On my last trip to Florida in the 2004 motor home, I had the exhaust pipe break which melted a taillight and started a small fire in the bedroom closet. The day after that I had the right front tire blow out requiring a tire and wheel replacement, and on the way home the right front brake decided it didn’t want to release. To add insult the front brakes were replaced by a dealer last September. 

So far Fun Bus has only been towed home once and that was recently. Turned out the coil failed. I was only 25 miles from home. Lazy I called Coach-net and they flat bedded my home. Yes I have had breakdowns including the broken 4th gear now but overall the Westy has been very reliable for us. 

Dennis

-----Original Message-----
From: mcneely4@cox.net [mailto:mcneely4@cox.net] 
Sent: Friday, March 20, 2015 11:44 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM; Dennis Haynes
Subject: Re: [VANAGON] van comparisons {was (Friday NVC) When Euro hits parity}

---- Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM> wrote: 
> 
> I think VW knows that until they have products that truly compete with 
> the Ford or Mercedes van or trucks there is little sense going for the 
> American market. As for campers most folks want fully featured units 
> including toilets and showers and enough room to be comfortable. As 
> you start heading North of $40K there are a lot of choices beyond a van with a pop up tent.

But what some of us want is a van with a pop up tent, maybe just a scooch more room, but that's not essential.  Showers and toilets?  Nope, not me, not needed.  But I would like modern reliability.

mcneely

> 
> Dennis
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On 
> Behalf Of Stuart MacMillan
> Sent: Friday, March 20, 2015 12:38 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: (Friday NVC) When Euro hits parity
> 
> VW has a limited product line in the US, and their biggest problem 
> here will be meeting the ever increasing CAFE fuel economy standards, 
> hence the introduction of the very expensive e-Golf  Who's going to 
> buy this for $34,000? And, the subsidized $299/mo lease is only 
> available in 10 states and DE.
> 
> CAFE means selling more fuel efficient cars to bring up the fleet 
> average, and bringing in vans without a subsidized electric or hybrid 
> high mileage car to offset them won't help.  I think that's the main 
> reason we won't see a van any time soon. Or maybe we'll see only TDI vans!
> 
> Compared to #1 Toyota with the Prius, a bunch of gas sippers 
> (including the tiny 37 mpg Scion iQ), two pickup trucks (at least one 
> is essential in the US), their bread and butter Camry, and a Van, 
> distant #2 VW has a long way to go. But I would like to see them try harder.
> 
> Stuart
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On 
> Behalf Of Jon VO
> Sent: Wednesday, March 18, 2015 8:38 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: (Friday NVC) When Euro hits parity
> 
> Except the Eos, the Golf R, and the CC are mainly optioned versions of 
> existing NA models, the California is not imported in any form.
> 
> 
> On 3/18/2015 8:39 PM, James wrote:
> > Volvo has been way behind Toyota in reliability for the last five 
> > years or
> so.
> >
> > Thing is, reliability or the lack thereof isn't the buying factor it 
> > used
> to be, as overall automotive reliability is now so high - the 
> 'average' in Consumer Reports now was the five star reliability rating of 15 years ago.
> >
> > And as to the idea that 'special low volume models aren't part of 
> > that
> business model" - VW sells the EOS, the CC, the Golf R - all low 
> volume, all to showcase the brand.  Yet most of the public could 
> hardly place a CC or an EOS if they were challenged, when everybody 
> knows the VW bus.  Importing the California camper, with special trim 
> lines to celebrate the camper, seems a natural.
> >
> > As the EOS and R have shown, a 'US federalised' model need not be a
> stopper.  The handful of years they've sold the R on this side of the 
> Atlantic, they've brought in as few as 400 per year, IIRC.
> >
> > James
> > Ottawa, ON
> >

--
David McNeely