Things your van did recently

[djkeev]

[bobbyblack]

Headed East to Madison WI this morning. The band is recording at our studio there this year. I'll get the guys to unload when they arrive, I'm having a nap while waiting... Nothing like driving into 8" of sloppy snow to start a whirlwind weekend!! I'm glad I'm not the guy coming in by United from Denver! Landing in this weather would require diapers.

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'87 Westy 'Flossie','86 Westy 'R1','86 tintop GL - Subi2.2 'J2','83.5 stock tintop L 'ZoomBus','74 Karmann Ghia, '63 Notch

[campism]

Hauled some more stuff for the house. We're redoing the living room and enclosed a useless corner to make a firewood bin adjacent to the hearth and I had two sheetmetal bins made, and I got to pick them up today.

Another thing the van did was to beat up my clutch foot, the one that's been giving me trouble recently as a result of an old fall injury.
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'87 Westy in Wolfram Grey Metallic

[bobbyblack]

Mrs. Black slipped on some ice, needed followup Dr visit with her GP. The storm track looked like hell for the 3 hour drive I'd be rolling this AM, so I got her into the bus last PM and we 'camped' at a truck stop 5 miles away. Now in waiting room.. Its been fun, I guess...

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'87 Westy 'Flossie','86 Westy 'R1','86 tintop GL - Subi2.2 'J2','83.5 stock tintop L 'ZoomBus','74 Karmann Ghia, '63 Notch

[jlrftype7]

[bobbyblack]

Hey jlrftype7,

Shes still got the fluttery eyes thing, and really tired. We're taking it easy. Another Dr visit on Wednesday.

Hope you and yours are doing well!!

Happy Mardi Gras!
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'87 Westy 'Flossie','86 Westy 'R1','86 tintop GL - Subi2.2 'J2','83.5 stock tintop L 'ZoomBus','74 Karmann Ghia, '63 Notch

[jlrftype7]

Vanagon took my MIG welder to work . The welder sits on a Harbor Freight Welding Cart, which in turn gets strapped securely to the Mc-Master Carr eyelets that are bolted to the front seat belt anchors on the floor. Works great, no issues with worrying about the wheeled cart moving around. I don't often find a use for those anchors that I installed, but for this application, they're perfect.

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'68 Westy- my first VW and vehicle/Bus- long gone.- sold it to a traveling Swiss couple....
'67 Type 3 Fastback, my 2nd car- gone
'69 Semi-Auto Stick Shift Beetle-gone
2017 MINI Coopers, our current DDs
‘84 Tin Top - Hilga....Auto

[indianpeaksjoe]

Took me for a mtb ride.

And oh it is nice to grab a drink and change in the back.

[campism]

Speaking of bikes, dragged home Raleigh Tourist bones from the discard pile at the local co-op.

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'87 Westy in Wolfram Grey Metallic

[indianpeaksjoe]

[plummerdesign]

The bus in my life. It hauls a trailer when I need doors, furniture, supplies, rocks, or to take tree chunks to the recycling yard. It takes people and their copious amounts of luggage to the airport. It takes me to instantaneous photo shoots in the mountains, picks up PCT hikers and all their gear, plus it offers a great place to stay cozy while stargazing thanks to the propex heater. Oh, and it is a fine burro. I fill it with my gear, kayaks on the roof, bikes on the back, and a generous allotment of food for my UN-planned ventures. A burro that is more akin to a mountain goat. I force it along railroad tracks, over questionable bridges, through murky ponds that might have once been a sort of roadbed, and I wonder why the kitchen lid rattles? Simmer down!
This week I looked at it, all dirty from being outside and thought about WASHING it. The bus knows it stays outside. It is not like the electric cars that get to stay in the garage. But it does not care.
The bus, my camper…is my FAVORITE.
So, Saturday there was a choice. Do yardwork to clean up the damage of winter, OR throw the bike, kayak, and gear into the dirty bus and go play. I’m weak. It was so good to get out and away, to ride under a sunny sky and hike until my feet said “mkay we dun”. Of course the sun left and rain and snow took its place. The mountain passes were a hard-to-drive in the dark tunnel of slop, ice, grit, and some great music. The bus is now so filthy I get dirty just by touching the door handles.
Kind of makes me feel ashamed.
.
In the summer it is always clean and presentable. People come up and ask if they can see inside, or have me take a picture of them next to it. But if they only knew how much mud mask it wears in the winter, they would see the source of its true beauty. In mid-April it will get washed. Until then, it will pull the trailer, haul the plants to be planted, and take me mountain biking where people don’t go because it is raining. Added benefit? Select ANY campsite!
It sits outside and knows…FAVORITE!!
.
I like what Jeffrey Lee wrote;
"Nah, she's less a show pony and more of a workhorse.”
.

.
Jeffery : )
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It is old and green and it makes me grin.
1984 Westfalia 1.9

[campism]

[KBake]

Canoe and van goes together like beer and pizza.

Colorado Bend sp TX.

[Klister]

Trip to eastern WA for the Othello Crane Festival, migrating sandhill cranes. Thousands of them.

[jlrftype7]

[jimf909]

I love seeing the crane migration but missed it this year. Here's a shot camping near the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge from a few years ago:

[Multivanagon]

After a 5-month rest in winter storage, the 90 Multivan started right up and drove 120 miles home after reconnecting the battery, checking fluids, and airing up the tires.

When filling up with gas, a guy from Germany came over and was very happy to see a Vanagon in SW Minnesota. He said he had owned two of them and recognized the sound before he saw it.

Thank you random German person in rural MN for calling my van awesome!
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Current VWs:
1990 Vanagon Multivan
2019 Golf Alltrack
1971 Super Beetle project
1996 Special Edition Trek Jetta mountain bike

Past VWs:
2008 Passat Wagon
1999.5 Golf
1991 Golf

[do.dah]

[jlrftype7]

Another moving day load of furniture for a Relative, who needs to be out of their present location by the end of May. Not a heavy load, but stuff packed all the way back into the rear of the vehicle, even if you can't see it in the picture...

_________________
'68 Westy- my first VW and vehicle/Bus- long gone.- sold it to a traveling Swiss couple....
'67 Type 3 Fastback, my 2nd car- gone
'69 Semi-Auto Stick Shift Beetle-gone
2017 MINI Coopers, our current DDs
‘84 Tin Top - Hilga....Auto

[jimf909]

Hauled this recliner to a friend's house for their shoulder surgery recovery. We had two pickup trucks to choose from but the van was by far the easiest option.

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- Jim