Brien,

When I bought my first Westy three years ago, I too
was a bit intimidated by the enormity of my
undertaking -- figuring out how to properly use all
the camping fixtures, my first diesel engine, and just
getting a 20-year old vehicle up to snuff for the kind
of traveling I hoped to do.

Start by attending to all the obvious faults, which
typically make themselves apparent by means of loud
noises, leaking bodily fluids, smoke and flame, etc..
Once you've quelled such immediate mechanical
uprisings, start working on the more routine
maintenance items. Somewhere near the front of the
Haynes and the back of the Bentley manuals you will
find recommended maintenance intervals. Combine these
two lists into one, erring on the side of shorter
intervals, add items learned from listmembers here and
other Vanagon owners, then get cracking.

You'll probably find such maintenance occurring at
intervals of 3, 6, and 9K , with some progressively
more involved jobs at 60 and 90K. If you suspect the
POs neglected such maintenance, you may want to take a
proactive approach and start working forward (or a
retroactive approach and start working backward,
depending on your perspective). I have found this way
to be very helpful in ramping up my familiarity with
the Vanagon, while gradually improving the mechanical
soundness of it.

But Vanorak is right: make the Haynes and Bentley
manuals your preferred summer beach reading, carry
them onboard during trips, and then just get out there
on the road.

Jeffrey Earl
1983 diesel Westfalia "Vanasazi"

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