>> Are other owners this paranoid? <<

I've been paranoid since 1980 when I bought a '65 Beetle with a coat of
house paint on it for $150. Each 100K+ mileage VW that I have bought since
has brought the same paranoia :)

I let that paranoia to keep a fire lit under my butt to keep the van well
maintained at all times.  VW's are great for having a $300 part break to
protect a 50 cent part. If you don't do your own work then be sure you have
a good mechanic that looks the thing over when he has it. Check that engine
compartment weekly, as a list member once said "There is always something
going on in there.".  Keep in mind with such an old vehicle that if part A
breaks, you should probably replace part B and C that holds it in since they
will be next.

At minimum, get the 200 mile AAA and just drive within a 200 mile radius of
your house. Since my van needs a new engine I've been only camping in what I
call "Triple A Range" for the last 18 months though I did venture to MA this
summer.

Take the van in, get it looked over then go camping. To paraphrase Mark
Twain, "We'll regret more the things we did not do than the things we did.".

Bryan