Dear Roland,

My opinion -
At 01:13 PM 2/4/2011, Roland wrote:
>What is the generic label?   I've heard our vehicles called......
>
>Van

Quick and dirty yes.

>Bus

Sorta-kinda but that's mostly reserved for the T2s I think.

>Camper

Some of them.  But we hardly ever use the word, I think.

>Truck

In many ways it is - VW carefully tread the line of US regulations at
least, of calling it a car for some purposes and a truck for others.

>Rig

I never would, but I'm not sure I'd call anything except a radio a rig.

>Kombi

Isn't that a VW name for a specific configuration of German T3?

>Bulli

That's German too, someone here will know about it.

>The original SUV

Pleh.

>Others?

I often call it a beast.  Usually in a good way.

>Every pickup truck I see is clearly a pickup truck.

Huh.  Ever see an Escalade pickup?  Or a Torino?

>So what are we?  The ultimate utility vehicle, can do anything, adapts
>to any mission, a chameleon.  Are we in a class by ourselves?  What is
>our category and label?

Well, for a start we're in at least two classes, regular and
Syncro.  Or maybe a class and a superclass.  One of the things I
always thought about my '84 Westy, even when it was having troubles,
was *willing.*  Chameleon I don't like.  We're always sturdy,
unprepossessing, capable, adaptable, useful.  Probably brave, clean
and reverent as well.  But if we weren't in a class by ourselves, why
would we put up with us?  I'm not a Microbus guy, although I admired
them when they were what was available.  I'm certainly not a VW
guy.  I'm not a T4 guy and although I've never seen a T5 I doubt if
I'm one of them either.  I might be a Sprinter guy if I had a chance
to be, dunno.  Ditto LT, UniMog, various other things.  But I'm
definitely a Vanagon guy.  What is love?  I don't know.*  What does
my beloved look like?  I don't know.

*Well, I sorta kinda think I do, but not in this context.  It's a
continuing act of will, something else entirely.

Yours,
David