Spooky!

John R.
On Jul 4, 2016 02:12, "Gordon Mah" <gordonmahung@gmail.com> wrote:

> Hmmm.. Tennessee, huh?  ;)
>
> Sent from my iPad
>
> > On Jul 3, 2016, at 7:41 PM, David McNeely <davmcneely40@GMAIL.COM>
> wrote:
> >
> > Well, I'll tell my tale, though I can't remember which small town in
> > Tennessee I was passing by.
> >
> > I'd pulled off of I-40 to grab a quick bite.  When I left the fast food
> > place I went through a traffic light that changed as I entered the
> > intersection.  Next thing I knew, as I just was going onto the I-40
> ramp, a
> > local gendarme was behind me with his red lights on.  As quickly as I
> could
> > I pulled over (next exit) on the shoulder of the service road.  The
> officer
> > came to my window and asked me for my license and vehicle
> documentation.  I
> > came up with a bill of sale and the Kentucky registration in the seller's
> > name.
> >
> > I thought I was going to be railroaded for the light, which I had not
> run,
> > but I didn't say anything other than to respond politely to everything.
> > Well, I was told to exit the vehicle, and as I did, I realized I was
> pinned
> > by four police cars and there were 8 officers present.  I was put against
> > the side of the van, frisked, my Swiss Army knife located and retrieved.
> > Meanwhile, radio communication was taking place.
> >
> > All this took some 30 minutes, during which I was told nothing, and I
> sure
> > wasn't asking any questions at that point.  Those guys had the guns.
> >
> > Finally, me still spread on the side of the van, the officer who'd
> frisked
> > me handed my knife back to me and told me that I was free to go.  Then I
> > asked what was going on.
> >
> > He told me that there was a local man, wanted for a recent murder, known
> to
> > be driving a VW Vanagon camper with Kentucky registration, and that he
> was
> > bearded like me and last seen wearing a dark baseball cap.  Fit me
> > exactly.  That dark baseball cap is still in the van, 8 years later.
> Had I
> > moved wrong, or put my hand in my pocket, I guess I'd be dead.
> >
> > mcneely
> >
> >> On Sun, Jul 3, 2016 at 4:21 PM, Stephen Grisanti <bike2vcu@yahoo.com>
> wrote:
> >>
> >> "Warning -- don't look like an ex con wanted again for a recent murder
> >> while driving the same kind
> >> of vehicle as him."
> >>
> >> Remember the D.C. snipers? You did not want to be driving around in a
> >> white Mopar minivan, as I was, when they were reported being seen in an
> >> identical vehicle after a shooting in nearby Ashland.
> >>
> >> Stephen
> >>
> >>
> >> On Sunday, July 3, 2016 6:50 PM, David McNeely <davmcneely40@GMAIL.COM>
> >> wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >> I have AAA with the 200 mile towing package.  I get two of those a
> year.  I
> >> think with the 100 mile package, one gets one of those a year.  But,
> with
> >> the 200 mile package comes a lot of other benefits -- AAA will put you
> up
> >> in hotels, get you home, and a variety of other things if you are
> stranded
> >> on the road.
> >>
> >> The package has different names in different parts of the country.  In
> >> Oklahoma it is simply called AAA Premium.  Here in Washington it is AAA
> RV
> >> Premium, IIRC.  Anyway, I have it.  I had it before I had the beast.  I
> >> traveled out of state to buy my camper, and had it checked by a VW
> >> specialty shop that claimed Vanagon expertise (and had lots of them at
> the
> >> shop) before I bought it.  The tech made no mention of the water pump,
> >> which promptly went out on the road, about 100 miles east of Fort Smith,
> >> Arkansas.
> >>
> >> I had it towed to Fort Smith, AAA put me up in a hotel for the night,
> and I
> >> got a water pump installed the next morning, at a VW dealer.
> >> Unfortunately, that water pump also failed just three months and very
> few
> >> miles later, in Fort Collins, Colorado, where Rocky Mountain Westy
> >> installed another one.  The dealer in Fort Smith eventually paid that
> bill,
> >> though it took some negotiation, including sending the dealer's water
> pump
> >> back to the dealer.
> >>
> >> I have another interesting story about that drive from Lexington, KY
> back
> >> to Oklahoma in the van, but that's for another time.  Warning -- don't
> look
> >> like an ex con wanted again for a recent murder while driving the same
> kind
> >> of vehicle as him.
> >>
> >> On Sun, Jul 3, 2016 at 11:07 AM, Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@hotmail.com
> >
> >> wrote:
> >>
> >>> When it comes to towing insurance I feel that it is a must have
> >> especially
> >>> when you travel far from home. Not just the money factor but in the
> event
> >>> something happens it is of benefit to have a single number to call and
> >> most
> >>> plans can you help even for non-vehicle events. Sometimes you go for
> >> years
> >>> and never need it but it is good to have. I have had Coach Net since my
> >> 2nd
> >>> motor home (1999) and a number of times they even helped me find parts
> or
> >>> tools. After my experience in February last year with two breakdowns in
> >> two
> >>> days They have won me over for good. For the second breakdown which
> was a
> >>> tire blow out while they were working on getting a tow truck to pick up
> >> the
> >>> motor home they also located a wheel and tire. They towed me to the
> place
> >>> that had the wheel, then again to the place that had the tire. This
> >>> happened just before Midnight in Georgia. I was back on the road 10:00
> am
> >>> next morning. Keep in mind I needed a 22.5 X 8.5 aluminum wheel and a
> >>> 275/70-22.5 Load range J tire. They knew where to look and who to call
> in
> >>> the middle of the night.
> >>>
> >>> My renewal e-mail came a few days later. Immediately upped for another
> >>> three years.
> >>>
> >>> Dennis
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> -----Original Message-----
> >>> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On
> Behalf
> >>> Of Eric Caron
> >>> Sent: Sunday, July 3, 2016 1:49 PM
> >>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> >>> Subject: Re: Towing insurance was: Air conditioning
> >>>
> >>> Everyone with a older car!
> >>> Still nice to have when I travel even in other folks cars.
> >>>
> >>> Eric
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>> On Jul 3, 2016, at 1:08 PM, Gordon Mah <gordonmahung@GMAIL.COM>
> wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>> That is good to know.  It must mean that you get invited by everyone!
> >>>> ;)
> >>>>
> >>>> Sent from my iPad
> >>>>
> >>>>> On Jul 3, 2016, at 6:21 AM, Eric Caron <ecaron1@COMCAST.NET> wrote:
> >>>>>
> >>>>> I bought my first VW when I was 17 and invested in AAA soon after.
> >> The
> >>> cool thing is that it insures the holder of the card not the specific
> >>> vehicle.
> >>>>>
> >>>>>     So, over the years despite being a non driver, I have more then
> >>> once been the one able to resolve a travel misfortune.  It has been
> good
> >>> fun to have friends say no I don’t have triple A but now I wish I
> did.  I
> >>> Just hand them my card and say, no problem we are all set!  Life is
> full
> >> of
> >>> fun surprises.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Eric Caron
> >>>>> 85 GL Auto Westfalia
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>> On Jul 3, 2016, at 6:55 AM, Dennis Jowell <dennisjowell@GMAIL.COM>
> >>> wrote:
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> You betcha - AAA Platinum RV INSURANCE always have had the 100 miles
> >>> package + .
> >>>>>> Have never had to used it yet in 15 years. One never knows.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> Dennis J
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> Dennis Jowell
> >>>>>> Scotch Hollow Farm
> >>>>>> Newbury, Vermont
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>> On Jul 2, 2016, at 11:50 PM, Gordon <gordonmahung@GMAIL.COM>
> wrote:
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> Thanks for the search term "stealth camping", John.  I'll look it
> >>> up.  Adventurous?  Not so much.  But maybe open-minded is a better
> term.
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> Let me piggy back one more question if I may:  how many of you have
> >>> opted for the extended AAA road side assistance towing of 100 miles
> >> rather
> >>> than the default measles 7 miles?
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> -gordon
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>> On Jul 2, 2016, at 7:14 PM, David McNeely <davmcneely40@gmail.com
> >
> >>> wrote:
> >>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>> Well, so far as saving on hotel charges, you can camp in lots of
> >>> places that are cheaper than hotels without violating local ordinances.
> >>> However, they mostly have to be either designated for camping (lots of
> >>> small towns have parks with campgrounds), or in national forests, BLM
> >> land
> >>> and so on. Most municipalities explicitly forbid sleeping in a vehicle
> on
> >>> the street or in parking lots.  If you are just looking for a place to
> >>> crash for the night, and you feel safe, rest areas on highways allow
> >>> overnighting in some states, and WalMarts allow overnighting in their
> >>> parking lots where municipal ordinances don't prohibit it.  You should
> >> ask
> >>> the store.  But you won't save anything, because of the cost of owning
> >> the
> >>> beast.  I've even heard people with $300K motor homes claim they were
> >>> saving money on hotels.  Yeah, right.
> >>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>> But, with the Vanagon, if it is trustworthy and you are
> >> adventurous,
> >>> you can get to places well worth the trouble that don't have hotels.
> >>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>> DMc
> >>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>> On Sat, Jul 2, 2016 at 6:21 PM, Gordon <gordonmahung@gmail.com>
> >>> wrote:
> >>>>>>>>> I've read some great stuff on A/C from you guys already,
> >>> unfortunately I don't consider myself a tinkerer and especially not a
> >>> mechanic. I wasn't even interested enough to ask the mechanic what he
> did
> >>> to fix the A/C. I just took it in and he said "it's ready". Truly this
> >> must
> >>> sound blasphemous to you guys with Bently manuals.
> >>>>>>>>> At the risk of taking this thread in a strange direction, I may
> >>> have bitten off more than I can chew with this Westy. Turns out, more
> and
> >>> more you're not allowed to just park somewhere to spend the night.
> We've
> >>> been kicked out of parking lots or streets by local police when we were
> >>> innocently just stopping for the night while on a long trip. So, the
> idea
> >>> that we'd save on hotel charges is beginning to fade. Maybe there's a
> >> fear
> >>> of homeless people living in Westys? Talking about mechanical ability,
> >> our
> >>> maiden voyage in the Westy resulted in having to tow it home after only
> >>> about 8 miles of travel. Smoke was coming out the rear vents. The water
> >>> reservoir plug had broken. :(. Just a little venting.
> >>>>>>>>> -gordon
> >>>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>> On Jul 2, 2016, at 10:36 AM, Neil N <musomuso@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> >>>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>>>> But we are all kind of nuts and love our Vanagons!!
> >>>>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>>> I "resemble" that remark!
> >>>>>>>>>> ha ha. LOL.
> >>>>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>>> To the original poster:
> >>>>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>>> some jobs I've done on my Vanagons ended up becoming
> restorations
> >>> of sorts.
> >>>>>>>>>> Once you start a job, you may discover more things that need to
> >>>>>>>>>> be done or will soon need to be done.
> >>>>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>>> Something to keep in mind.
> >>>>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>>> Neil.
> >>>>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>>> --
> >>>>>>>>>> Neil n
> >>>>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>>> Blog: Vanagons, Westfalia, general <
> http://tubaneil.blogspot.ca/
> >>>
> >>>>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>>> 1988 Westy Images
> >>>>>>>>>> <https://picasaweb.google.com/musomuso/New1988Westy>
> >>>>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>>> 1981 Westfalia "Jaco" Images, technical
> >>>>>>>>>> <http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/>
> >>>>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>>> Vanagon-Bus VAG Gas Engine Swap Group
> >>>>>>>>>> <http://tinyurl.com/khalbay>
> >>
> >>
>