On 2/26/2014 7:13 AM, SwissPace wrote:
> ...
>
> We wanted the beach rather than one with a permanent kitchen - there are
> a lot of German suppliers who do lift in/out combined kitchen sink and
> cooker units so now we just have to wait, unfortunately it wont arrive
> before our summer holidays but it will be in time for a test trip to
> Munich for Oktoberfest :-)
>
> <https://www.volkswagen-vans.co.uk/range/camper-vans/california-beach/>
Ah, memories! I had it's great grandfather, a '71 camper. The engine was air
cooled and in the rear and the top hinged
up from the front, but very much the same concept. The top scissors hinges were
the weak spot, just not quite heavy duty
enough. OTOH, it was the first year that the air cooling shroud had been
redesigned so cylinder #3 didn't tend to burn
out under heavy load.
And a heavy load for that little engine it was. :-) Fine for most things, but
one rowed it up mountains with the shifter.
I certainly hope you enjoy it. With your family, it makes more sense in most
ways than our larger van. Ours seats two in
the front and has seat belts for three on the bench seat (that turns in to the
bed) against the back doors, but they've
never been used.
It also has only the one bed. Really for two people who like each other. For
that, it's quite wonderful, with the space
that would otherwise accommodate other people taken up by bathroom,
refrigerator, microwave, water heater, space heater,
kitchen counter with sink, stove top and storage below, and overhead bins. It
also has a generator and A/C.
About the only things I would change is to add an electric element into the
forced air heating as an alternate to
propane, when connected to mains, and an oven. But I don't know where to put
the oven. :-) Fortunately, the microwave
may be used anywhere by briefly using the generator while it's running.
I envy you the apparent ability to use the VW for carrying large stuff around
home. We just had to put down our 22 yr.
old wagon that we used for that stuff. The same time as a letter arrived from
the air quality board offering $1,000 to
get it off the roads, it started running rather poorly, missing badly on
partial throttle. The alternatives of possibly
spending $$ to get it to run and pass the soon due smog check, just to keep an
old, tired car, vs. getting well above
value to turn it in were compelling. Too many major parts were starting to get
iffy. Of course, on the way to the
dismantling yard, it ran perfectly.
Rather sad, in a way. It was the car that paid for itself, twice now. We bought
it used 14 years ago for $1,700. Soon a
FedEx truck sideswiped it, and they paid $1,700 to "total" it. It was already
so scratched up one couldn't tell any
difference. And, the retirement incentive and saved registration, smog check
and insurance immediately reduced outgo by
$1,500, let alone whatever repairs might have been needed.
An amazingly reliable old friend is gone. I sort of have an urge to replace it,
but I'm not sure with what. Time to just
sit back and see what shows up.
> Now I have finished looking into that and work is hopefully quietening
> down I can maybe get back to taking some Photos. I have also sort of
> acquired a gallery of sorts, Kerstin will along with another start her
> own praxis (dietician and alternative medicine) and as I am liable for
> her part of the rent I said I would like to hang some photos for sale in
> the waiting room and corridors, now I just need to select some and get
> them printed up. It will only cost me the printing and you never know
> someone may like one otherwise I hope they at least enjoy them while
> they wait.
Excellent! I hope some sell - and that Kerstin's practice is a rapid success.
One Less Wagon Moose
--
What if the Hokey Pokey *IS* what it's all about?
--
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