David Beierl asked what is it about vanagons that makes me consider them
difficult.  Here:

The are unreliable.  Given their age, that is expected, but they NEVER
were as reliable as Japanese vehicles, which in my experience seldom
need repair.

People who can (or are willing) to work on them are rare, especially in
the middle of the country.  General shops can handle most vehicles.
Take a vanagon to one, and if the shop accepts it, the repair will
likely be done wrong.

Diagnosis seems more difficult than with other vehicles, even for
knowledgeable techs.

Parts are hard to get and inordinately expensive.

A NON-difficult vehicle is one that seldom breaks, and when it does, can
be easily repaired at a wide variety of shops at reasonable cost.
That's not a vanagon.

'91 Vanagon GL Campmobile, which I love for its utility in camping and
cross country travel, but fear will leave me stranded far from home or
help.

Dave Mc