The dumbest thing someone asked you about your van

[levi]

[grigley]

I picked up a double cab yesterday.... first stop into a gas station, young attendent looks at me and says "what is that? a Westphalia truck"
I explain the truck, he look confused and says " haha they are gonna start making those when they see what you did to it"
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78 westy
76 transporter
89 Tristar Doka

[purplepeopleeater]

So far, was dropping off the tow dolly I rented in the westy and the dude running the place was telling me it runs pretty good for an 86....this was after I just got done explaining the H6 motor to him, then he asks what i'm going to do with it.

I stared blankly into the ceiling.

[joseph928]

Is it reliable, yes , I just have the engine hatch open to admire my engine. At a rest stop on I40 in AZ.
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1987 syncro westy tin top sun roof , GW2.3, rear locker, decoupler, Gary Lee tire rack & winch mount, lift, south african grill, big brakes , rhein alloy ,15 BFG AT, Fiamma 10 foot awning ,140 watt rear 85 watt front solar , mppt, truckfridge, automatic fire extinguishing system, tencent oil cooler, And a RMW SS exhaust! - 1971 bug convertible 1776 engine- 2010 Subaru turbo - 1993 Toyota 4x4 truck - 1999 Harley 95 CI, big bore, Andrews cams . Also 80-84- vans. Stock 65 sunroof bug.

[kamzcab86]

"Is it a Syncro?"

"Is that a camper van?"

Related to the above question: "Did you do the conversion or is it factory?"


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~Kamz
1986 Cabriolet: www.Cabby-Info.com
1990 Vanagon Westfalia: Old Blue's Blog
2016 Golf GTI S
"Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance." - 孔子

[mirthpeople]

Thanks to everybody, for all the good humor.

Mine isn't so much a dumb question but some confusion perhaps.

My mother says "Are you working on the Volkswagen?"
Mom, they are both Volkswagens, I'm working on the van.
Not sure which one (I have a Golf TDI) she doesn't consider a Volkswagen, although she does call the Syncro "The Tank".
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1985 VW Vanagon Campmobile
1986 Syncro GL- Der Klienbus!
1987 Vanagon GL- Subie 2.2 installed 95% complete
2000 Cabrio- Needs lots of work
2002 Golf TDI- Future Vanagon transplant?

[snowesty]

The US Border Guard;
'You're driving 9 hours to Tacoma to get your transmission fixed? You must realllllllllly like your van'

Well, yeah
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Fritz - '86 Syncro Tintop, Camper interior
Toaster - '91 Multivan Westy, 4sp.

[mariusstrom]

[kirkvw72]

From a guy at work, who drives a C5 Corvette with super-tacky chrome bits all over it, and thought he was funny by asking:
Did you sell your other cars for that?
Which end is the front?

Sigh.
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2015 VW GTi Autobahn
2000 Mercedes Benz E430
1992 Miata, automatic converted to a 5-speed
1988 Vanagon Wolfsburg
1987 Porsche 944 (951) Turbo
1987 Vanagon GL, Rocky Jennings Heads, RMW Exhaust, ASL 5-speed, AMG Wheels
1981 Porsche 924 (931) Turbo
1972 Beetle (standard)

[svxcarat]

An old guy at the campground came up to me and said. Don't worry, one of these days you'll get a real RV like mine. He truly felt so bad that I had to camp in one of "those things".

[gary1998]

drunk teenager shouts across thr roed to empty van the 60s are over
i tell him the 60s ended 20 yrs before van was made
his girlfriend say to him shut the f**k up ya gob shite
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loud pipes save lives

[joetiger]

Not really a dumb question, but I was just in the Post Office parking lot waiting for my wife and a fuzzy young hipster walked up behind my Vanagon with a huge smile on his face. He stood next to the rear driver's corner, pulled out his iPhone, and took two big smiling pictures of himself.

My kids asked me what that crazy man was doing. I told them he had Vanagon envy.

They asked me what envy meant.
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Joe T.

'86 NAHT Vanagon GL Syncro/ supercharged ABA 2.0 "Pigpen"
'04 GTI 1.8T
'04 Golf R32

"get metaphysical with it. if it's simply a means to get to and from places, it will let you down. if it becomes your zen, it can't fail you." -dabaron

"Still, it's good to be afield."--VWagabond

Available Now! Vanagon to Louisiana--A Two-Lane Reckoning Through Past and Present

www.josephtrussell.com

[PacificSticker]

My Ex wife asked me "does it have power windows" as the passenger window automatically sank to her will so she could hand me my daughters' blanket.
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1989 Wolfsburg T3 Whitestar 2.1 WBX
Libelle

Damon in Ventura

[?Waldo?]

"What's the dumbest thing someone has asked you about your van?"

[pnwkayaker]

The US Border Guard at the Canada border when returning home: "Where do you work ?"

Me: "I work at <major company in the Seattle area>"

The US Border Guard, looking incredulous to the Syncro: "you work at <major company> and you drive this van ????"

Me (not knowing how to answer that): "but...but...it has a lot of spirit !"

(granted, the Syncro paint was in a very bad shape at that time, but still...)
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87 Syncro Westy EJ25 ("Tardis")

Seattle Meetup at Marymoor (link)
A collection of Simple Useful Mods (SUM) (link)

[rockhopper78]

The overwhelming majority of what I hear is complimentary, and I enjoy it.

A couple of years back I had the 91 hardtop at a gas station at night. A carload of teenage girls stopped. One looked amazed and told me she's never seen a VW van before - then told me I should never sell it.
(I find that last part FAR more complimentary than the people who want to buy - and I don't get many of them).


A little earlier, I was on a trip back to my hometown in NJ for the weekend. Drove past a group of teenage boys. Warm and sunny, so window was down. Stopped for a stop sign. One of them called out that it was the coolest car he'd ever seen. Not a hint of irony in the voice.


Had the following happen not once, but TWICE, when back in NJ:
In each of my rear side windows, I have a VW Driver Gear promo license plate that has the VW logo and reads "Driver's Wanted". I think it's a pretty obvious decorative touch. TWICE, I pulled into a gas station in NJ. No self-serve, so the attendant fills it (I ALWAYS jump out and unlock the filler cap myself).
Foreign-born attendant sees the license plates and thinks I'm advertising employment, and try to apply for a job as a driver.

I was able to successfully explain it to the first guy, but there was a stronger language barrier with the second guy. I gave up trying to explain marketing promotions and corporate slogans and just said "it's a joke."

The attendant stared blankly for a second, and then his face lit up with a smile. He says:
"Oh! Is funny because van is SLOW!" and starts laughing.
I let him enjoy the joke. Frankly, I found enough humor in his job application.

[boulderdrop]

Border Crossing at Blaine, coming back into the US...
"Hey shaggy, where's scooby?"

Lady living across the street, from my house where I've been for 6 years
"Do you live in your van? I see you use the garage a lot too."
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== My Rides ==
1984 Westy, Bostig, 3rd:1.14, Locker-LSD, Newly Painted
1980 24' J-Boat
1979 Sears Freespirit Moped
1996 Chev S10 4x4 ZR2
2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid (Wife's)

== How I Pay the Bills ==
Windows FTP Server at http://www.bpftpserver.com (PM for a FREE one)

[windnsea]

Driving across the border at Blaine WA a few years ago with my girlfriend. The Canadian Customs always thinks that I'm gun running and asks questions such as "So what type of weapon are you carrying today?" I told the female Customs Inspector that my girlfriend has PMS! I'm lucky that my vanagon didn't get strip searched!

Last year in Yosemite a gal walking down the road in the campground saw my vanagon and told me that she was concieved in one. I didn't know what to say except "I don't think that I've ever met your mother!"

[GBA 88West LA]

stupidiest question ever asked by my sister yesterday she said "can i borrow your van this summer to drive to Oklahoma"
we live in NH
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88 Westy GL Vanaru 07 2.5 EJ25/AA Trans/oiling plates, 1.14 3rd-.77-4th..solar powered cabin

[Wildthings]