Date: Wed, 3 Nov 1999 00:16:13 -0500
Reply-To: "Joe L." <jliasse@TOAST.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: "Joe L." <jliasse@TOAST.NET>
Subject: Re: Preparations for Rough Road Driving
In-Reply-To: <381E9A52.EF40CE4A@eoni.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
A LONG time ago (in a town far away) the local high school metal shop
class would sometimes take orders for things that they could use as a lesson
plan for the shop students. The educational theory here being that it would
show the students that they really were learning something marketable in the
"real world". Dont know if the schools around you do it but it may be worth
a couple of phone calls.
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com]On Behalf
Of Jim Arnott
Sent: Tuesday, November 02, 1999 3:01 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Preparations for Rough Road Driving
JeanneMaly wrote:
>
> 1) What is a cyclone air filter and where would I get such a thing?
I see them all the time on Hysters. I suspect that they are also available
from
any off-road supplier. What they are is an air filter that forces the air
to
rotate prior to entering the paper filter element. Thus centrifigal force
throws
the larger chunks out where they are collected prior to entering the filter
medium. You see big ones all the time on earth moving equipment. Can about
a foot
in diameter and about 18" tall. The ones on the Hysters that I've seen ate
about
6" in dia by about a foot long. Would be PERFECT for my bus... Now is I
could
just "liberate" one...
>
>
> 2) The publication goes into great detail (as such publications are wont
to do)
> about installing protective devices for the engine, etc. Are these
devices
> available anywhere? Do you think these things would be necessary for
semi-paved
> roads or are these for the African wilderness?
If you notice, at the end of the document are engineering drawings for the
fabrication of the protective devices. I'm afraid that the market is so
small that
one must have them fabricated locally. I looked into having a run of engine
protection grills made a couple of years ago for the '74-'79 buses. If I
had had a
dozen of them fab'ed up, the cost would have come in around $300 ea. All
the
expense was in the labor. The materials cost is about ten bucks. Might be
possible to have it done by the iron workers in Mexico at a reasonable
price, but
not around here...
>
>
> 3) This publication has a terrific list of spare parts. I would recommend
that
> every other Compleat Idiot like me take a look at it. I would also like
the
> non-Compleat Idiot's to give me their opinions of the list, perhaps with
advice
> as to which parts should be shared among the caravaners, with the
knowledge that
> the caravaners only expect to be on the same continent at the same time,
not
> glued at the hip.
As you are reviewing the recommended spare, remember that the Vanagon is not
available anywhere in the world except South Africa. It was NEVER available
(to my
knowledge) in the central and southern hemispheres of the Americas. If your
steering rack in your '87 Syncro goes away in Costa Rica, the replacement is
going
to have to travel a LOOOONG way to get to you. Same with many of the parts
that
are on your Vanagon. Were I contemplating such a journey, I'd be looking
for a
'68-'71 Westy. Might be able to find parts for it on the way. With a
Vanagon, you
might as well be driving a Ferarri. Heck, even the type IV motor is going
to be a
pain to maintain. (IF anything goes seriously wrong.)
Don't get me wrong. I do believe that it is do-able. This journey is
really going
to require a bunch of thought and preparation. Let me say that again...
PREPARATION! There are a couple of books that I've come across over the
years that
might help in understanding the journey that you folks are planning... One
is
called (I think. It's been about thirty-five years since I've seen it...)
"The
Journey of the Turtle". Germaine in that the route is the one that you are
planning. Don't remember the author, and it's probably out of print... The
Other
is called "Camping Out With Your Van or Minibus" by Harry Coleman, ISBN
0-87196-308-6, Copyright 1983. Author circumnavigated in a '76 Westy.
First
stop... Der Vaterland at VW to have a type I motor installed. (For free,
BTW)
Well worth a read. Has sections on: Planning and Preparation (there's that
word
again...), Taking the Trip, and Fact Sheets about many of the areas that he
crossed. For this journey, I'd consider it a MUST READ!
I have that book (Camping...) in my library, and if it's out of print, I'd
consider
loaning it to the folks planning to do this trip, though I really wouldn't
want it
to get away. I'm going to need it one of these days.
Jim
