Date: Mon, 17 May 2004 21:14:48 -0700
Reply-To: alexander may <mr_may21@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: alexander may <mr_may21@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: What to do if you're really stranded in a Vanagon
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed
I had to tow my Vanagon home because of a burnt out O2 sensor that clogged
my exhaust. Fortunetly, I had AAA plus and the tow truck driver came
shortly. I asked him what would happen if a tow needed to be greater than
the alotted 100 miles AAA gives to its plus members. He said that after the
free 100 miles, the extra is paid out of pocket at the expense of the owner
of the vehicle. Now the question is, what would be more expenisve...
renting a Uhaul for the extra 400 miles back home, or paying the tow truck
driver??
>From: Craig Oda <craigoda@GMAIL.COM>
>Reply-To: Craig Oda <craigoda@GMAIL.COM>
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>Subject: Re: What to do if you're really stranded in a Vanagon
>Date: Mon, 17 May 2004 19:16:21 -0700
>
>I believe there are four options for the stranded vanagon puzzle:
> 1) rent a u-haul AND truck and tow the beast home
> 2) drop the van off at a mechanic, rent a car, drive home, then
>return for the van a few weeks later
> 3) camp out in town and wait for a fix
> 4) use AAA Plus and pay the extra mileage over 100 miles
>
>option 1 seems a little problematic because a person would have to
>find both a U-Haul
> and a truck rental dealer. This isn't really an option in some
>places out in the boonies.
> I've been stranded in a town where there was no car rental agency,
>much less a U-Haul.
> I had to borrow a truck from the gas station owner and drive a few
>hundred miles to get to
> a town with a Hertz. Still, I might opt for this if I was stranded
>in an area fairly close to a town.
>
>Option 2 is what I did the last time, after eventually finding a
>rental agency that had a spare
>sub-compact vehicle.
>
>Option 3 was not feasible since it would take about a week and a half
>to order a new transmission
>and get it installed.
>
>Option 4 seems interesting to me. I've never tried this. Has anyone
>had any experience convincing
>a tow truck driver to make a 500 mile trip? What's involved here?
>
>
>
>
>On Mon, 17 May 2004 12:48:20 -0700, Jim Kennedy <jk@projectdesign.com>
>wrote:
> >
> > What to do if you're really stranded in a Vanagon, far from home and
>cannot
> > effect repairs.
> >
> > Once when traveling with my wife and 3 little people from Grand Junction
> > Colorado to home in San Diego in my '87 GL, it started doing the
>Digifant
> > dive. Lurch, cough, blah. You haven't lived until you coast deadstick
>to
> > the side of I-70 in Utah FAR from ANYTHING with your family of 5, on a
>100
> > degree summer day. Not even cellphone coverage. This was my first
> > experience with this kind of glitch, and I was clueless. Fortunately I
>was
> > able to get it to the next town (Salina). This is what you do. Get
>ahold
> > of a Uhaul and TOW DOLLY and you are set. Expensive save, but it's just
>a
> > good thing to remember...
> >
> > Jim
> > San Diego '87 GL
> >
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