Just had a great trip bicycling across PA on rt 6 while the Old Trout drove the Westy Sag wagon. We had a very astute British friend along to keep the Old Trout company. Halfway to Preque Isle our friend commented that smoke was coming out of the defroster vents. I casually informed the Ladies that smoke was a normal condition for these old vans, as many members of the list comment about the frequency with which they catch fire, and it was nothing to worry about. After some minor panicking looking for fire extinguishers I decided that the 21 year old heater fan seized up. And turned it off.

On a previous bike trip with 3 cycling buddies the 20 year old AC clutch seized and smoke just billowed out of the engine compartment. Of course we had no idea which greasy bit of engine was trying to ignite, so that was another tow job and a crappy soccer mom van rental to continue our journey. Expensive.

The bottom line - I love the Westy and will put up with these annoyances as part of the fun of traveling with such a unique old van. But gotta have that AAA.

Thomas Hawkins
88 Westy Fireball