| Subject: | A BIGGER Vanagon, sortof? |
| From: | Ron Semko |
| Date: | Sun, 25 Nov 2001 23:18:58 -0500 |
<html><div style='background-color:'><DIV> <P>Go to:</P> <P><A href="http://www.lazydays.com">www.lazydays.com</A></P> <P>then "inventory", and put in: "new", "Winnebego", and "Vista" to see the "new" class "C" Winnebego on a Eurovan chassis.</P> <P>We (yes I have changed from Bates Rv to Lazy Days, Dennis. recently Bates gave up the Beaver Safari and National lines to Lazy days, and well they made me a pretty good offer, and lets face it they are the largest in the "world", employee owned, and a great place to work, for many reasons). have about three of these in stock currently. I recently inspected one of them and it looks good. The fit and finish is there. I took the first one we got out for a spin, and with the new 201 hp VW engine, it performs quite well.</P> <P>Granted not as big or comfortable as a Trap-i-Cal, but I believe there is a good market for this size RV.</P> <P>Ron Semko</P> <P>Orlando, Florida</P> <P>rsemko@lazydays.com<BR><BR></P></DIV> <DIV></DIV> <DIV></DIV>>From: Dennis Haynes <DHAYNES@OPTONLINE.NET> <DIV></DIV>>Reply-To: Dennis Haynes <DHAYNES@OPTONLINE.NET> <DIV></DIV>>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM <DIV></DIV>>Subject: Re: Vanagon versus Lazy Daze motor home <DIV></DIV>>Date: Sun, 25 Nov 2001 01:40:45 -0500 <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>>Let me start off by saying that I own both an 87 Syncro Westy and a 1999 <DIV></DIV>>33.5 foot Tropi-Cal motor home (With Slide-out). If the VW is so great, <DIV></DIV>>than why do so many Listees want to add more power, toilets, heat, AC <DIV></DIV>>etc.? Because they want the comforts of the real RV without the costs. <DIV></DIV>>Everything is a compromise. As for the awfull fuel economy, yours had a <DIV></DIV>>problem or you drove very fast and up a lot of hills. My first motorhome <DIV></DIV>>was a 1992 Tioga. Class C, 27 foot, 12,500 lbs loaded. At 55 mph I could <DIV></DIV>>get almost 10 mpg. At the 65 to 70 I usually traveled, I got 7.5. This <DIV></DIV>>was with the Ford 460 and 4 speed overdrive transmission. The coach I <DIV></DIV>>have now weighs 16,300 lbs. empty. With the Ford Triton V-10, I get 8.5 <DIV></DIV>>mpg traveling 65 to 70 mph. Maximum wieght is 20,500 pounds. I usually <DIV></DIV>>wiegh around 19,500 fully loaded which includes 75 gallons gas, 75 <DIV></DIV>>gallons water. I lose about 1 mpg when towing the Syncro Westy. In four <DIV></DIV>>years, I have put about 60,000 miles on the two RV's. At least this is <DIV></DIV>>60,000 miles less for the Syncro Camper which now has 185,000 miles on <DIV></DIV>>it, (original heads and gaskets). By the way, at best, the Westy gives <DIV></DIV>>me 17 mpg at those speeds. 70 to 75 mph with the AC on doing the NY to <DIV></DIV>>Florida runs puts me down to 14 or 15. Especially with luggage carriers <DIV></DIV>>on the roof and mounted to the hitch. <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>>Anyway, I do agree with many of your comments about the Vanagon. <DIV></DIV>>However, there are times when we need more room or more equipment. The <DIV></DIV>>Westy is somewhat limited to fair weather and really only two adults. <DIV></DIV>>The four of us need more space. Sometimes we travel with more. I really <DIV></DIV>>wish VW would accomadate us with something a bit larger so we could keep <DIV></DIV>>on Bussin' <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>>Dennis <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>>-----Original Message----- <DIV></DIV>>From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf <DIV></DIV>>Of developtrust <DIV></DIV>>Sent: Saturday, November 24, 2001 7:54 PM <DIV></DIV>>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM <DIV></DIV>>Subject: Vanagon versus Lazy Daze motor home <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>>I thought I would share this with the group. <DIV></DIV>><mailto:jimmary@softcom.net> jimmary@softcom.net asked me this question <DIV></DIV>>in a recent private mail when he found out I had a Lazy Daze and sold it <DIV></DIV>>now owning a Vanagon. "You had a Lazy Daze and now a Vanagon - how come <DIV></DIV>>the switch.? LD is considered the Rolls of motorhomes." <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>>My answer is this: First if you are considering buying a larger motor <DIV></DIV>>home don't do it unless your ego is really there and you want to live in <DIV></DIV>>it for extended periods of time. <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>>How many large campers, or seagoing boats or lake pleasure boats have <DIV></DIV>>you seen sitting in driveways? How many truck camper shells have you <DIV></DIV>>seen sitting there also using up that driveway space? Or how many people <DIV></DIV>>have had to cut a special gate into their back yards to store the large <DIV></DIV>>camper or boat? <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>>The Lazy Daze gas mileage alone (and most small Campers too) was only 5 <DIV></DIV>>to 7 MPG. And my Lazy Daze was only 22 feet long. (Many get only 3 MPG.) <DIV></DIV>>It was not practical as an every day transportation vehicle, or for <DIV></DIV>>grocery shopping and such. Great for camping (about once or twice a <DIV></DIV>>year) but that is about it. The Lazy Daze is like a large boat. You take <DIV></DIV>>it out a few a year to justify owning it (except at first when it is a <DIV></DIV>>new toy) or use it as a guest room then it sits in the driveway and <DIV></DIV>>depreciates. <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>>Sure you have a full bathroom and shower, but my Vanagon has a <DIV></DIV>>port-a-potty and a shower bag I can hang from the roof when I am not at <DIV></DIV>>a campground. <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>>Large home owners may look down on the Vanagon Camper but I assure <DIV></DIV>>everyone we have a way superior vehicle. Way, way superior. The Vanagon, <DIV></DIV>>gets good mileage, is versatile, can go almost anywhere, functions as an <DIV></DIV>>office, a kitchen, a dining room, a bedroom, a living room, a cargo <DIV></DIV>>vehicle, and you can get up and go at the drop of the hat. And it <DIV></DIV>>encourages you to enjoy the outdoors and fresh air, picnics and such <DIV></DIV>>instead of being in the motorhome watching TV and using the microwave. <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>>The large motor home is a real chore to get going, can not maneuver <DIV></DIV>>well, needs special handling skill, is a gas guzzler, hard to park, <DIV></DIV>>needs special parts, blocks traffic, is slow uphill, irritates drivers <DIV></DIV>>behind it, and on and on. AND worst of all it sits in your driveway most <DIV></DIV>>of the time baking in the sun. <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>>And here is the real kicker. My Vanagon on the resale market is worth <DIV></DIV>>TWICE what the Lazy Daze could get today. <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>>How do you like those apples? <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>>William <DIV></DIV></mailto:jimmary@softcom.net></div><br clear=all><hr>Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at <a href='http://go.msn.com/bql/hmtag_itl_EN.asp'>http://explorer.msn.com</a><br></html>
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