This may have been covered before, and it is not strictly Vanagon content,
but I was in a Vanagon last week when it happened to me.

Looking for places to get on a river, I naturally found myself under a
bridge. I was a long day from home on a multi-day Westy trip to research
rivers in part of my state. The surface I was on went from hard-packed to
deep sand in one short moment, and I could not see it coming. The front
wheels dropped down and quickly the back wheels had dug in. I had to dig
out under the muffler for clearance to be extricated by a local who,
because I travel with a very long tow strap, was able to pull me out from
the hard packed road.

While locating a local, I called AAA, which has always provided me with
really good service when I have needed it. "Can the service vehicle get to
you without getting off the paved roadway?" I was asked. I replied that you
couldn't even see the paved road from where I was. "We can't help you,
thanks for choosing AAA today. Is there anything else I can do for you
today?"

I thought that I might ask her to pave the access road, but thought better.

Don't wander farther off the beaten path than your tow strap will reach.
And don't tell me to buy a Syncro. Even the four-wheelers I encountered
would not cross over to me on the soft sand.

: )

Jim