Poll: Long drive, did you make it? 1,000+ miles

[zeekiel]

I don't want to hear your whole story ...Just did you make it without repairs, if not, what repairs? how far did you drive, your route, what year is your van and what motor.

1. 85' westy GL 1.9l
2. Denver - San Diego aprx: 2,000mi round trip
3. No repairs, what what???


^ this is fake data, but i will be taking my 85' westy on this trip in a few weeks and i hope those are the results . I've done the drive 15x in my other car. looking to see the odds of making it

[binger59]

2008

1. 84 westy 1.9L
2. Oswego NY - crater lake or- Disneyland-Vegas-Oswego ny
3. Tranny died in OR. Made it to san rafael for new tranny no other issues 7000 +- miles
_________________
Binger

1984 Westy
1986 7 Pass R.I.P. Donor van
2019 Jetta
2014 Passat
2019 Atlas
2006 Passat R.I.P.
1998 Jetta R.I.P.
1984 Vanagon R.I.P.

[foodeater]

I drove from NYC to Detroit and back about 10-12 times in a two year span, about 630 miles each way. I had a wire came off the alternator, the voltage regulator went bad (had a spare in the van), the exhaust cracked twice (it got LOUD), fuel pump failed (I had a spare in the van), starter got weird and wouldnt start van until it sat for about an hour. Not all on the same trip. Nothing that stopped me from getting where I was going, for more than a few hours.

'84 westy
Tiico conversoin.
_________________
89 Bluestar-2.5 Subaru Powered-RIP
'84 Westy Tiico-daily driver-sold
'82 Caddy diesel-sold
'87 Vanagon Syncro-RIP
'81 diesel rabbit-sold
'82 Vanagon auto-RIP

[Mike Robinson]

Vancouver Island to Ojai California and back

5,000km

Just diesel and oil.

Mike
'82 westy diesel AAZ

[photogdave]

2004:
82 Westy w/ I4 conversion
Vancouver to Coachella Valley round trip 3K+ miles
Experienced low oil pressure on return trip and limped home
Main shaft damaged, had new block installed

2005:
Same Van
Vancouver to San Fran return 2500 miles approx
Replaced ignition switch

2010:
Same Van
Vancouver to Edmonton AB return 1500+ miles
No problems at all

2012
Same Van
New owner drove from Vancouver to Toronto, Ont 2500+ miles
No problems

2011
89 Syncro Westy
Vancouver to Napa Ca return 2K+
Coolant leak from rear heater

2011
89 Syncro Westy
Vancouver to Moab Utah return approx 3K miles
Coolant hose separated from rad hose
_________________
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!

[joseph928]

Flagstaff to Denver twice 1,600 miles each time . First time no problems second time new fuel filter. That ant bad! About to do it again. OK and a 600 mile trip to Moab , Moab hard on parts, but the trip there and back all went OK.
_________________
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.

[86 Westy]

Now I'm a bit worried. I'm leaving for 1,700 mile one way trip from Calgary to the Soo on Friday and back in 3 weeks Did a 450 mile "test drive" trip near to near Canal Flats and back including rough muddy dirt road last weekend with no problems. Van is new to me and I just got it running well. I'll let you know how it goes!

[childofthewind]

Van: 1987.5 wolfsburg; 2.1 L

Route: Oregon to Cape Cod, Massachusetts to the Southwest (Utah/AZ/SoCal) back up to Oregon

When: last spring/fall

mileage: 10k+

Repairs needed: alternator (didn't leave me stranded but the whine was driving me crazy so I dealt with it prematurely in Flagstaff); I needed control arms/ball joints (one tire was disappearing at a frightening rate). Had this work done at Folk's Cafe, Santa Cruz.


This year I drove from Oregon to Cape Cod (roughly 3,500 miles plus sidetrips) and needed no repairs although at some point my gas gauge stopped working which was a pain as my odometer also doesn't work. Then three states later it started working again. It's acting up again...

I would like to shout out a kudos to Halsey Automotive in PDX as I'd always take my van to them before these long trips for the pre-long trip check-ups.
_________________
1987.5 wolfsburg hardtop; 2.1

“As for me, I am tormented with an everlasting itch for things remote." - Melville

[BitterBeerFace]

1980 Westy, 2.0 manual

2011: Trip around Lake Superior 2000+ miles all-told. Odd nothing from starter issue, replaced starter rather than F with it and get stranded in BFE Canada somewhere... shop didn't put nut over alternator-> starter connection, had to fix that in a campground in Michigan

2012: MN to BBTB and back. 1300 miles? Not sure if a problem or not, but on the way back, oil light came on, it took 1.5 quarts of oil. (!)

2012 (August): 4 weeks to go from MN -> PDX -> Vancouver -> MN... TBD
_________________
1980 Full Camper, been in the family since it was brand new!
1989 Full Camper, great-great-aunt's since brand new!

[shadetreetim]

2011: 2600+ miles round trip and side trips. Riverside California to Oklahoma City and back pulling an 8ft tent trailer with the AC running. Interstates traveled; I-10, I-25, I-40, and I-35. Only problem was a failed fuel pump with our 89, 4SP, 2.1 WBXer.
_________________
Tim Potts

Doing my best every time I drive it to dispel the myth these Vanagons have to be slow!


'89 Vanagon Bluestar/Country Homes 1.8T & .77 4th
'74 Jeep CJ5

[Bman]

Taj: 1989 Wetsy
Tiico 2.0L inline 4
Coss Bay, OR (Mid-South Coast) to Lynnwood WA; RT 1,100 miles
May 2012
No problems

Same Van: Summer 2011:
Coos Bay, OR to Toledo, OH via Colorado; RT: ??
Overheating problems on long passess, slight coolant loss, top off; blown camper fuse killed radio and lights.

Same Van, Summer 2009:
Coos Bay, OR to New York, New York; RT: ?3-4K?
No problems

1984 Doka Transporter, 2.1L WBX:
Coos Bay, OR to Tonasket, WA RT: 1,250 miles
October 2011
100 miles into trip my fuel pump failed, R&R in Eugene and resumed trip.

I always carry a spare fuel pump now on long trips.
_________________
~Bryan
1990 Burgandy Tintop (Wife's Daily Driver)
1989 Tiico Westfalia "Taj"




2WD Doka build thread: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=503578&highlight=
FaceHook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/VW-T3-DokaSinka/129026087217120?ref=hl

[Dark Alley Dan]

'85 Weekender. Awesome van, but not without character...

2008: Edmonton to Los Osos return - c. 3000+ miles.
Engline was on its way out when we left. Drove the outbound leg on 3.5 cylinders. Split the bleeder hose 3 hours out - cut hose shorter, refilled w/distilled water. No other issues.

2010: Edmonton to Yellowstone, home via northern Wyoming, LBH, etc. - c. 2000 miles. Longest one-day leg was Bozeman to Edmonton. No issues.

2011: Edmonton to San Diego via Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon. 5000+ miles total. Van stuttered and cut out south of LV. Pulled over to let her rest for 5 minutes, back on the road, no harm done. Fuel tank leak manifested itself with vigour. Repaired at San Diego Westy by Peter, who kicks ass. Lowbeams died. Turns out both bulbs went simultaneously. No other issues.

2012 - Edmonton - Halifax. Projected distance c. 7K miles. I'll let you know how we do.
_________________
Dark Alley Dan
______________________
I blame rap music. For everything.

[stormforge]

1989 Syncro WBX

NY to Nova Scotia and back (2,000 mi?)
Water pump started leaking but held out to get us home

3 trips NY to PGH, PA (1,100 miles each)
No problems

Tour around Northern NY and Adirondacks (~800 mi)
No problems

Tour around NY and all of VT (~1,200 mi))
No problems

Van has only partially stranded me once -- transmission failed on short trip but was able to limp to shop in 2nd gear.

Recently rebuilt transmission and engine -- now I would take it anywhere with no hesitation.

[kamzcab86]

Van: 1990 Westy with A/T and original 2.1L

2010
Route: Phoenix, AZ to Durango, CO via El Morro, NM and back via Four Corners/Monument Valley
Mileage: ≈1500
Problems: Had to add a clamp to an oil cooler hose (leaking coolant).

Route: Phoenix, AZ to Park City, UT and back via the scenic route
Mileage: ≈1500
Problems: None (not counting the odometer breaking the day before I hit the road)

2011
Route: Phoenix, AZ to Hollister, CA and back via Yosemite/Kings Canyon/Death Valley
Mileage: ≈1800
Problems: Ran like crap the morning leaving Ridgecrest, CA (cleared up) and then when sitting at a signal in Las Vegas (attributed to bad gas); front brakes proved to be bad going into Death Valley. No roadside repairs required, however. Oh, and just remembered: the 3rd brake light fell off the hatch window.

Route: Phoenix, AZ to Palms Springs, CA and back via Joshua Tree and Alamo Lake
Mileage: ≈1000
Problems: Power steering leak presented itself going up the steep hill to the tram in Palm Springs (steam/smoke out of the right vent), but it wasn't bad enough to require roadside repair work.

2012
Route: Phoenix, AZ to Moab, UT and back via the Utah Nat'l Parks
Mileage: ≈1000
Problems: None

So far it's been a good little van!
_________________
~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

[reivertribe]

Van: 1985 GL Tin top (240,000+ odometer)
Loaded down with several hundred lbs of tools and luggage, two bikes on my rear rack.

Route: Port Townsend, WA - Austin, TX
Approx, 2,400 miles

When: December 2011

Issues: None ( only one hot start issue after stopping for a pee break)
Oh, and got profiled by a California Highway Patrol car, tailed for about 3 miles while he ran my plates, he took off and I waived goodbye.
_________________
1985 Vanagon GL 1.9L "the Colonel"

[Brad4]

We did three 8000+ mi cross country trips with the only problem was a noisy CV joint that we did replace on road
_________________
91 Vanaru westy
07 GTI Fahrenheit
14 GSR Beetle
66 single cab
64 Herbie Beetle

[WestyBob]

[ThorAlex]

2009 (i think )

1. 86 syncro doka 2.1 (DJ 112hp)
2. Steinkjer (Norway) to Roskilde festival (Denmark) and back, about 2500km
3. Starter solenoid wire fell off while gassing up somewhere in Sweden on the way down, had happened before and was an easy fix, exept filling a syncro tank makes it expand so i had to boor a female passengers hand to get in there and put it back on. Barely got to my (not so) local wrecker on my way home before i had to change the brand new steering linkage rubbr donuts, turns out the ones i bought as an OEM vanagon part were actually for a bug, i had about 2mm left before one spit completely in half Replaced with good OEM ones from a van at the wrecker.

Kinda on topic: at the festival i counted (from Norway) two more vanagons, one bay, one beautifully restored stock split and a cal look split bug.
_________________
1990 syncro 1.6TD "Smily"

Ex-vans:
1990 Caravelle coach 1.6TD
1986 Transporter Double cab syncro 2.1 112hp

"I'm wrong so often... It's great!" - Adam Savage

[bryguth]

2010 Summer Baja surf adventure, 2000mi+

1. 84 Westy
2. 2.3 GW motor/ with 2.1 cooling system
3. Crack in (new) plastic expansion coolant tank. (guess we hit to many baja potholes)?

[Ahwahnee]

Our longest was 24K over the course of a year. Had to replace the tires and the cat converter and bleed the clutch once, that was about it.

That was a few years back -- now we seldom cover more than 5K in one go.

Came home one time on the hook (okay, flatbed) when the head gaskets finally surrendered.