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THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE HAS APPEARED IN THE RECORD ON January 23, 2002

Back on the road again ... but in what?



Now that I've definitively ruled out flying as a viable option it looks like I could do with some advice. The long and short of it is that we will probably get back on the road again only we can't seem to make up our minds whether it should be in a used VW Westfalia or a 22' Class C motor home.

Two and a half years have already slipped by since our 6-month Florida/ Texas/ California trailer trip and we're starting to get itchy feet which not even the occasional ocean cruise seems to cure. As to my version of middle age camping in a van, forget it- from now on we plan to make longer trips and strive for a tab more comfort. It's not as if I've been sitting around just shooting the breeze. For some time now I've been searching through Web sites, newspapers and specialized magazines, seeking out their classified ads. I've even made endless inquiries via e-mail but, unfortunately, we are still no further advanced.

Depends on the day

You would think that the final decision would be simple seeing that both vehicles have so little in common. Well, you are wrong, at least not in our case. It seems that every time we compare factors such as comfort, practicality, value and character our list of pros and cons only grows longer. One day we prefer the Westfalia; the next day it's the motor home.

I have to admit that I've always been intrigued by the Westfalia camper, no doubt because of her enduring symbol of adventure and independence. True, they may not look like the sleekest vehicles on the road but for anyone like myself who enjoys camping and the great outdoors; they seemed to be the most practical vehicles on the road. Since I had no intention of forking over $57,000 for a brand new Eurovan Weekender, I started looking for an older Vanagon model, late 80s, early 90s, the type that can be distinguished by the square body contours and large windows. With quite a few such models still on the road and looking spanking new I was sure I could find a good one and save bundles.

When I first began my research, everything seemed so simple. With a used Westfalia I was sure we could get away without having to own two vehicles. We would use "our" Westy for the typical weekly commissions and then convert it into a full-fledged camper in a matter of minutes for our trip. At 22 miles to a gallon we already saw ourselves driving to Mexico without having to be accompanied by an oil tanker and parking for free at night in the driveways of other Westfalia club members. As I pressed on with my research I discovered just how much tender loving care Westfalia owners bestow on their coveted vehicles. Somehow I had underestimated the impact of our freezing conditions and soon understood why one rarely sees a Westfalia on the road during the winter. I had naively assumed they were somewhere down south but soon discovered that most of them are mothballed back home and often in heated garages. It turns out that their owners hate to see their Westies ruined by salt and consequently avoid driving them during the winter. Slowly but surely my idea of not requiring a second vehicle began to evaporate in thin air.

Pricey wheels

Don't think they're cheap or depreciate like other vehicles. A good used model between the late 80s and mid 90s with 100,000 kilometers plus sells in the range of $16,000 to $30,000 especially if the original paint job is in mint condition. Furthermore, while their engineering may be superior to North American vans, I was led to believe that their parts can be just as hard to find, as they are costly and that not many mechanics know how to work on them.

I also remarked just how often the older models are advertised with high mileage together with a variety of repairs such as rebuilt engines, replaced cylinder heads, new water pumps, alternators, power steering pump, steering racks or transmissions. After a while, whenever I would see an ad claiming that the engine had never required major repairs, my first reaction was to wonder just how long it would take before a breakdown would occur on a trip to Mexico.

The price factor was never meant to be a major problem. As far as I was concerned when it would be our turn to sell our Westfalia, we would get back a good part of the investment. While this looked good on paper, I began to wonder whether "our" Westfalia would end up like so many of our cars and trucks, with pockmarks and dents. Don't forget, driving on our dirt roads doesn't exactly help to maintain a vehicle in top shape. Then I realized that there was another unresolved issue, particularly for someone like myself who's in his late 50s. Although most of the Westfalias have a bed, stove, sink, a refrigerator, a pop-up roof to allow ventilation and sleeping room 'upstairs', they have no toilets. The best I could expect in the middle of the night would be to rely on a Porta Potty whenever nature called, assuming I could find it after crawling down from the "upper bed".

Comforts of home

Now, comfort wise, you can't compare a Westfalia to a small 22' fiberglass Class C motor home, which is built on a van chassis and distinguished by the cabover bed. However, while they have all of the amenities of a miniature home including a toilet, shower, microwave and above all, triple the amount of space, we aren't convinced that we would feel like adventurers, driving one. Worse, we couldn't get away with owning just one vehicle.

On the other hand we could probably pick up a 97 or 98 motor home for about the same price as a 92-94 Westfalia and with probably half of the mileage. But then again, don't forget, even a 22' Class C with a rust proof fiberglass cabin can only do about 10 miles to a gallon. Incidentally, if I continuously refer to 22' as if it were some magic figure it's only because Madeleine is convinced that anything longer would make her feel uncomfortable while driving and parking. Now that you have all of the facts - I'd be grateful for your advice. In the meantime here are some of the columns that should appear in the weeks to come: " Principles underlying malpractice suits"," Our devoted palliative care volunteers " and "Alarming municipal tax increase in TBL "