We got back last night from our trip to Seattle (Vashon Island) for a
wedding this weekend.  It was a good trip, with no major hiccups.  I
want to thank the people on both the Vanagon List and Wet Westies list
for their help and offers of places to stay.  You people rule!

Our only hiccup was a melting down of the H/L switch after the first
night (Calgary to Radium B.C.).  Running for 4 hours with mostly high
beams on melted the switch a little (and I'm only running stock wattages
- anyone who thinks they can pull more through this switch is
delusional).  I popped the switch apart in the morning (the hint the
switch melted was you couldn't move the switch in the a.m.  shut off
fine at night, but the plastic cooled overnight).  So pop the back off
the switch and out fly 6 little springs, two bigger springs, a ball
bearing and 3 contacts.  I got the plastic chipped out and put back
together (without the ball bearing which gives you your "on/running/off"
clicks).

Another minor hiccup is the high idle (Temp II) that has been going at
1800 rpm here, went up to more like 2800 rpm in the warmer, wetter,
denser air of Seattle.  Time to get on that.

I took some noise measurements along the way, using a borrowed sound
meter.  "quiet" highway driving (i.e. not pushing a big wind, 50 mph or
so) gave us between 84 and 88 dB.  "noisy" highway driving (i.e. pushing
a big wind, 70 or 75 mph) gave us 90 to 94 dB.  Both times radio on
(checked with radio off, but it doesn't do much) fan on #1, sound level
meter held at about head (sitting) height, between the two front seats.
Since the onset of hearing damage is 85 dB (i.e. 8 hours a day at 85 dB
will eventually cause hearing damage), I will post results as my
soundproofing adventures continue.  Going to add sound deadening
material, and replace seals.

The new "Randy Bergum style" Ecode lights were a huge help (had to stop
a couple of times and fine tune the aiming).  I would have been dead in
the water without those.  Our Coleman Black Cat and AIM Safety CO
detector kept us warm and alive (although we only needed it the first
night in Radium B.C. - Seattle was warm enough that I was cooking under
the blankets without it).  Newly installed Archie McPhee hula girl kept
us amused.  Even stocked up at the Levi's store in Post Falls - 3 pairs
of pants and 4 shirts for $105.  Not bad, even in lousy Cdn money.

Best tank of gas gave us 19.5 mpg US, 23.4 mpg UK, 12.08 l / 100 km
(Between Kimberley B.C. and Sprague WA - mostly slower winding roads,
not much 75 mph cruising).  Worst was 16.4 mpg US (which included up and
over Snoqualmie Pass).  Total trip distance was 2416 km (1501 miles).
Average fuel economy for trip was 17.7 mpg US.  Engine didn't use much
oil (half a litre) and pulled good, even up Snoqualmie Pass.  Right on!

Again, I cannot emphasize enough how appreciated the travel tips,
traffic tips and "here's my phone # just in case" messages from both
lists were.  My hat's off to you all.  You all have a place to stay in
Calgary if you need!

Keith Adams
Calgary, Alberta, Canada (apparently 750 miles from Vashon Island!)
1986 Vanagon GL Westfalia "Roxy"