>Can I take this thing across the country without worrying about breaking
>down or not? I love my van but I need to know will I always love it as a
>hobby or can it be a reliable traveler?

Can you take it across the country? Absolutely!
Without worrying? Depends on you --- you can go the intensive preventive
maintenance
route or you can load your van with tools and spare parts. Both of these
options have their devotees
on this list. I took my '84 Westy from Toronto to Vancounver Island and
back (5600 miles round trip) a month
after buying it --- trusting to the gods. It behaved beautifully --- except
for needing a new fuel pump
in the middle of the mountains. We stayed at a motel that night -- I was
feeling a bit betrayed by my
'new' Westy. I got talking with a guy a couple of rooms down --- he was
broken down for exactly the
same reason, a new fuel pump, in his brand new Ford Minivan. I felt
somewhat better.

These babies are made for the road --- and the high number of miles on
these old vehicles bears this
out. Do as much as you can, preventative maintenance-wise, before you hit
the road --- but don't hesitate
to hit the road. Your Westy is a wonderful vehicle to travel in --- don't
deprive yourself of the
experience.

Cheers,
Doug
'84 Westy
Toronto, Canada
.