Stephen,

You will have some great times with the westy.  I remember when I purchased
my first vanagon westy,  my two girls used it as the worlds biggest doll
house for three months.  We have driven over 200,000 miles  (not counting
the 200,000 miles I put on my '71 westy back in my college days) and they
are the most fun to travel in I've ever had.

Charles Michaux
'91 Westy (52K)
'88 SAAB (250K)
'73 Thing (32K)
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> From: stephen davis <sdavis@MAINE.MAINE.EDU>
> To: Vanagon@GERRY.SDSC.EDU
> Subject: new van and first trip
> Date: Sunday, October 19, 1997 2:07 AM
>
> Hey Folks
>         I finally joined the club and bought a 85 Westie 2 weeks ago.  It
has a
> number of small problems (which I will post about later) that the PO
failed
> to tell me about (surprise, surprise) but all in all my family and I have
> really enjoyed it.  I have owned a 74 and a 77(in which I circumnavigated
> the US) before but the vanagon really surprised me with its comfort.  The
> seats and the driving position are great.
>         We took it on its first trip to Cape Cod last weekend and had a
blast.  My
> 2 year old likes having the light on in the car if we drive after dark
and
> the light in the camper is hardly noticeable when driving.  He also loves
to
> use the area behind the back seat as a play area when we are parked.  We
> were visiting a family with 4 kids and the van was a hit with them too.
The
> kids kept asking if they could play in it and we had to give rides all
> weekend.
>         I want to thank all the folks on the list that helped me with
information
> as I wandered thru the process of buying a Westie.  The help and support
has
> really helped and I don't think I would have bought another one without
> knowing that you all are out there with the knowledge I will need to keep
it
> running.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Stephen Davis
> 85 Westie