Dave,

My current van required some expensive work in the beginning. The PO had
really abused it, but once I got the big ticket items taken care of
(engine rebuild, tranny and clutch) I have driven it ten years will very
little additional expense except for the routine stuff - brakes, tires,
servicing, etc. But I have had an ongoing campaign to take care of the
little stuff too, even though the little stuff won't now leave me
stranded on the side of the road somewhere. Door lock fix, window crank
replacement,  etc, etc. Once the big stuff was repaired, I have found my
vans to be pretty darn reliable vehicles. And that is the secret - keep
it maintained - but that is the secret with any machinery. Don't run it
into the ground , and then bad mouth it and the manufacturer. You have
to do your part too.

John Rodgers
Clayartist and Moldmaker
88'GL VW Bus Driver
Chelsea, AL
Http://www.moldhaus.com

On 5/10/2010 9:47 AM, Dave Mcneely wrote:
> Only had my camper a year this month.  Bought it with 139K miles, now has 149K miles.  The 10K is due to one long trip out West from here (central Oklahoma) to Spokane, Washington and return, via several national parks and other niceties, plus several short trips.  I do not use the camper for daily driving, but only for camping.  This level of usage is likely to continue, assuming that the beast holds up and maintenance expenses go down from the initial heavy needs.  Right now, I think I've got most of the big items that initially made it unreliable taken care of, but I have learned that these things demand constant attention -- that is, it is an expensive beast to keep.  Sort of like owning a horse.  DMc
>
> ---- Jay lefstein<jleftbrane@GMAIL.COM>  wrote:
>
>> hey guys I was just wondering how many miles we put on as a group
>>
>> I do about  30,000 a year + or -
>> how many do you put on?
>> thanks
>> J
>>
> --
> David McNeely
>
>
>