You would be surprised how cheap (especially when judged against your
existing repair bill) renting a one way uhaul and an auto trailer
would be. This is how I got my parts van back from Michigan.

I checked online and you can pick up Sunday in Harrisonburg (which
seemed like your last location - but obviously this could be modified)
for $386 for the 14' truck and $59 to $69 for the tow dolly (depending
on if you have to tow "four up" or not). This includes 3 days of use
and 596 miles free, should be enough to get you home.

Better yet drop the van in London Ontario, I know a Vanagon guy that
wirks fairly cheap. BTW - Who is your Toronto mechanic? Please tell me
it is NOT Salim's!

Chris Gronski
London, Ontario

On 7/15/06, Larry Chase <roadguy@roadhaus.com> wrote:
> s.t.fraser,
>
> What a terrible road trip.
>
> If I have read your posting correctly ... You seem to be stranded in
> Harrisonburg, VA.
>
> Here's a listing of the VW Repair Shops that our community has submitted
> reviews on.
>
> http://www.roadhaus.com/shops_advanced_search_results.php
>
> I don't see any listed for Harrisonburg, VA but here are several good shops
> and a couple of
> "bad shops" scattered around VA.
>
> However you are only 100 miles from one of our list members who has a shop
> in Gapland Maryland.
>
> Westy Ventures
> 3333 Gapland Rd.
> Gapland, Maryland 21779
> Phone: 301.432.4645
> karl@westyventures.com
> http://www.westyventures.com
>
> Owner: Karl Mullendore
>
> Karl is off camping this weekend ... But if you give him call on Monday, he
> may be able to help.
>
> You can trust Karl 100%.
>
> The other resources I can suggest are the Vanagon Rescue Squad & Aircooled
> Interstate Rescue Squad
>
> Vanagon Rescue Squad
>
> http://www.vanagonauts.com/?catid=74
>
> Here's a listing I threw together of every VA member within 100 mile of you.
>
> Looks like 7 members.
>
> Aircooled Interstate Rescue Squad (A.I.R.S)
>
> http://www.type2.com/rescue/
>
> Here's a listing I threw together of every VA member in the State of VA
>
> http://www.roadhaus.com/temp/Airs%20Listing%20VA.txt
>
> Looks like 67 members.
>
> You stated ...
>
> "My wife has health issues and has to get back to Canada for medical
> appointments. We just want to go home. I would be happy for any
> suggestions. We have paid over $7000 in repairs in the last 6 weeks.
> We can't dump the van because we need to get all our stuff and our
> cat back to Toronto."
>
>
> There are lots of options.
>
> 1) Get the Van properly fixed, drive home and put this nightmare behind you.
>
> 2) Rent a vehicle to drive back to Canada and have your Van Shipped back
> home.
>
> 3) Rent a vehicle to drive back to Canada and make arrangements for someone
> to sell your Van ... But please
>  don't consider that unless you feel that's the only option.
>
> There is lots of resource within this incredible community to help a
> stranded traveler.
>
> I've just scratched the surface.
>
> Tell us how we can help further.
>
>
> good road,
> good adventure,
> good life,
>
> larry chase
> www.roadhaus.com
> soon to be roadhaus.org
>
> - - -
>
> Desperate!
> Posted by: "the_sun_has_got_my_hat_on" s.t.fraser@rogers.com
> the_sun_has_got_my_hat_on
> Sat Jul 15, 2006 7:04 am (PST)
> My wife and I live in Canada and have come to the US for a vacation
> in our 1987 automatic Vanagon which we purchased just over a year ago.
>
> We have had an unbelievable amount of trouble with our van this trip
> although we drove it 10,000 miles last year without any real problems.
>
> A few days prior to leaving Canada we had a full service performed on
> the van by our mechanic for a cost of $1000 (oil change, transmission
> oil change, coolant power flush, new plugs, leads, distributor cap
> and rotor arm).
>
> The morning we left Toronto the van stopped dead in the middle of the
> highway 15 minutes away from home so we had it towed back to our
> mechanic who cleaned some corroded connections in the digifant under
> the back seat. He told us he had corrected the problem and to enjoy
> our vacation.
>
> We left Toronto again and got to Pennsylvania where the van wouldn't
> start when we tried to leave the campsite we were at. After about an
> hour it did start. I suspected the starter motor solenoid so began
> trying to get help but couldn't find anyone who worked on older
> Volkswagons. The following day while we were trying to find help
> near Gettysburg it happened again and after an hour or so it started
> again. We took it to a Volkswagon specialist who checked it over and
> said it seemed fine and that we should be okay continuing onward.
>
> Like a fool I continued and it happened again at Front Royal VA but
> restarted shortly after. We continued again and it happened on the
> Skyline Drive (Shenandoah). We continued as far as Waynesville VA
> when the transmition started slipping really badly and when we
> stopped at a campsite it wouldn't start again.
>
> This time we had it towed on a flatbed truck to a VW guy. He put a
> booster on the starter motor and fixed the radiator fan. As he
> didn't do work on automatic transmissions we had to find a
>
> transmission place and arranged to have the transmission rebuilt and
> a new torque converter fitted.
>
> Everything was great and we continued our trip. About 10 days later
> the transmission started slipping again so we took it to Aamco and
> they took the transmission apart. They told us that the transmission
> had not been rebuilt and only part of a kit of soft parts had been
> used. The pump was cracked and not replaced, the sun gear was very
> worn and the original torque converter had been painted and put back
> in. We had paid $2200 for the first rebuild and $2500 for the second
> one.
>
> A few days later a coolant pipe broke and we needed another tow. The
> pipe was replaced by a VW guy in Harrisonburg but now a day later we
> have more trouble.
>
> The van started running badly but intermittently. All of a sudden it
> felt like the choke had come on, thick black exhaust, sort of
> chugging and loss of power until I floored it and then it would run
> and accelerate ok until I eased off on the gas, then it would chug
> again. Also it used half a tank of gas in 27 miles.
>
> We took it back to the garage but they said they don't really know
> what the problem is. After they adjusted the idle, adjusted the
> mixture, tested the injectors (which they said had problems) they
> said it may be the sensor on top of the air filter. They have the
> van and will order the sensor on Monday but they are not positive
> that will cure the problem. They have told me that if the part does
> not cure the problem they cannot return it so I will have to pay for
> it even if I don't need it and have also said it probably won't be
> cheap. I don't have a problem with paying for a part that I do need
> but am concerned that I will have to pay for a part which won't
> correct the problem.
>
> We left Canada for a 2 week trip intending to get back by 12 June,
> it's 14 July and we are still stranded in Virginia.
>
> My wife has health issues and has to get back to Canada for medical
> appointments. We just want to go home. I would be happy for any
> suggestions. We have paid over $7000 in repairs in the last 6 weeks.
> We can't dump the van because we need to get all our stuff and our
> cat back to Toronto.
>