Well, re what John said about knowing where the mechanics are - in case
anyone on the list doesn't already know about it, do take a look at
http://www.roadhaus.com/shops.php, and add to it whenever you have
additional information!

Joy

On Sat, Jan 23, 2010 at 6:10 PM, John Rodgers <inua@charter.net> wrote:

> I can't address Vanagon specific repair shops across country, but this
> thread reminded me of the drive down from Alaska in '96. I was in my first
> Vanagon, an '85 GL. I did not have a clue about the Vanagon list back then
> and knew of no one with any knowledge about these vans.  I made the 75  hour
> 4500 mile drive from Anchorage to Birmingham with no flats, and only one
> relatively minor trip stopping event and one major one. The minor one - .one
> of the collector pipes cracked and separated, making it noisy as all blazes
> if you were behind the van. I was in Wyoming somewhere - I've forgotten just
> where - and a mechanic told me that it would be really difficult to weld
> back up where the break was, and he recommended I just continue my journey
> if I could handle the noise. Being in front of the engine, rather than
> behind it, it was no real problem. It was obviously louder, but not
> unendurable even for long hours in the saddle. The second event - and a trip
> stopper - was near Jasper, AL 60 miles north of my destination at
> Birmingham. Water pump failed. I caught it quickly enough it didn't damage
> the engine, but I had to get a roll-back to come and pick up the van and
> take it the rest of the way. That was a pricey 60 miles, but not near as
> pricey as a later trip in my later "88 GL. when it melted a piston.
>
> But the point is - it's really nice to be aware of and know of shops across
> the country recommended by Vanagon owners. That gets to be majorly
> important. And probably even more important, is being part of this community
> of Vanagon owners who are so willing to help each other out when there is
> trouble. The Vanagon list, and it's Vendors are the greatest!!!
> **
>
> John Rodgers
> Clayartist and Moldmaker
> 88'GL VW Bus Driver
> Chelsea, AL
> Http://www.moldhaus.com
>
>
>
> Joy Hecht wrote:
>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I recently found myself in Roanoke Virginia, where two nice women drove up
>> alongside my van and handed me a slip of paper with the name of a repair
>> shop, saying "if you have any trouble with your van while you're here,
>> come
>> visit us, we work on all kinds of VW vans."
>>
>> Well, Matilda was having some slight incontinence problems (otherwise
>> known
>> as dripping fluids), and I figured maybe I should have this looked at
>> while
>> I was in town.  So I took her over to Salem Imports, Mark Dearing's repair
>> place in Salem, VA (next town over from Roanoke), and he replaced my water
>> pump.
>>
>> But what struck me was the wonderful character of his shop!  Especially as
>> I'd had a dream, the night before going there, that it was clean and
>> pretty,
>> with red-and-white checked curtains and a cleaning staff scrubbing the
>> bathrooms (plural).  Not!
>>
>> I thought it would be fun to seek out the vanagon repair place with the
>> best
>> character - Mark's is definitely a contender!  So do have a look at some
>> pix, and see if you can top this:
>>
>> http://picasaweb.google.com/hecht.joy/VanagonRepairShopsSalemImportsSalemVA#
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Joy
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>