I think this price list is not really a rip off as it is a brush off.  Most
dealers that I have dealt with hate to see Vanagons come in.  The mechanics
are working by shop time and get good at doing jobs on Jettas and Golfs so
they can do the jobs quicker than shop time and make good money.  When they
see a Vanagon come in, they see a car they rarely work on, something that
they are going to lose time on (lose money), and also a car that, since they
aren't familiar with it, may come back several times as they try to diagnose
a problem/fix something.

One of the strategies they like to use to get rid of unwanted customers is to
make the work so expensive that they will either make a bunch of money off of
you, or it will force you to go somewhere else.

This is why I started my business.  I heard all of the horror stories of
spending $2000-3000 just for head gasket replacements.  People were forced to
go to the dealer around here because there was no other place to go.  Now
they have a choice and I make money doing something I like.  Everybody wins.
:)

Ken Wilford
http://www.vanagain.com
John 3:16
Office (856)-765-1583
Shop (856)-327-0027
Fax   (856)-327-2242