On Aug 23, 2004, at 3:36 PM, Joy Hecht wrote:
> Hi Tobin,
>
Hiya!

> For sure, camping in the rain sucks.
>
> But then I'm the one whose laptop got wet in a rainstorm when water
> came
> gushing in the edge of the poptop, and I had to get a new computer!
> So hmm,
> which leaks more, the tent or the poptop?  :-)

Hmmm... Never had a pop-top leak on me--and I live in a rainforest!  I
think you really drew a short straw there.

> I kind of think the hassle of setting up a tent about balances out the
> ability to leave a campsite in my car for the day without having to
> pack it
> all up, if I'm returning to the same place that night.

I've never needed more than 15 minutes or so to get ready to go.  I
leave a table and stuff to "mark" my site if I want to go and come back
to my site.

> And I have just
> found that if I want I can borrow a big tent - big enough to almost
> stand up
> in and to put in a little table and chair so I can sit at my computer
> and
> work properly and not be really crowded.  Which would be nice.

Sounds cool.  I've often thought a "room" type tent would be a useful
addition for my vanagon camping gear, but only for those trips in which
we settle into a place for a couple of days or more.
>
> So it's possible that in terms of amenities for me the van and the
> camping
> might kind of balance out.

I wouldn't look at it like as either/or...

> ...And I would definitely like to know lots more about how to fix my
> van, even
> while I recognize that the time it would take to become a good
> mechanic is
> likely to be more than I'm willing to give it.  Especially as I don't
> have
> anyone to apprentice myself to.  I don't really know anyone (present
> company
> excepted) who works on cars or knows vanagons.

> In a way I almost don't mind
> the cost of the repairs - it's a reasonable tradeoff for having my
> time to
> do other things

Nothing wrong with buying leisure time.  That's why we have such an
integrated economy!

>
> Any good mechanics out there who want a hanger-on for a month or two
> who
> wants to learn to fix stuff?  Intelligent articulate adult, writes
> well,
> generally clever, but no mechanical knowledge, available as mechanical
> assistant in return for education about Vanagon repairs.

Charlie Ford did something like that on his big traveling tour.  I
recall he hooked up with a pro mechanic in Seattle for a few months.
He didn't know much of anything when he started, and learned first-hand
starting from zero.  he was pretty comfortable with mechanical things
by the time he came up and stayed with us for a little bit.  He started
sweeping floors and doing the odd oil change and progressed to getting
in and helping with engine rebuilds.  I don't think he asked for much
in exchange except the opportunity to learn.  He had a great time, and
found the whole thing to be a great expanding confidence-building
exercise.  If you search the Vanagon list archives for "Charlie Ford"
you'll find his posts about his travels.  It'll be in there somewhere.

T.