Report on First Solo "Cross Country" in Vanagon:
 
Well I did it; I finally picked-up the  '82 Diesel Vanagon which
I have owned for a few months (Joel has it on the list already). 
It was on Long Island, and I live in way-Upstate, NY. 300 Miles 
of Driving Fun.  Please keep in mind that I had never driven a 
Vanagon before, ever.
 
1) Got stuck in Rush Hour traffic. Couldn't find the air-conditioning.
 
2) Discovered the concept of Binary Accelerator - My foot was either pushing 
pedal to the floor, or was on the brake. Nothing in between.
 
3) Cruised much faster than anticipated. Cruised at 110 Km/hr for a while.
 
4) Talk about bug-smasher windshield. Jeez, I actually *ducked* when one
bug came flying at me. 
 
5) If you lean way over the steering wheel, you can pretend you are on 
the bow of a power-boat, with the engine in the way-back.
 
6) It got cold, so I tried to turn on the heat. Four levers? HAD TO READ THE 
OWNERS MANUAL!.  
 
  Question: Should the air which comes out of the rear-passenger ceiling
            vents be warm? I had tons of airflow of cold air, no matter what
            I tried I couldn't get rear heat. The front heat was fine though.
 
7) Only burned 3/4's of a tank on the 300 mile trip.   :-)
 
8) I enjoyed looking down on the "little people" in their Caravans and 
  Villagers!! Such tiny Lilluputians they are.
 
9) I began to wonder how I ever lived without it. 
 
Hooked,
 
Matthew
drahzal@convex.com
Chittenango "Boyhood  home of L. Frank Baum", NY