On Sep 13, 2013, at 12:36 AM, jpalmer@mymts.net wrote:

> A little condescending, non? :)
>> 
>> Carry a Bentley. Open it and look at the pictures occasionally.

It wasn't intended to be, because it's exactly what I have done and I still do. It was always suggested to me that knowledge is power, and one really easy way to gain more knowledge is to expose oneself to sources of information.

> I stick by my statements. Do you want to spend the next couple of years of your life camping and travelling, or searching for a conversion guru in a part of the country not known for such vehicles?

I agree completely, although I wouldn't have said it that way. Undertaking a conversion is definitely a Big Project, costly in terms of time and money. Not being mechanical will certainly add to the cost of both. Still, for some the cost is worth it. Others, not.

I wasn't advocating the necessity of conversion so much as I was responding to the idea of leaving it all to the pros. Personally, I think it is the responsibility of every Vanagonaut to get to know their rig as much as time and talent allow. And I don't think learning about the van conflicts with the idea of camping and traveling, either, but is part of the journey. I suspect many people on the list feel the same. It's why we're here.

> if you did break down in the middle of nowhere I'd rather be servicing a 2.0 air cooled. 
> 
> Or maybe I just get nostalgic for the sound of an air cooled motor �

Ah, I do fondly remember the sound of my '73 Westy. There is something about the syncopated symphony of a well-tuned air-cooled boxer, like you can hear every valve, every rod, every piston working together despite the engine's inherent desire to self-destruct. It IS a wonderful noise.

Still, for the long haul through the wilderness, I'll take my confidently humming Zetec powered Vanagon, thanks.

Jarrett
89 Bostig'd Westy