Road trips over 1000 miles

[UZI]

each way!

post pics and stories.

this was my first big one. Philadelphia to newfoundland and back in 2 weeks. started out that we were going to go up to acadia national park to camp, we got there, hiked and camped then decided to go over to nova scotia, then we decided to head over to newfoundland. I don't know how many miles it was but mapquest shows nova scotia as 954 miles, plus all the other running around and up into newfoundland I think we did about 3200 total. I think we took 5 ferries, one overnight each way, we came back down thru prince Edward island and new brunswick, then dropped into maine and home.

gros morne, newfoundland

big ferry.

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Extravagant Lifestyle

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mannys66: South Philly Van Club, only the most influential and freshest van club in the vw scene

Quote:

Cuñado: Chrome will get you home!!!!!!!!!!

[cdennisg]

I've done the Idaho to MN trip several times in different VW's including two different late standard beetles, a 64 walk through bus, a 65 Riviera bus, and a 68 single cab. All of this was well before my digital camera, though. That round trip is between 3000 and 3500 miles, depending on my wandering during the trip.
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[ezcamper]

Started in Jacksonville, FL.... drove to Memphis and took 40 out to Albuquerque then north to Mesa Verde and over to Arches, Zion, and Bryce. Down through Vegas to LA for OCTO and the classic. Back home through Phoenix and flagstaff. Back roads to Carlsbad caverns and came home on I10. About 6500 miles in 3 weeks. Camped in the bus almost the whole time. Awesome trip.
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I make HWE style roof racks, Jim-Dandy racks, SO-33 metal parts, Dormobile racks, HWE style ladders, engine crank start handles, Westy rack tags, Binz tags, Sundial badges, State of California tags, steering lock electrical covers and single / double cab gate latch friction blocks.

instagram is http://instagram.com/bullidriversteelworks

[jeffff]

I've never seen a Hehr pop out rear window like that...cool

[Don66bus]

I like hearing about distance travel in old buses. Here are a couple of threads on this that I started in 2009:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=374827

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=387699

You are throwing yourself on the mercy of the VW gods (and the general goodness of others) when you venture that far from home. For me, usually it has worked out well. I have never had a delay more than half a day for repairs in 15-20 continental traverses.

[cdennisg]

ezcamper, that sounds like an epic trip.

I have something in my long term plans, but I have not decided exactly how to go about it. I'll keep working on it, and post in here if I decide to make it happen.
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[bonecollector]

Idaho Falls Idaho to La Paz BC Mexico several years back in our 65 Deluxe.

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[arod]

this is a short description of my 1000+ mile trip out to OCTO/The Classic in CA from Fl. left my home in Miami, Fl June 2, 2012@8am and driving across the US and back in El Westy and driven over 7800+ miles, I made it home safe and sound on June 23, 2012 @245am. i drove I-10 all the way out and came back on I-40 to a few roads back down south.

San Antonio, San Diego,PCH,LA, Beverly Hills,Klingman AZ,Lake Havasu, Grand Canyon,Carlsbad Caverns,Roswell NM,Panama City Bch were just a few of the places we stopped.


Worst Roads Travelled:
ANY IN LOUISIANA. holy shit are the roads there horrible not to mention the people drive like animals. i am glad the roads in Florida are always under construction! we have some of the smoothest and best in the country from what i drove!!!

If i could skip 2 staes on a trip to Cali:
1. Louisiana. shittiest roads i have ever driven in my life and people drive like animals
2. Texas. expensive, hot and takes 2 days to get across!

and finally my vehicle of choice for this epic trip.....El Westy

i built El Westy with one purpose in mind: TO BE DRIVEN.
2L, disc brakes, lowered & narrowed, IRS'd, full camp gear etc...

if i were to do this trip again, i would not for one second hesitate on jumping in the Westy and doing it. it ran and performed awesome. i did have some small issues but were all fixed and were just maintenance issues.

worst breakdown/problem was:
-debris in the carbs and clogging jets. TWICE. when i got to Cali and when we were leaving Panama City Beach on the way back to Miami.
-distributor not advancing past 20deg when i got to Cali. swapped out with spare at host hotel and was good to go!

adjusted the valves 3 times, adjusted the points 3 times, changed the oil once and never got a flat nor had to replace a fanbelt.

here are a few pics of the 1000+ i took.

[img]
http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x215/hanz14_photos/2012%20Road%20Trip/106.jpg[/img]

i have also taken my westy up to CYW in Tennesee(1400miles round trip) and VW DragNight in SC(1300 miles roundtrip) and the yearly trip to Bulli-jam weekend(600 miles rountrip) and NDBS in Daytona(600 miles round trip).
i will be driving up to DragNight in SC in July again.

if you are contemplating on taking a long drive in your bus...DO IT, and post some pics.

[UZI]

here's another one. this was a "maiden voyage" trip in a bus that matt and I (mostly matt) put together and hit the road in. in the true spirit of adventure we left at 8pm in a completely unknown bus to head out to the eureka springs show for the weekend. we hit junkyards the whole way out and on the way back.
ready to roll!

here is the bus in st. louis MO.

karaoke night! yay!

after a hard night at the "foxx's den"

celebrating crossing into Arkansas by putting on the AT rims/G60 tire kombo

receiving a standing ovation at the eureka springs parade.

minor trouble...

could been worse...

paying for the trip.

almost home

_________________
Extravagant Lifestyle

Quote:

mannys66: South Philly Van Club, only the most influential and freshest van club in the vw scene

Quote:

Cuñado: Chrome will get you home!!!!!!!!!!

[Don66bus]

Uzi,

What's it cost now to take the ferry to Newfoundland? I took my 1960 Westfalia to Newfoundland in 1973 and it was $35 or so. I imagine it has gone up.

[UZI]

I don't remember, it was 10 years ago now. it looks like it's about $200 now for 2 adults and a car. I think it was around $120 10 years ago sleeping on the deck of the boat.
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Extravagant Lifestyle

Quote:

mannys66: South Philly Van Club, only the most influential and freshest van club in the vw scene

Quote:

Cuñado: Chrome will get you home!!!!!!!!!!

[joe cool]

8000 miles in two months from Hood, CA to Circle, AK and back. Only broke down once when new genny siezed up. Got an old one for free at a junkyard. One of the many highlights of the trip was meeting Clara while passing through Olympia, WA. Now I have a little kid and can't get away with that stuff anymore. I bought the bus for that trip (2001) and still drive it today.

[ricekooker]

That Eureka Springs trip sounded awesome. As soon as my son is old enough I'd like to plan a junkin' trip like that.

[Shaun Murray]

A few years ago a buddy called me up and said he had just brought home an old 13w that had been sitting in the woods since '78. We discussed it and struck a deal, this is what I brought home. (I sold the green standard to help fund the 13w).

Fast forward a couple of years.

With a fresh engine and trans(less than 300 miles on them) we headed out for Florida. We took as many back roads as possible. I think we racked up around 22-2300 mile round trip, from WV to Fla.

Here we are crossing the St. Johns River ferry.

Somewhere around Jacksonville.

Cruisin' the beach in Daytona!

We had to sort out a few little problems along the way, the biggest problems were electrical due to the 9 prong flasher. All in all the bus done great considering it had sit dormant for 35 years. We had a great time!
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[pyrOman]

Got the itch to do the BulliBrigade for '08. Things just didn't jive for that but decided it would be a "GO" for '09! So, what started as a long trip just for Bulli in November, ended up s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g to cover the VolksBlast in January and also the WinterJam which was a couple of weeks after that in February!!!

So, I called it the Florida Show Tour! Here shortly before leaving Mission Beach, San Diego.

Camped throughout. This was a quaint little Burger Joint just outside a funky campground in the middle of Bumfuck Nowhere, Texass.

"Coast to Coast"! Daytona Beach!

The Bulli Brigade Weekend! Cruising with Kip's pips!

At Kip's!

At Fisher Buggies!

At the BugJam.

VolksBlast weekend: At Wizzard's, front and center!

While on the Conga Run with the Miami V-Dub club. Miami Vice: on location!

At VolksBlast!

WinterJam weekend! Almost front and center.

Final camp just west of Tucson and a few hours from home!

Though the Dormy was left in Tampa at my in-laws, I flew in and out for the VolksBlast weenkend then the WinterJam weekend and drove it home from there. All in all, it covered 8000 miles in just 20 days of driving!

There were some issues... On the way over the "fresh" Mallory dual point distributor decided to break right in the middle of nowhere in Aridzona about 3 pm! Royal pain to work on a hot motor with the full sun in the back of your neck!

On the way back, after a fill up somewhere in north Floriduh, it just quit! Though I "checked" everything, took 4 hours and a frantic call for help from the west coast to find out that though there was a gap in the points it simply wasn't big enough!?! Once I opened it some more, started right up!

Also, lack of time to go over things in between flying in and driving, by the time I was reaching San Diego, the dual cabs had loosened up to the point that they were barely being held down by the vacuum! Oh, and then the motor decided to suck a valve cover gasket while climbing the big hill off the desert. By the time I manage to find a spot to stop the mess was all over it!

Will do it all over again, yes sir!!!!
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[babell]

Well done pyro!!! Very nice

[pyrOman]

Though not necessarily the "norm", long trips are indeed common for the Dormy. I daily drive the Bug for the most part but do drive each vehicle at least a week at a time. Have had the Dormy sitting in the garage for over a month then take it for a 1000 mile trip to visit family in Phoenix. Or say, The Red Barn, or Yosemite, both 9 to 10 hour drives!
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Some people are so busy being clever they don't have time enough to be wise.

[64 ragtop volks]

I saw this thread when I was in the middle of my roadtrip.2977 miles! Had a blast! My favorite pic from trip is this view.and being to one up all those that got scared and chickened out.i even brought my rotty along .best tip I got was to eat sunflower seeds when you get a little bored and tired.it really works.i dont have a pretty bus but its a RUNNER! And that what counts for me.texas to so calif and back in june!!!

[crofty]

Damn, I'm about 200 miles short!
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[AlteWagen]

EPIC TRIPS!! Listing your engine combos and mileage would help some decide on what to build for an actual driver.