Hey Tom -
How do you like traveling with three kids (and the wife :) in a Westy.
My wife and I have a 91 Carat we bought last year that we love and I have
been salivating over the idea of getting a Westy but was concerned about a
lack of space (especially seating for traveling) with the kids.

My kids are 7,6 and 3 (so in VA that's a seatbelt, a booster, and a car seat
by law)

Any others traveling with a brood...your comments are welcome.

Thanx
Joe

ps Thanx for the pictures, got me even more worked up over the idea of a
Westy my best to your family

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tom Rowsell" <nfld_exile@WARP.NFLD.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Friday, June 06, 2003 11:33 AM
Subject: Re: Side Tent on EBay/personal experience

> Since it's Friday, I'll weigh in  :)
> My wife and I can get a full erection from that Bus Depot tent in question
in about 10 minutes or so :)
> Yes, the seams were sewn a bit cheaply, and we had to re-sew/strengthen it
in a few spots.
> Yes, it's important to stake it out securely, especially in windy
conditions.
> Yes, it's a pain to roll back up, especially if you want to put it back in
the bag that it came in.
>
> If I recall Ron's announcement of this tent to the list, he claimed that
it was suitable for someone looking for a cheaper alternative to the big
guns, and for someone who was only going to use it a few trips a season etc.
That info struck a chord with me, and I don't regret buying one from Bus
Depot for $199 U.S.
> You get what you pay for...
> Here's mine in action:
>
> http://home.tomrowsell.com/aug2002
>
>
> Tom
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> >Subject: Re: Side Tent on EBay/personal experience
> >   From: Fredrich Hesterberg <FredsVW@WEBTV.NET>
> >   Date: Fri, 6 Jun 2003 08:39:46 -0500
> >     To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> >
> >Funny thing is people think  old style Campmobile tent is overpriced.
> >It is heavy duty, sounds easier to put it up than this item, and holds
> >it's value good.
> >It does not take an hour to put up, I know that, and doesn't blow away
> >in wind.
> >Why buy cheap ?
> >Get cheap,and aggravated.
> >
> >Good Morning,
> >
> >Fred
> >
> >
> >Hey all-
> >Well, I really hate to admit this but... I was one of the suckers that
> >bought one of these tents. I contacted the guy after the auction was
> >over and asked him if he would negotiate his price. (But of course he
> >would!!) So
> >he sold it to me for $300 plus shipping. I suppose my judgement was
> >clouded
> >with dilusions of grandeur, but having just sold my beloved Westy I was
> >a little weak. I thought this would be the perfect solution to camping
> >in my
> >Carat with 2 basset hounds.
> >WRONG!
> >This tent has been a bit of a disappointment (for $300, anyway.) First
> >of all, it is not very well made. Secondly, it takes like an hour to
> >assemble the thing by yourself. It's just all over the place, and really
> >clumsy. If my neighbors were watching me try to put it up, they probably
> >got a good laugh! The seams tear very easily if your not super careful.
> >It's probably a
> >good concept if you are going to be somewhere for two weeks, but if
> >you're just going for a couple nights, it is a large PITA to put up.
> >Once it's up you have to secure six or eight points or it will blow
> >over. Very hard to re-pack.
> >I don't know what I was thinking, but I really don't see us getting alot
> >of
> >use out of this thing. I don't mean to dis a product that Ron carries,
> >but I
> >just have to pass on my $.02.
> >ch-chinggggg
> >Scott
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "The Bus Depot" <vanagon@BUSDEPOT.COM>
> >To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> >Sent: Thursday, June 05, 2003 7:52 PM
> >Subject: Re: Side Tent on EBay
> >There's a "brand new" side tent up on E-bay, no bids yet and the buy it
> >now price is $350
> >it looks identical to this one: http://199.217.241.240/tent.JPG that
> >Ron sells at
> >the Bus Depot for $199.99 --- presumably also "Brand New". No wonder
> >there are no bids ---- (and no wonder I don't think much of ebay).
> >Pretty funny. Yes, it's the same tent I sell, but for almost twice my
> >price. Lots of questionable stuff in his listing, too. For example, he
> >claims to have bought two but only needed one, so it's "brand new -
> >except that he assembled it to take the pictures." Why, if he already
> >has another one just like it that he is using, did he have to open up
> >and assemble this "brand new" one to take pictures of it? Also he claims
> >it fit Eurovans, which it does not without a drip rail adapter.
> >You're right about ebay. Buyer beware. There are good deals there
> >sometimes, but also plenty of ripoffs. I often see parts there selling
> >for more (sometimes much more) there than I and other retailers sell
> >them for everyday (and without the safety net of dealing with an
> >established business) . Used parts are a mixed bag - sometimes cheap,
> >other times more than a new one would have cost! The problem is, of
> >course, that some people go nuts bidding. I once put a CD burner on Ebay
> >privately and mentioned right in the description that it sold for $100
> >brand new. Would you believe it bid up to $125? Good thing there's no IQ
> >test required to get an Ebay user account. :-)
> >- Ron Salmon
> >  The Bus Depot, Inc.
> >  www.busdepot.com
> >      (215) 234-VWVW
> >_____________________________________________
> >Toll-Free for Orders by PART # : 1-866-BUS-DEPOT
> >
> >
> >Fred