What's your van-plan for 2018?

[dhaavers]

WANT!!! Every pic Is beautiful. So much good...

- Dave

[childofthewind]

^ Thanks, Dave! Someone has to do it!
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1987.5 wolfsburg hardtop; 2.1

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

[AndyBees]

I want to head back north one more time. In the Yukon, we've been
up the Dempster Highway to the Arctic Circle a number of times and on up to Inuvik, NWT once.

I think the new road from Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk has been completed (about 200 miles north of Inuvik).
That's on my bucket list. (We'll not pull the camper up the Dempster, too rough and too far (tents).

So, after going over the Van from bumper to bumper, we'd like to hit the road by mid-June.
Estimated total miles, about 12,000 in about 35 days.

In haste, we hurriedly prepared a sign because we were not aware that the official sign was damaged (misspelled Arctic....LOL)

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'84 Vanagon Tin-top, ALH TDI. 1989 Tin-top
1983 Air-cool, 225k miles, 180k miles mine. Seven trips to Alaska from 1986 thru 2003.

[dobryan]

Andy,

Maybe we will cross paths as you go north. We leave June 22 from Denver.

I plan to finish the last part of the 2015 trip that was cut short when my son needed to return home. We will start out in Denver to pick up the bus from after Syncro Solstice then up to Tetons, Yellowstone, Glacier, Mt Rushmore, Badlands....home.

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Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD

"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson

MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620646

Building a bus for travel in Europe (euroBus)
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371

The Western Syncro build
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746794

[TeamSpatula]

[pomfritz]

Hopefully a two week trip down the Baja coast.

Recaros
Replace blue foil
Install TDI starter
Ping GPS, when it finally arrives
Spice rack LEDs
Recover rear seat
Burley rear discs
Mud flaps

Been using it as a daily driver lately. So glad I got the mechanicals done over the past 2-3 years. Be tough having it down for too long.
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83.5 233K. GW 2.3, SS exhaust, My German Frau named her Stefi

[The Gockleys]

First time poster, longtime reader.

1. Have my mechanic add the GoWesty EFI to the new GoWesty 2300cc engine, which has been fantastic! PO tore off old EFI in the 80’s and added dual carbs, but ... new EFI is going to be awesome!
2. Finish the dashboard lighting stuff (tore out the whole harness two years ago and replaced, plus added the GW circuit board instead of blue foil, but never finished hooking up heater control lights,
3. Add other dash console stuff like new speedometer clip and new replacement tabs for the broken instrument cluster ones.
4. LED light bulbs all around the outside...can’t see much when backing up in the dark, but hope to soon!
5. Finish reupholstery work (armrests and engine ps panel).
6. Ohio camping loop in June...Vermont camping loop in July.

Having a great time with this camper, which is my daily driver.

[elizer]

Gockley those leather seats are nice and properly worn. I use mink oil on my harley seat and leather jacket them from hardening and cracking.

Update to my 2018 Progress

Done:
1. Eurovan seats are in and covered in sewfine.
2. Vanistan louver window only went in on the driver side (passenger side had a shorter opening). Chris (tencentlife) was great during the process and in the end we just couldn't get it to work. Keep this in mind and let him know when you order.

Still todo:
1. Vanagonlife console is on hold until I get my aux set up planned out so I can wire through it.
2. Bombay struts in progress getting some backing plates made up for the yakima arg. REI is having a 20% on all thule/yakima items right now so if you guys are looking into boxes now is a good time.
3. Changed plans from SA grill to older single round grill.
4. I put in my downpayment and have a fall slot for the FAS genv diesel install and got brand new RP, gt 3rd gear, gt 4th gear straight cut, mainshaft 1st/2nd , and 3/4 slider hub for the rebuild. Front locker retrofit kit. Sport VC and decoupler.

[jimf909]

[AndyBees]

Well, our "Van-plan for 2018" did not materialize. Long story that I'll try to make short.

As we all try to do, I went over the Van from bumper to bumper as time permitted from mid-May until we departed in early July. There were lots of things affecting preparation for the road trip that I'll not get into here.

Anyway, unlike me, we headed out about July 7th or 8th with virtually no solid plan........ just heading north to Canada to eventually reach the Yukon and Alaska.

On the third day as we were leaving North Dakota heading into Canada, I noticed the clutch was taking much farther down. Pumping it seemed to help a bit. We had reservations at Campland north of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. At the campground (which has a no working on vehicles rule), I come to the conclusion that the clutch hydraulic system had air in it. Next morning we drove down the road and found a spot to add brake fluid and bleed the slave. After numerous attempts to bled the slave, I gave up. Seems it (slave) was sucking air on the rebound. I knew that the slave was damp before leaving home but just assumed at worst, I'd have to add some fluid..... big mistake.

So, I drove into Saskatoon to the VW dealer. They did not want to work on it. A guy there directed me to a guru. That was Friday morning. The guru ordered a new slave and had it fixed by Monday afternoon. Since we had lost a lot of time getting started and had another 4 day delay, on the toss of a coin, we headed back home via the Badlands and then cross country. And, on the way, the clutch face on the AC Compressor come off. Strangely, I there was an old unit in my parts box, wow!

Well, I told you all that to get you to the big one. About six weeks after getting back home and very few miles on the Van during that time, the Power Steering Rack began leaking profusely without warning.

We would have been in a heap of trouble if we had continued on.

So, hoping to do something in 2019, but nothing major as we have plans to take-in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island as well as the northeast coast of the USA with some friends (no VWs) ... sort of a promise we made a few years ago.

Happy trails in 2019..
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'84 Vanagon Tin-top, ALH TDI. 1989 Tin-top
1983 Air-cool, 225k miles, 180k miles mine. Seven trips to Alaska from 1986 thru 2003.

[Zeitgeist 13]

[shagginwagon83]

[mikemtnbike]

[joetiger]

[AZ Landshaper]

Not a resolution, just some goals.

Im planning to
1. over haul the front suspension w all new bushings. Did and loved it.
2. brake job (pedal pulsates when slowing from high speeds) Nope
3. get a 2" trailer hitch mounted to carry mine and my families bikes. Nope
4. reupholster rear seats and bed cushions to match front seats Nope
5. all camping equip working w fridge out and shelving in place. Nope
This is actually a pretty easy list considering the goals Ive set in past years.
Id like to get all this done by July and If I do....Well then I can enjoy the van for the second 6 mos and just deal w the surprises.

Sold the van and moved into an 85 weekender with power steering and factory ac and arm rests that someone else already had reupholstered from front to rear. Swapped in an ej22 and some 16" rims. . Already miss the turning chairs and stove-top. Working on the 2" receiver this month.
I think I made progress.
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Support Small Business.

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85 Weekender w/ EJ22
Previously
64, 71, 72, 73, 76, 81, 84, 85 & 87 Campmobiles and Westfalias
and a 67 bug.