Well, the old 71 made it.  No problems mechanically.  The trip is 810 miles 
from Christiansburg, VA to Biddeford Maine.  It took 14 3/4 hours, giving a 
average speed of 55 mph.  We took longer on the way back, as we slept about 
2 hours on I-66.

Memorable moments:
1) We ( wife and kitten) left among a downpour, and it rained untill 
Harrisonburg, VA.  First, a bag of trash got a tear in it, spreading cat 
litter all over the floor of the bus, which quickly reacted to the water, 
forming a very stinky mud.  Then, about 1/2 an hour out, the cat puked, 
adding to the already very unpleasnt smell of the bus.  And, after almost an 
hour on the road, roadwork on I-81 held us to 5 miles in 30 minutes.  I was 
beginning to get pissed.

2) With the wife driving, we get pulled over about 2 miles from the WV 
border.  It seems that she didn't use a left turn signal when changing 
lanes, and the officer wanted to she if they worked.  I had to chuckle, as I 
_knew_ they worked.  She got a warning. (ouch)  BTW- another reason not to 
buy a minivan:  The police are driving them as undercover units in VA.  
What's next, a VW bus with a 2.7 Porsche engine?  They are tinting the 
windows to hide the big blue strobes. 

3) I think that TRW must be in bed with the state of Penn.  Those roads are 
the worst I can think of for the chassis.  Does anyone know if TRW has a R&D 
plant in Penn?  I have firmly decided that the best time to cross Penn. is 
at night.

4) I went blowing by two cops, once about 8 mph over, and the second time at 
13 mph over.  I didn't even get a chase.  I figured that the cops are out 
for bigger money makers.

5) There is a strech of I-81 that is 19 miles long, without a single 
shoulder due to roadwork.  It is also 2 lanes wide, with "Jersey walls" on 
both sides!  This could make a bus driver just a little nervous.

In Maine, I noticed that there are _no_ busses.  Must be the salt.  I didn't 
see one at all, untill the trip back.

On the way back, I saw the most interesting bus.  It was most definately a 
72 model, as it had the big rear lights, but also had the low down front 
turn indicators.  I went humming past (about 70 mph) them on the side of the 
road and they caught up to me in like 2 miles!   I couldn't believe it!  The 
bus had what I believe was a old upright motor in it.  It had 2 tail pipes, 
just like a bug, and I could see the old style heater boxes too.  The thing 
must have been a 1776 or something, because he could fly!

I also saw what I think was a EV in Mass. A interesting beast indeed.  He 
flew by me so fast, I couldn't tell what it was untill he was long gone.  
All I remember was a teal green color and the word "euro".  I couln't even 
come close to catching up with him, as he was going about 80.

The rest is pretty normal, that drive is much too long for me.

A couple of questions:

My #3 exhaust valve is tighting up at a rate of .002" every 850 miles.  Is 
this normal, or a sign of impending doom?

I know that valve stem seals are available for the motor, but I don't have 
any.  Are these left off for some good reason, like say to prevent the 
swallowing of #3?  It is also burning(not leaking!) a quart every 1000 
miles, but I can live with that.

Also, I had no problems with the siezed plug.  I took along a bunch of spare 
parts, which leads me to believe that if you got the spares, it won't break 
down, and vicecersa.

CBridge@vt.edu
Chris Bridge
71' camper