Matt, as several have already said, you will see the bad here as a few
are troubleshooting their problems.  But reading between the lines you
will also see many references to long, trouble free trips. I've put
quite a few miles on my Westies (first '85, now '90) and never been
left at the side of the road.  But I have had good, qualified
mechanics take care of my vehicles.  For peace of mind carry a AAA
Plus card and the Bentley manual and bookmark the Vanagon Rescue
Squad, the AIRS list, and the list of good mechanics at roadhaus.com. 
BTW, the Bently may not be for you but for the mechanic in Widespot
Nowhere that might have to work on your Vanagon.