not- the forum search is a great thing!

[Vanagon Nut]

You need the .jpg suffix for a pic to show up


i.e. this one

[img]http://picasaweb.google.com/danvandenheede/ClydeInTheSouthwest#5355185376659420690

is this (if have the address matched up):

To do this, go to picasweb page showing all the pics, click on the pic you want to post, then on larger image, right click on it, select "open in new window". This will give you the pic in new window. The URL will have the .jpg suffix.

Hope that helps

Nice AW btw!

Neil.
_________________
1981 Westy DIY 15º ABA

1988 West DIY 50º ABA

VE7TBN

[dan vandenheede]

Thanks for the idea- I am using a Mac however and can't right click! I tried to get a url with a jpg suffix and am having no luck, anyone mac users with thoughts out there?

[Vanagon Nut]

[levi]

Yeah what he said.
with the mouse over the image, ctrl and click (or tap, however you have it set) will open a box over the image.
Click on the top line, (view image) will change the url to jpg.
Highlight the url, hit edit, copy.
Come back here to your post, hit img, edit, paste, img
_________________
One of these days I'm gonna settle down,
but till I do I won't be hangin round.
Going down that long lonesome highway,
gonna see life my way

https://youtu.be/cSrL0BXsO40

[Texxxxx]

Thanks for the great pictures, dan. That area is first on my list once I get my new Syncro up to snuff.
_________________
'85 GL w/2.1L "The Tardis"
It's A Vanagon Day

[Turk.380]

if you're using Firefox or Opera browsers, with Picasa you can also right-click the image and go to "Copy image location" and that will give you the full URL with the .JPG extension.
_________________
Brian W
St. Louis, MO
'64 SO-33 Hatch Top Westy | '87 Syncro Westy: Subaru EZ30D powered | 2002 VW Winnebago Vista

[dan vandenheede]

Thanks for the tips! got it fixed. My wife wanted to add a comment about the jar handle trail- she said wives beware, husbands should do this alone! Though my 15 year old son was loving it.

[rockfish]

You can right-click with a Mac...assuming you are right-handed, your pointer finger is typically on the left side of the mouse. Use your index finger on the right corner of the mouse - that should produce a "right click" for you...

If you are using a MacBook, then you use two fingers (instead of one) on the mouse pad...
_________________
89 Westy
GW 2.5 5-speed trans

"It's what you learn after you know it all that counts."
- John Wooden