I did 3000 miles in one week in my now defunct, by garage fire, '67
Squareback.  Was I crazy?  I did a one-way 2100 mile trip loaded with stuff
in my '85 Westy, 144 K miles at that time.  This past summer I logged almost
4000 miles driving around Michigan, Canada, North Carolina.  Oh yeah, I went
to Florida shortly before that.  I had since logged nearly 3000 more miles
in varied weather with winter camping.  It's not crazy at all.  Generally,
highway driving is much less demanding on a vehicle than stop-and-go city
madness.

I guess it helped to know exactly in what kind of condition my engine and
the rest of the Vanagon was.  I still do.  I do all the work myself.  Peace
of mind without a false sense of security.  Plus I carry a full set of tools
:-).

Chris,

'85 Westy, 157K+miles.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Bob Whitby" <rpwhitby@MINDSPRING.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, April 03, 2002 9:49 PM
Subject: Am I crazy?

Delurking here to get a bit of advice. I am considering the purchase of a
1987 Westy, A/C auto. The body is in very nice shape, interior is squeaky
clean. Original engine. 155,000 miles. Some head work done, I'm not exactly
sure what. And now the question:
Am I crazy to be buying this thing with the expectation that it will take
me, the wife, and two kids on a 8,000-mile plus tour of the east coast and
Canada? I've owned many VWs in the past, but never a WBX. I am mechanically
inclined, as all VW owners either are or will be at some point. I don't mind
doing the work, in fact I enjoy it. However I'm too old to see much romance
in being stuck by the side of the road, wife cursing and kids screaming,
while the Westy boils over. I know a lot depends on condition and prior
maintenance blah blah blah. Just tell me if indeed a trip like this is some
kind of flashback and I should get a F*rd, or indeed if this is still doable
in this day and age.
With much anxiety over joining the WBX crowd,
Bob W