Mac, you can't have another vanagon until you show us a receipt for a fire
extinguisher:)

-----Original Message-----
From: mac stricklen <mac_stricklen@YAHOO.COM>
To: Vanagon@VANAGON.COM <Vanagon@VANAGON.COM>
Date: Tuesday, August 04, 1998 12:10 AM
Subject: Fire! (a sob story)

>So, after shopping for a few months I finally bought a vanagon this
>past saturday (2 days ago)  It was an '82--In great shape.  I was
>happy because it met my three big requirements--air-cooled, fold down
>bed, and it was cheap enough that I could pay cash.  It was in great
>shape--needed some work here and there, but it seemed worthy of taking
>a couple of short camping trips since I had the week off anyway.  I
>drove it home, did  a little work on it.  admired it a little more.
>My wife, who was skeptical about the whole idea from the beginning was
>really enjoying it too.  she constantly wanted to drive it, and had
>declared that it was the "funnest" vehicle we had ever owned.
>
>So this afternoon, a beautiful, warm, sunny low humidity kind of day,
>we pack up the mt. bikes and the gear and head out on some back roads
>taking the long way to one of of favorite trails heads for a day of
>vanagon-induced leisure.  We top a little hill and Jessica comments
>that someone sure is burning some foul-smelling trash today.  Seconds
>later we realize its us.  We pull off the road hoping it's just some
>kind of overheating thing, and that the smoke isn't really related to
>a fire (duh!) and frantically run to the back and start clearing off
>bikes and gear from on top on the engine compartment.  No sooner is
>everything out when real honest-to-god flames start lapping out of the
>engine compartment.  I began to seriously regret thinking that buying
>a fire extinguisher could wait until the next paycheck!
>
>By the time we'd called 911 on the cell phone, it was clear that that
>van wasn't going anywhere this week, and by the time the fire trucks
>actually arrived it was clear that what we owned was technically no
>longer a van, but was acually a smoldering metallic cinder.  And a
>stinky one at that.
>
>What was perhaps the most frustrating thing is that the first two
>vehicles to arrive were a tow truck and a truck hauling flammable
>chemicals--so we had three vehciles (including me) that by all means
>*should* have had a fire extinguisher an the scene in time to have
>saved the van, but no actual fire extinguishers.
>
>I'm just curious now about what is going to happen with our insurance.
> The agent I talked to today said that since we had full coverage on
>our other two vehicles, we were automatically coverd on the vanagon
>for trhirty days after purchase.  Theoretically, then we should be ok,
>but I'll feel better when (if) we've got the check in hand!
>
>I think, despite all this I'd like to own another vanagon, so if
>anyone out there knows of a good one FS within a days drive of central
>KY, let me know!
>
>mac
>
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