OK, here's a happy story for you Adam:

I bought my 1985 Westie in 2001, specifically for a cross-country trip (NYC
area to the Pacific and back). Picked it up in June, drove it home without
any problems (a 3-hour trip). My departure was scheduled for mid-September,
and I wanted to have time to get familiar with the beast before going solo
on the road. I can't recommend this step enough, you need to use the van as
a daily driver for a while to work out the kinks before hitting the open road!

I bought the Bentley manual, and spent the next few months refreshing my
long-dormant skills as a shade-tree mechanic, and getting to know my van. I
replaced all the cooling hoses and belts, and replaced/repaired a couple of
other items that cropped up (alternator died, a corroded wire splice added
by a PO gave me a "no start" problem that led to a couple of days of
troubleshooting and a harness bypass). I had the brakes checked out by a
local mechanic, since the e-brake handle was not engaging, and I didn't
(yet) want to trust to just my skills on that critical system (I've gained
much skill and courage since :-).

I departed on schedule in September, and toured this wonderful continent
for the next six weeks. Saw some amazing sites, got (for the first time) a
sense of just how much *empty* there is between everything in the US and
Canada once you leave the east coast.

I had one breakdown on the road (the FLAPS alternator I put in before
leaving only lasted until Wyoming), but was able to nurse the van into a
town by connecting the camper battery and main battery directly together
with jumper cables, and shutting down all non-essential systems (heater
fan, radio, lights, wipers... it was snowing just slightly). I was able to
get a Bosch remanufactured alternator locally, and was back on the road.

That was it. Six weeks, 10,000 miles, one small repair. I'm sure I got
lucky, lots of common stuff had already been fixed on the Westie I bought,
and lots of stuff has needed attention since the big trip (any of which
*could* have gone wrong out in the back of beyond).

So... the long and short of it is, that westie ownership has been a great
experience for me. I've been camping out lots more since I bought it, I've
met lots of great fellow-addictees. I've also improved my repertoire of
mechanical skills, since I've had my share of breakdowns and
road-trips-turned-flatbed-rides (OK, only two, but still :-).

I guess my bottom line advice is, enjoy it, but accept the fact that a
westie is *two* hobbies... something to take great road trips in, and
something to work on between trips. Mine is twenty years old now, and I
wouldn't recommend *any* 20-year old vehicle to anyone who wasn't willing
and able to do a lot of their own mechanical work. Anything that old *will*
break from time to time,  there's no magic to protect Westies from the law
of entropy. If you are paying someone for every repair, it can quickly
become a huge drain.

On the other hand, if you like the idea of maintaining a 20 (or 30, or 40)
year old vehicle, I wouldn't recommend anything *but* a westie. If spending
your time getting greasy, breaking loose seriously rusty bolts, and
tracking down hard-to-find parts is something you enjoy (apparently I do
:-) there is *no* other vehicle that can give *back* as much for your
effort as a VW camper.

Every time I hit the road, I know that something may go wrong. I carry
tools in my van and knowledge in my head. I also carry a AAA card and a
cell phone.

At 06:55 AM 5/24/2005 -0400, Adam Thacker wrote:
>I have wanted one of these van's for years and looked around for 2 months to
>get one in good condition in my price range (87westy) I would love to take
>this thing across country but now after reading this list I am unsure if it
>will make it without me crossing my fingers the whole time. Am I hearing the
>worst of the worst? I am reading a lot of problems with these van's now and
>I am nervous I don't know if I can take this thing out of the city or trust
>it on a long trip. Engines blowing, CV Joints, Bearings, Hoses Popping etc.
>Can people please provide me some positive stories of trouble free ownership
>and trips with regular maintenance? Am I hearing all the bad news only?
>Thank you your comments are welcome.
>
>./athacker
>
>1987 Westfalia
>http://www.thacker.ca/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=1987-Westfalia