Date: Sun, 25 Nov 2001 01:40:45 -0500
Reply-To: Dennis Haynes <dhaynes@OPTONLINE.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dennis Haynes <dhaynes@OPTONLINE.NET>
Subject: Re: Vanagon versus Lazy Daze motor home
In-Reply-To: <001101c1754b$99a35620$6601a8c0@vista1.sdca.home.com>
Content-type: multipart/alternative;
Let me start off by saying that I own both an 87 Syncro Westy and a 1999
33.5 foot Tropi-Cal motor home (With Slide-out). If the VW is so great,
than why do so many Listees want to add more power, toilets, heat, AC
etc.? Because they want the comforts of the real RV without the costs.
Everything is a compromise. As for the awfull fuel economy, yours had a
problem or you drove very fast and up a lot of hills. My first motorhome
was a 1992 Tioga. Class C, 27 foot, 12,500 lbs loaded. At 55 mph I could
get almost 10 mpg. At the 65 to 70 I usually traveled, I got 7.5. This
was with the Ford 460 and 4 speed overdrive transmission. The coach I
have now weighs 16,300 lbs. empty. With the Ford Triton V-10, I get 8.5
mpg traveling 65 to 70 mph. Maximum wieght is 20,500 pounds. I usually
wiegh around 19,500 fully loaded which includes 75 gallons gas, 75
gallons water. I lose about 1 mpg when towing the Syncro Westy. In four
years, I have put about 60,000 miles on the two RV's. At least this is
60,000 miles less for the Syncro Camper which now has 185,000 miles on
it, (original heads and gaskets). By the way, at best, the Westy gives
me 17 mpg at those speeds. 70 to 75 mph with the AC on doing the NY to
Florida runs puts me down to 14 or 15. Especially with luggage carriers
on the roof and mounted to the hitch.
Anyway, I do agree with many of your comments about the Vanagon.
However, there are times when we need more room or more equipment. The
Westy is somewhat limited to fair weather and really only two adults.
The four of us need more space. Sometimes we travel with more. I really
wish VW would accomadate us with something a bit larger so we could keep
on Bussin'
Dennis
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
Of developtrust
Sent: Saturday, November 24, 2001 7:54 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Vanagon versus Lazy Daze motor home
I thought I would share this with the group.
<mailto:jimmary@softcom.net> jimmary@softcom.net asked me this question
in a recent private mail when he found out I had a Lazy Daze and sold it
now owning a Vanagon. "You had a Lazy Daze and now a Vanagon - how come
the switch.? LD is considered the Rolls of motorhomes."
My answer is this: First if you are considering buying a larger motor
home don't do it unless your ego is really there and you want to live in
it for extended periods of time.
How many large campers, or seagoing boats or lake pleasure boats have
you seen sitting in driveways? How many truck camper shells have you
seen sitting there also using up that driveway space? Or how many people
have had to cut a special gate into their back yards to store the large
camper or boat?
The Lazy Daze gas mileage alone (and most small Campers too) was only 5
to 7 MPG. And my Lazy Daze was only 22 feet long. (Many get only 3 MPG.)
It was not practical as an every day transportation vehicle, or for
grocery shopping and such. Great for camping (about once or twice a
year) but that is about it. The Lazy Daze is like a large boat. You take
it out a few a year to justify owning it (except at first when it is a
new toy) or use it as a guest room then it sits in the driveway and
depreciates.
Sure you have a full bathroom and shower, but my Vanagon has a
port-a-potty and a shower bag I can hang from the roof when I am not at
a campground.
Large home owners may look down on the Vanagon Camper but I assure
everyone we have a way superior vehicle. Way, way superior. The Vanagon,
gets good mileage, is versatile, can go almost anywhere, functions as an
office, a kitchen, a dining room, a bedroom, a living room, a cargo
vehicle, and you can get up and go at the drop of the hat. And it
encourages you to enjoy the outdoors and fresh air, picnics and such
instead of being in the motorhome watching TV and using the microwave.
The large motor home is a real chore to get going, can not maneuver
well, needs special handling skill, is a gas guzzler, hard to park,
needs special parts, blocks traffic, is slow uphill, irritates drivers
behind it, and on and on. AND worst of all it sits in your driveway most
of the time baking in the sun.
And here is the real kicker. My Vanagon on the resale market is worth
TWICE what the Lazy Daze could get today.
How do you like those apples?
William
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