Faults:

Heads replaced at 85000 miles. VW paid for the parts; I paid for the labor.

Coolant tubes from radiator to engine replaced. 10 hours labor! (fuel tank had to come out, etc)

Over the years (21), I have had almost everything replaced except. transmission, engine, front end, alternator, starter. Most of the main systems on this vehicle have performed admirably for 24+ years!

General Comments:

After buying this vehicle in California in early 86, I moved with it and my wife and dog to Oregon.

In 1987, I brought our son home from the hospital after his birth.

Took same son to school on his first day of Kindergarten in 1993.

Ditto, 1st day of middle school (1999).

This bus (Annie) brought our son to his Bar Mitzvah at age thirteen (his age not Annie's) 2001.

First day of HS (2001)

Graduation (2005)

Dragged many of his belongings to college at U of Oregon (2005).

And maybe the most amazing thing that Annie has done was to pull a tent camper (750 lbs) all over the West on family vacations! From Southern California to Yosemite to Redwood Coast to Vancouver BC (6 times) to Jasper and Banff in the Canadian Rockies, and almost everywhere in between!

My mechanic said that pulling the trailer would eat my transmission alive! Well, 19 years after buying the Tent Trailer, the tranny is going strong and the mechanic is out of business!

I know that tomorrow, the whole Bus could blow out, but as you can tell, I'll always have the Legends of Annie the 1983.5 Waterboxer!!

I've told my wife that if I go before her (the wife, not Annie), my wish is to be buried in her on our Oregon land! She said that she'd think about!

As this narrative ends it is clear that Annie has been a large part of all the Landmark moments I've had in the last 20 plus years.

Faults:

Transmission has been rebuilt twice. Master brake cylinder leaked for years until I got tired of adding brake fluid and put in a new one. Alternator brackets snap off repeatedly. Starter relay needed replacing at 160,000 miles.

General Comments:

I knew when I bought this old, high-mileage Vanagon for $3,000 that it would require some work and money to keep it running. I stripped out the old bench seats and converted it into a camping machine with a queen-size bed, wood cabinets, cook stove and fresh water tank - much more room than a Westfalia. My wife and I used this Vanagon to travel throughout Alaska three times along with our Golden Retriever. Sure, we had a few minor breakdowns, but it was a wonderful vehicle. The view through the front window and the ride were fabulous. We don't take long trips in it anymore, but still love driving it, locally. I'm having a new Wasserbox engine installed next week and also having it repainted and a new Alpine sound system installed. When you pump $4 to $5 grand into an old vehicle like an '83 Vanagon, you have to like driving it a lot - and I do!

Faults:

So, far nothing has gone wrong on this van. I live in North Carolina and bought it from a man in Arizona. He took GREAT care of it and it made the trip from Arizona to North Carolina. I didn't go straight back, I mad stops in Roswell, New Mexico and Houston. It ran like a champ and it seemed to eat up the chance to go on a nice long road trip.

General Comments:

My only wish is that it got better gas mileage. It didn't do too bad, considering its 20 years old and so big. Maybe I just need to get used to it.

I love the space I have inside.