Nice compliment!

[Timwhy]

It seems that each campground that I visit with my Westy, there always seems to be a
fellow camper that wants to look at my van. Alot of these folks have had in their past
a Bus or a Bay or even a Vanagon. I think that they see again for the first time how
cool these vehicals really are. Even bringing them back to their youth.

This past weekend while in Bar Harbor, I was setting up my campsite and I have an
owner of a very large fifth wheel approach me. He said excuse me, I just want to say.
You unequivocally have the nicest rig in the whole park! My reply was excuse me?
He then said it again. I thanked him for such a compliment, even though it wasn't true.

I'm sure fellow samba members have simular stories but it was really nice to hear.
_________________
'15 Audi A3 Quattro
'09 VW Tiguan (dead)
'87 VW Westy
'91 Tin Top
'90 Cabby
What the Westy wants the Westy GETS


http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_search.php?search_author=Timwhy&show_results=summary

http://www.youtube.com/user/TIMWHY2?feature=mhee

[BillM]

We get a lot of the same attention when we camp in our Westy. My favorite compliment came from a couple 5/6 year olds that I pass in the morning on my way to work,"your spaceship is so cool." After driving by them for a couple weeks and waves back and forth I stopped so they could look inside. The youngest one said the spaceship is even cooler inside and then when I popped the top they were speechless. Even their mom climbed inside after that. My favorite fans are the youngest ones.
Hey Tim you going to West River Westies? I'll be there Friday early. The rest of the group is going up on Thursday but we have to Harry Potter opening that night. Would love to chat and pick your brain on some places to camp in Maine.
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Bill M
87 Westy

[vanagonjr]

I had my Westy set up with a side tent one time , and my wife said "You missed it !"after I came back from a shower. Apparently there was a guy so enamored with the set up, that it was all he could do to not walk in the tent into the camper - which if I was there I certainly would have let him do!

I'll be at West River Westies, I hope you are there Tim, I want to meet the guy who made the funniest post on The Samba ever!

(Know I'll see you Bill)

John
LiMBO
86 Wolfsburg Westfalia "Weekender"

[Popsvan]

My favorite was picking up my daughter at the mall one day. Family with a little girl about 6-7? Stared at me and my 69 finally said 'nice bus mister".
_________________
Rory
Louisa VA
87 Westy Automatic

[spitsnrovers]

While camping in the southern US (Gulf States) three 'local' fellows wandered over to our van, set up with side annex tent and top popped.

After showing them some of the finer points of the Westfalia, they were almost speechless, but commented something like "Where'd ya get a ve-hicle like that with a tent on top - or d'ya do it yerself?"

I answered that it came from the factory like that, then finished off with " and I keep the motor under the bed."

They just sort of shook their heads and wandered off - amazed.
_________________
'88 VW Westfalia
'75 Triumph Spitfire 1500

[photogdave]

Comments and compliments are all part of the routine when driving the Tiger Van! Little kids love it especially and always wave at us whether we're camping or driving about town.
However I got the best compliments on my syncro. On our first trip with it in May we were broken down in a restaurant parking lot with a a coolant leak from the rear heater. With the floor and seat pulled apart and fluid dripping off the van and spreading into a big pool under it, two separate people said they really liked my van and could I call them when I decided to sell it?
_________________
89 Syncro GL Westfalia 2.1 WBX/WBXaustSS

My Westy Movies:
photogdave On Vimeo
photogdave On YouTube

Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!

[plummerdesign]

The true beauty of these rigs is the approachability aspect.
.
Kids on bikes love ‘em. Their Dads whisper “Tell Mom we need one”. Parking lots seem to be a magnet for people who have either had one or have always wanted one.
When in a campground or stopped at a scenic vista folks often stop by to muse or tell a story from days gone by.
My wife is amazed at people who simply want their picture taken NEXT to it.
I serve at homeless shelters, and the camper is probably the best rig to get a conversation started…it has no status, just a welcoming ambience.
.
Kind of like a big dog, people want to pet it. They want to take it home. Nice.
.
Cheers,
Jeffery
.
(Westfalia camping/travel videos at YouTube link below)
_________________
It is old and green and it makes me grin.
1984 Westfalia 1.9

[debbiej]

complements sure are inspiring! kind of offset all the vehicles that want to pass at 85. kids love westys for sure.

[RGS Paul]

[Jteerlink]

Love this thread already!

I've been lucky to get a few compliments over the past few years but the best one I ever had was while making our way south to Zion Nat'l park. We pulled into a KOA late at night. Since it was pitch black and we were tired we popped the top and crawled into the back for the night.

The next morning I hopped out to find the van dwarfed between two 50+ foot RVs. While trying to tame my bed head I was greeted by about a half dozen "snowbird" RV owners who were all sitting in their camp chairs chatting up the Vanagon!

After answering a few odd questions and comparing rigs, I mentioned that it sleeps up to 5 (I had a cot over the front seats) at that time one of the older grandmas offered me and my wife a slice of quiche' and said, "I adore your little van, and I hate our monstrosity of a camper plus it only sleeps 4!". She then turned right around and slugged who I assumed was her husband in the shoulder and told him, "you could learn a thing or two from these kids!" then her grumpy husband grumbled something like, "damn hippies" as he walked away!

Good times.

[Love My Westy]

It seems that people are always wanting to know if my '86 Westy Weekender is for sale. One of the best complements was when one of my mechanics asked if I would sell it to him.

[danfromsyr]

not only did the 3 of our vanagon campers get good compliments on utility and coolness this past weekend camping on the shore of Lake ontario (westcott beach S.P)
we had good personal compliments as well in regards to the previous and continuing cmaping neighbors of our campsite neighbors.

it appears that even though we have kids and dogs and bikes like everyone else.
we monitor our kids
don't beat our dogs (who don't bark unless needed)
and don't ride our bikes thru other's campsites.

drinking around the campfire I can't say we're saints though.. but certainly the heated car part/break down debates pale compared to the fire dance the skin heads in wife beater shirts were doing all night with cans of accelerent. ahh the 4th of july
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[Williamtaylor33]

I think of all the places I've driven my westy I think I've got the most compliments in the southeast. Especially since driving a syncro camper. Just yesterday I drove down to a campground by the white river in Arkansas to do some trout fishing. As I was leaving everybody just stopped what they were doing and stared. One group tried to wave me down and when I didnt see them they took to the road. When I saw them I pulled over into an empty campsite and before I could get out of the van i was surrounded. They had a bunch of questions and compliments.
"I never knew vw made a 4x4"
"that is an awesome rig!"
You've got an oven in that thing".....to which I said..."yes...but this is a vanagon...not a thing...those were made in the 70's. He didn't get it...
They were especially fascinated by the fact that it slept 4.

Then right after that a group of bikers came up with Alot of nice things to say.
There are Alot of people in the south that have never seen a vanagon.
_________________
89 Bostig powered syncro westy

[SWbySWesty]

Over the weekend, mine was the hangout spot. The guy in the driver seat grew up riding in one and the father owned it. They reminisced and it just felt right hanging out in/around the van. Got lots of other stories, but just sitting in the sliding door with a brew inevitably winds up with a few chairs up in a semi circle around you! (plus the fridge helps)

I get lots of compliments as well and it's even better when driving down the 405 freeway in Los Angeles when the wife/girlfriend of some guy in a Ferrari looked over as I was "making waves" with my hand in the wind cruising. She smiled and waved with a thumbs up. Even the guy waved!
_________________
1986 Westy - Billie Jean
A Westy with a Jeep heart (Pura Vida)
www.theadventurebrigade.blogspot.com - Latest update: Johnson Valley - Nov 22, 2011

[pizzavandriver]

i've gotten many compliments, but my favorite was from a gas station attendant. i pulled up to the pump, the van loaded with 7 family members on a sunday trip and he said, "Wow, this looks like something from a movie."
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Pete
85 Vanagon

[BitterBeerFace]

One day a few weeks back, I was pulling into the back after hours to get some cash and then head about 150 miles away for a quick weekend get away.

As I'm standing in the bank's little ATM room, I notice a dude in a beat up Geo Metro had pulled up and looked like he was waiting for me... actually made me a little nervous.

When I came out, he immediately complimented my van, talked about how he'd seen it around town, etc. We gabbed for about half an hour there, then drove a few blocks to check out his VWs, Beetles, Cabriolet, Vanagon (acting as a shed), then talked about all the Vespas he's restoring, etc.

I was a couple hours late getting to where I was headed, but it was definitely worth it.
_________________
1980 Full Camper, been in the family since it was brand new!
1989 Full Camper, great-great-aunt's since brand new!

[silversync]

A couple of years ago we were camped in the San Bernardino Mtns. (Syncro non Westy). We went to one of those ranger camp site presentations, at the little outdoor amphitheater that are at many campsites. We came back, and there was a little sticky posted to the window (in a woman's handwriting).

"Sweet, Sweet Ride".

I still carry that note in the van.
_________________
Roland: '89 Syncro, '02 911 C4S, '10 Audi A4 Avant

[RCB]

Ive gotten a few thumbs up over the years but the absolute coolest one happened like this. I was parked at a small lake over the holidays and a family was pushing their youngster down the road in a stroller.

As they got closer I heard the little one crying his eyes out. As they got closer to me, Id say about four feet from the front of my Westy, the youngster stops crying and starts laughing and laughing and clapping his hands together like there is no tomorrow.

The family stopped and we had a brief conversation and all the while this youngster (found out he was 2 years old) kept laughing his eyes out. About 10 minutes later the family starts to leave and the wife turns to me and says "we wanted a hippie van like this one , but we ended up buying a newer Toyota van and now the electric side door wont open".....

The hippie van comment was OK but the sight and sounds that that 2 year old kid laughing and clapping really made my day.

[SloFloSyncro]

A couple of months ago I was traveling home from work on I-15 when the passenger of a sedan was flailing her hands wildly while trying to say something to me. I of course didn't know what was wrong with the van (I changed my fuel lines afterall), so looked around to see if anything was flying off or on fire, but all systems seemed normal, that's when I turned back to see what she was saying, and it was "I want to buy your van!", so had to laugh at myself, then gave her the thumbs up while mouthing the words 'i just can't'.

[joetiger]

I was in a particularly crappy mood this morning.

After parking the Vanagon in a pay lot and starting my walk to the office, a guy walked up and said, "hey, man, I see your van down here all the time and I think it's the coolest, most unique ride...I love it. I would love to take off in one of these and live in it!"

Once I established that he was being genuine (there can be doubts in downtown Denver at 5:45 in the morning) I thanked him and said yeah, it's a labor of love, then went on my way in a much better mood!
_________________
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