Did not mean to "diss" the van. Just needed support, someone to tell me that
is is okay to pour all that money into a hobby.
Received some great advice ranging from "do-it-yourself" to "don't drive
through deep water".
The Westy is my daily driver and we love it as a camper. I bought the van
not because it is a VW, but because it is a Westfalia and represents a cheap
way to travel and see this beautiful country. I admit, I am a German
expatriate, learned to drive on a 73 Super Beetle, owned a 62 Bug, a Passat,
69 Bus etc,90 Corrado.
In terms of reliability: I used to have a Hanomag Henschel minibus with a
240 Mercedes Diesel engine, turned it into a camper, and toured Europe in
it. The Hanomag was ancient, beat-up, and ugly. But you talk reliable. It
was a tank. Even front wheel drive.
Until I can find a European designed camper  here in the USA with the same
Westfalia technology, I am stuck with VW.
Don't flame me now. I love  Westfalia.
Cheers,
Hermann de Boer
Kansas City, Misery
(used to live in Norderney, Deutschland)
87 GL Westy Eurospec Conversion
270 000 miles