And the cool thing?  I ordered axle on Saturday; it will be in my hand tomorrow Tuesday.  I stayed once at a cheapo motel in Grand Junction, CO, for 4 days; it was hot and boring.  Waiting for a fuel pump to be delivered.  Eventually it came.  Moral of the story?  Plan ahead, while it is nice and easy.  Trust me.

    On Monday, August 16, 2021, 10:06:26 AM PDT, Richard Koerner <rjkinpb@sbcglobal.net> wrote:  
 
  "For all the single points of failure that leave you on the roadside the CV joints are amongst the last part I would carry. Many Vanagons are still running on the originals."

For guys like Dennis H and Mark D and Stacey S and Alistair and others, CV joint failure is like a walk in the park, no problem.  For us other knuckleheads, who are just drivers and far from home, having a spare axle ready to go is just short of a godsend.  Coming across the prairie, with that 6000' pass looming ahead, with variant clicking on rear axles, and only worsening at the slightest hill and no Vanagon mechanics or parts within days, the $150 price for a ready-to-go axle is luxury.  I will secure the assembly under my Vanagon....and hope I will never need it.