Is that a common occurrence with the VW w.c. motors, a failed ECU?  More specifically, on the Digifant  motors?  The precaution of tossing in a spare brain for trips into the 'out-back' might be a very good idea, if the ECUs do fail often..Probably not something you would easily source in some of the smaller western towns. In fact some of the places I go, even a town itself is hard to source...
  I had one "Brain"  fail on my Porsche 928..about $1100 bucks, if I recall.  I borrowed one from another fellow when diagnosing the problem..His ECU ran my car just fine..and mine ran his car fine, too!  Re-swapped and again, no run in my car....all kinds of random clicking from the injectors, etc in my car..Weird! 
   Off topic a bit, but the reputation of the Porsche 928 as an electrical nightmare and as outrageously expensive to maintain is well deserved!  Worst POS to keep running right that I ever owned..but also one of the most perfect cars ever built when everything was working properly..
  Almost 50 relays on the main fuse panel alone and close to 80 fuses..3 different ways the computer told the driver that the coolant level was not right...Many many doubly-redundant systems that would cause a no-start condition if they went into fault mode.  14 full volumes of workshop manuals!  3 complete volumes on the electrical system alone!   A timing belt failure cost me 30 of 32 bent valves, due to them clashing with the pistons, at $95 per valve..
  sorry, totally irrelevant to a Vanagon list...
  Don Hanson