Ouch --- that really hurts. Glad you're OK and getting your Westy back
on the road. I've been stranded at the side of the road a time or two
(or many) myself --- know the feeling. On the other hand --- my
Westy's been running beautifully for months now................

Cheers,
Doug

On 7/4/05, dusty edwards <dusty.edwards@mac.com> wrote:
> we had planned it for a year.  high sierra music festival was the only
> music festival that we'd be attending this summer.  we opened a
> "vacation" savings account after we got home from our big summer
> adventures last year and this is what the amount was going toward.  the
> tickets to the festival were previously purchased.  we took almost
> 3-weeks off of work - our adventure would entail camping in northern
> california before the festival and after the fest, back to the coast,
> then up to the redwood nat'l forest, then to portland state parks, then
> eugene, then portland and back home to denver.  i'd worked on the westy
> all winter adding a propane heater, a shadyboy awning, and other
> accessories to make our trips more comfortable.
> 
> long story long...
> just getting the camper ready to leave was complete madness the days
> before departure.  i was doing my best to get the AC charged and
> working (do you remember those posts), then eventually took it to a
> mechanic who charged me $300 to tell me that it was all charged and
> ready to go, but the switches won't turn the compressor and blower on.
> however, on the way to take the westy to THAT guy, the "check
> alternator" light came on.......and that was replaced too.  so, we were
> headed to the desert with no AC on our way to san fran and..........
> 
> (6/24) 1 mile out of denver the dash started smoking.
> then..............that's right,  the unimaginable happened - THE DASH
> CAUGHT ON FIRE.  the instrument cluster burned to a crisp.  we were
> absolutely devastated.  we stood on the side of I70 talking to the cop,
> sobbing, watching the firefighters go the the van checking for any
> unmanaged sparks.  my westy IS my pride and joy.
> 
> so, we hopped a flight to miami and drove to key west and spent over a
> week there.  an RV rental was just out of the question.............has
> anybody ever priced RV rentals????.....it's ridiculous!
> 
> ...anyways, my wife and i just got home from our tropical vacation and
> i wanted to share our sad sad story with the people that i KNOW will
> care.
> 
> THE GOOD NEWS!
> it's fixable and it's covered by my insurance company and i have a
> really nice deductible at only $250.  apparently, the aux. battery
> shorted out, making the main wiring harness go up in flames.
> 
> the only other thing that i have to say is that i NEVER wish this upon
> any of you.  it really hurts your soul to see your westy on fire.
> 
> like i said we were completely devastated...call it materialistic, but
> these quirky VW Campers that we drive are part of a lifestyle and i
> can't freakin wait to get her back on the
> road!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  first trip - to northern california
> then to the coast, then up to the redwood nat'l forest, then to
> portland state parks, then eugene, then portland and back home to
> denver.
> 
> also, kudos to the guys at blazer auto in englewood, CO.  they always
> take good care of our '90 westy!
> 
> thanks for reading!
> 
> dusty.
> 
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>  "(o)-----(o)--"
>