I have found myself in greater problems than being stuck in the side of the road in my bus. However, it is frustrating- especially when you have no idea what it is thats causing the engine to stallout. In my search for the answer, I turned to AIRS. After about
fifteen disconnected phone numbers, I finally got ahold of a few folksin South Dakota who offered a hand. Not much can be done over the phone but the support was certainly appreciated. I finally got ahold of a gent who was in the area and within ten minutes offered to have me stop by, or meet up if I couldn't get Vosgoing. I did manage to get Vos running long enough to take the short hike upto the house.Getting to the point, I was welcomed into a home, put up for a night,fed, and got everything figured out. Thanks justin, I hope the fam iswell.

I've got an involved story that involves lots of help from Portland area AIRS members after a blown engine, getting taken by a local con-man, and more help and friendships from AIRS members as the story unfolds. You can read about the whole thing starting here:
http://bodeswell.org/2009/09/13/does-not-bode-well/

Not sure what we would have done without the help from folks on this list! THANK YOU!
Jason

This morning I got a call from a Karen who was driving from Oakland California to meet friends in Austin Nevada. Seems that Karens VW Bus had a seized generator and she got my name off the AIRS list. All I could do was give her a couple of phone numbers to the 'good' repair shops in town. I think just having a friendly voice on the other end of the phone helped quite a bit as she called me a couple hours later to thank me. Seems the shop changed the generator in quick time and charged her a fair amount($194$). Off she went without ruining her holiday weekend. I have had the pleasure of helping three VW Bus strangers in the last year who got my name off the AIRS list, once for a lady going back east with an unknown Bus and just wanting to know how it sounded to 'an experienced Bus owner', a couple of weeks ago, I helped with a guy named Mick from Aspen Colorado on his way to SF with a engine concern. Let him stay on my property and lent him tools which he returned when done (I was already at work). The interesting about all three AIRS events with me was ........They were all Bay Window Busses..... Maybe the Split Busses - which so many people are afraid to take on a long trip without a trailer full of spare parts- are the more reliable VW Bus. Anyways, there hasn't been much discussion of list members experiences from AIRS related emergency's. So what say ye...

Chuck Notmeyer Reno NV

So I get home a little after 5 from work on Saturday. A friend of mine says that some guys called from Green Bay saying they had my name off of the internet (AIRS) and had some questions regarding their bus. This got me curious, and the number on the caller ID just came up as unavailable.. dern. I check my email and a couple minutes after that I get a phone call from these guys. They had come to town and were at the place where I work as my friend told them I was at work still when they called before. They said they had a 71 bus and it was leaking some oil and running a little rough. Thats about all they got out before I said "be there in 10 minutes" I was there 10 minutes later loaded with tools even (took some home from work that night knowing i was going to work on the 62) They introduce themselves and we pull the bus around back and get crackin. The bus was running a little rough and not idling just right. I poppled off the dist cap and noticed by looking at the points that they were not gapped enough. A .016 feeler gauge and screwdriver later the engine was running like a top. Now for the oil leak. They said they were going through about a quart a day, but they were also driving 400 miles a day. Thats a good bit of oil to go through. Upon further inspection it looks as if its coming from behind the crank pulley. Not too much I could do about it, but I said switch to a thicker oil and that could help out a bit. They'll do that tomorrow or the next day they say. So we get to talking and I asked if they needed a place to stay or something. They accepted. We hopped on over to my house and they were looking at the 62 in the garage as I went in and got some loot and clothes and what not. We went and picked up a fuel filter, then headed over to our shop (a few guys in town have a private shop where we store/work on cars, get together, just hang around etc) We drove around a bit and I showed them the town and we went and picked up some beverages for the night. Got back to the shop and started talking some more and doing a bit of drumming (hand drums are also made at the shop)... We talked about their travels and their plans and what brought them to get a bus. Well, they're two college guys from Nebraska who wanted to go on a trip for the summer as they had been taking trips up to canada, colorado, montana etc in a "normal" car just for fun. They wanted to make a big trip out of it and decided to buy a bus for the occasion. They picked a *nice* bus! Its a red/white 71 bus with a moderate amount of gear in it. It has a nice engine and the nicest looking underside I've seen on a bus in a long time. They got it for a real good price and put an alternator on the engine and did a few other things before they left on the trip. They had been on the road for a week. So we pulled the buses around the back of the shop and set up. They moved their stuff around so they could sleep in the bus, and I pulled out the bed in my bus and decided to camp there for the night. It was a beautiful night for sleeping. We went back in and did a bit of drumming and got to talking some more. There were a couple of other minor things they wanted me to look at, so we agreed to take care of it in the morning... So a handfull of bottle caps later we went to bed. Got up in the morning sweating (sleeping bag with the sun beating down on me, i hate that) and decided to head home for a bit to take a shower. We headed back to my place and everyone cleaned up, then we headed around town and met a few of the local bus nuts, picked up some grub, and back to the shop. I crawl under the bus just looking around and notice the backing plate on the right rear is wet on the bottom. Uh oh me says. I jack up the bus and pull of the drum and sure enough, its soaked. Real leaky wheel cylinder. Hmmm, called up the parts places in town that were open, and nobody can get one until Tuesday. I called up a few of the local bus guys and nobody has a new one on hand. So I figure that a used good one is better than a leaky one. I pulled one off of a backing plate I had (67 even) and went back over to the shop, but not before stopping and picking up some miracle-in-a-can. Some of you refer to it as brake parts cleaner. Personally, I worship the stuff. The good stuff that is. Anyways, we get back, and I tear into it and replace it. Then we bleed the brakes, use the brakes some, and tear off the drum again to verify it isn't leaking. No leaks, good news. Spray the shoes down with the brake parts cleaner, and rough em up with some sandpaper and all is well. After thats all done we head on over the the engine. It seemed as if it were running a bit rich, so I adjusted the carb per the Bentley manual. It seemed to help a bit. Checked over the engine, checked the timing, etc. I also put hose clamps on every fuel line connection (they were missing a couple) and also put a safety wire on the fuel inlet to the carb. I've had this come out on me before. It is *not* fun. We cooked up some burgers in the mean time, talked some more, drove around a bit more, and checked out each others buses. I took some pictures even. All too soon they were on their way out. They were headed to Milwaukee, then Chicago, and who knows where from there. They've just been staying at campground, wal mart parking lots, etc and loving every bit of it. They have to be back to school the 24th of August and they plan to travel until whenever they feel like stopping. They're headed to the east coast and just taking their time and taking everything in. I believe they even posted to the list before they left when they got the bus. I'm not sure though as I haven't been up on all the posts (T2 list) as of late. Nick and Jason are their names. If these guys call on you, or you see them in their bus, by all means stop and say hi. They're great guys. I wish I got more calls like this from the AIRS list. Once we got to talking it was like we were old friends. I could have left $500 cash on the table and left them when I went to the gas station or something and been completely comfortable with it. These are good and honest guys just out looking to have some fun. Oh yeah, they needed some tunes for their bus, so we gave em a radio and some speakers. They've just been enjoying the hum of the engine till now enjoying the sights and sounds and just going wherever they feel :) It was tempting to pack up ol Stella and join in on the trip! But, obviously I didn't. I (and I'm sure many others!) would love to do something like this. These guys are actually doing it. They've got a good bus to go with, and the best of intentions. These are new VW owners, but they went over the bus pretty well before they left, and havea pretty good basic understanding of things. They carried a few spare parts (I donated a clutch cable to the cause as they were without one) and tools so they've the right idea! When I came home from work I had nothing but a boring weekend face. After this my weekend we well spent. Thanks for the company guys, and I wish you the best of luck on your trip!! Sorry if any of this was rambling :) Isaiah Just a little update on the guys that stopped by here a week or so ago from Nebraska. They and they're 71 bus are in New York today and should be to Maine during the day some time. They're doing well and haven't had any more problems, but they say something is rattling in back, probably engine tin or something of the like. Does anyone have a list of shows coming up on the east coast? Anywhere from Maine down to Florida. I'd like to get these guys a list as they were wanting to attend some shows/campouts while on their trip. Thanks!

Isaiah Situational Engineer- DBG

This went out to the type2 mailing list: My friend Nick Palmer just blew a spark plug out of his engine block -- I'm assuming the plug was mis-threaded and it finally just popped out. So, he's looking for tips on a mechanic/machine shop in the area where he can get a heli-coil put in his head, and, if possible, a driveway where he can pull his engine/head to take it to said shop. Barring a friendly driveway, a reputable VW mechanic to get towed to would suffice. So, if anyone can help him out with any of the above information, he'd really appreciated it: Nick Palmer, 916.837.5683 (cell phone) Call him anytime as he's anxious for any info. alternately, if you can't get through, contact me via email. oh, as the subject line says, he's in Coachella, California and he's driving a '77 Riviera: 2.0L, FI, Manual, Olive Green. -Tommy Tarka

Update: V W TECH made a mobile call to Indo yesterday, and delivered two brand new heads to Nick for his 77. He said he was having a local mechanic do the install today. Bob

Reply: I just wanted to take a second to say thanks to Bob for delivering heads to me the same day I called him, and at a darn good price too! Indio Dune Buggy installed them for me while I watched. What a treat to finally see my engine apart and back together! Though I could have done without the cost! It took them a little longer than I would have liked (2.5 days) however I think they did a good job, and I certainly learned a lot. There are a couple of remaining issues that I need to sort out, but I will post about them in the near future.

-Nick

Well my wife and I just got back from our first ever long trip in our yellow 74 westy. We traveled from our home in Atmore, Alabama to Maryville TN to take our daughter back to college. 1109 total miles. We carried our AIRS list for the states of Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee with us, but we didn't need to use it. We left last Thursday morning, and returned home this afternoon, Tuesday, August 29, 2000. I was devastated to read the news about Kristin when I caught up on my type 2 reading. Sunday, on our way back home, we had an encounter with a vehicle that was quite a bit larger than us, and it kind of put a damper on our spirits that day. We also had trouble that evening locating a campground. Up until that point we had stayed in three very nice campgrounds, but I never once considered calling on an AIRS list person. Instead, we stayed in a motel. In the future, I may decide to call on an AIRS list person. I know that I will be far more open to the idea of someone camping in my pasture now than I was before this trip. I am also going to carry far better campsite locating documents than a map with a green tent by a city name.

Joel Lambert, Atmore, AL 74 westy, 75 bus, 65 type 3 ghia

A Couple called around 9:30 Saturday night and left about 2:30 am Sunday morning from my house. Their generator pulley had started to turn freely on them and they where about to loose their only fan belt. I didn't have a "correct" pulley but the one we put on might have worked for the drive ahead of them. The Guys name was Chad, forgot the young girls name. This is a couple that David at Bug Junction had also helped. I hope they will make it all he way, but I doubt it, if you have any info on them making it to their destination please let us know, we would feel better for them knowing they are safe and off the road.

Meredith and Debbie

Heres a message from the type2 list a while back, sent out to get others opinions on a motorist in trouble: Kristin, traveling on a deadline toward CA just called me about 70 miles outside Memphis. Please read through this note and see what you think. She's had a string of bad luck and now is fighting a "bucking" bus on the way in. Here's what she described to me: Her '71 DP bus is basically bucking between gears. She says when she shifts, she feels like the bus is pulling back on her. She said the bus has basically no power, but she also told me that she's able to make speeds of 50-60...so there's *some* power there. I'm actually thinking fuel delivery as in fuel pump, but I could be wrong here. Hope I'm right, as I'm pretty sure I have a spare fuel pump for a '71. Here is some of the other info I got from her: She had a bad mechanic experience where dude didn't tighten the flywheel right and it flew off into the bellhousing, chewing tranny. She managed to get it to another mechanic who pulled the motor and made things right. 2nd mechanic had to turn the idle screw on her 34pict3 all the way in to get the bus to run, but I guess he thought some of the problem would just work itself out and let her go on her way, emploring her to take it easy. Funny, he pulled a 30pict off because he thought that was why she had no power. Maybe mechanic #2 missed something too, but at least he did her right as far as flywheel fix at a reasonable (what she could afford) rate. Obviously, the details I'm getting just before midnight here are a little sketchy, but I told her to come by early and I'll try to help her before work. Any ideas would be appreciated. Remember, the main symptom is bucking on the highway, especially between shifts. She also mentioned that she's having to lift the gas pedal up with her foot to reduce RPMs in traffic, which I'm wondering about. Could this have something to do with the brake booster and possibly a messed up diaphram in that? Thanks! Joe PS. If you're between TN and CA (I-40ish, I presume) and you want to leave contact info (city and phone number) for her, I'll pass it on just in case.

Thanks! Joe

>>>...I got a call on sunday morning from a Richard from South Africa who is touring the states with his wife. he is coming from chicago via I-90 and just needs a place to park the bus for a night. seemed like an interesting person, im anxious to meet him.

Bob Margiotti Cleveland, Ohio

>>>...so, last might i was working and i get a call from a guy named john. he tells me that he's broken down in nashville on hwy 65 and 40. he said he needed a fuel pump for his girlfriend's 74 bay. i told him that i didn't think i had a baywindow one, but we could take a look if he wanted to crash in my driveway. he did so. i got home from work at around 10:00p to find john and his buddy (sorry, i forgot your name) hangin' out in the bay. to make a short story long, we looked through my stuff and found a fuel pump off of my old motor. we compared the top halves of both pumps (which was really the only part he needed) and they looked darn close. so john did the swap and it was a successful swap. i think he is going to put a brand new fuel pump on there asap just to be safe. so all was well. i met some very cool vw friends, had some good vw talk, and had one vw in and out of my driveway and john on his way. john (better known as volknut@1st.net) is a list member which made the experience all that much cooler. john makes ther very cool vw stickers that i highly endorse. he gave me a few in exchange for the pump and i had them on my bus immediately. my favorite is "don't laugh, your girlfriend could be in here" chat ya later,

casey

I would like to tell you about an awesome AIRS member. His name is Todd Thompson from Germantown, Maryland. I have been having the type2 blues for a couple of months (fuel injection problems, I thought). I contacted Mr. Thompson from the AIRS list (Todd had 'coffee/talk' marked on his info)and told him my problems. He listened with asympathetic ear and gave very good advice. He is very easy going and helpful and we decided that I needed an engine. Since my bus wouldn't survive a trip to the junkyard for our quest, he drove me around for several hours on a Sunday. He went way beyond the call of duty for a virtual stranger. It is heartwarming to know that there is someone like him that will extend himself in such a fashion. I would like to thank the AIRS group and a special "shout-out" to Todd Thompson! Happy trails,

Howard Anderson

>>>......3 calls in 3 days? Odd, considering I havent gotten but one call and a visit from the Millars since the inception (of AIRS). Is it VW migration season? 1) Got a call from some young travelers from New York staying on South Beach. Went visiting on sunday, 71 westy engine sounds a bit rough, like 3 cyl firing rough :(. They saw a mechanic today who said 'rebuild 1100$' so tomorrow they are off for a 2nd opinion from a pretty highly regarded shop and well see how it goes. I have to be wary of a mechanic saying rebuild 1100$ without suggesting a new engine possibility pr explaining why in some detail. 2) A pleasant girl with an 83 who is preparing for a trip to new hampshire? and just wanted reassurance that things seem cool before she takes off. 3) Just a few minutes ago some travellers in a 69 heading for key west just asking about the area and crashing spots. May drop by on the way back through (to Savannah) for a visit. I guess like the Mortons salt slogan "When it rains, It pours."

andy miami fl

>>>....Pulled out of Lenoir a little early, had plans to meet some folks before I got to Snoopy's. The Express was grumbling along making all the right noises as we ran the usual route down I77 between Charlotte & Columbus. All of a sudden she started missing and backfiring, losing power, then quit completely. The oil pressure was up as long as she was turning over so I didn't think we'd suffered internal engine damage. Rolled to the side of the road, broke out the barely adequate tool kit and VOM to see what the problem might be. Oil level was fine, and I couldn't help but notice the absence of a large gaping hole in the engine case. There was fuel in the filter, a squirt could be heard going into the carbs when I tickled the throttle. Hmmm. Just for fun, tried her again and she started right up. No sense sitting along the side of the road with the rigs and a$$*)!@s er SUV drivers blowing by at 80+. She was still backfiring and making almost no power but we managed the 1/4 mile to the nearest exit. Power to the coil, the signal from the Pertronix didn't follow the pattern points usually show. Must be the igniter went bad. No problem, put in the extra dizzy with the points. Always carry stuff like that. Open the spare bus locker and find the extra dizzy. No points! <insert unkind word here> That's right, helped someone else out, gave them the spares, never replaced them. <another unkind word> There's nothing at this exit but litter. The whole time I was there, nobody took it from either direction. Probably 1 of those great ideas some politician had - growth opportunity for Bubbaville. Fortunately, I had John's phone #. Just looked, he's not on the AIRS list, but I am so this IS an AIRS story. Called John, he was more than willing to help. He left his house drove almost 40 miles with 2 kids that weren't his (they had company), and brought me a set of points. While I was waiting, pulled the dizzy, then sat and played my guitar for a while. John showed up, in no time dizzy was back in and timed. the BIG MOMENT was here! Turn the key, she starts right up idles just fine. Big grin and thumbs up ease her into gear and KABLAM BOOMITY POP POP she's backfiring again. <yet another unkind word>. Doublecheck gap and timing, both are spot on. Hmmm. Random firing, if not timing, must be the coil. But coils >never< go bad. But wait, I had one go bad after High Country Bus fest a couple years ago. Pull the coil, put the meter across it, infinite resistance across the primary side. <even more unkind words> John smiled, said get in lets go get a coil. We drove a long time before we saw any civilization. The parts store in town was closed. No problem sez he, we'll get the coil off my bus. So we went chez John and Anna, get to see the imaginary bus - yes, the Terrapin Flier is real! John pulls the coil, back in the car, and off we go back to the Express. Install coil, she fires right up, running great. John follows me to his exit and off he goes. Didn't tell me my taillights were out but the really nice South Carolina State Trooper did. So did the not so nice one later on. But that's a different tale.

Mad Uncle Dave

>>>...On Sat. nite about 10:30 the phone rang. A young woman quickly introduced herself and told me that she had my name from the AIRS list. She and her boyfriend had just purchased a bus (1967 Westy)that day in northern Va. and were on their way home to FL. After they stopped in Greensboro for gas they could not get the bus to go into gear. After playing twenty questions I gave them my address and told them they could have it towed to my house and we would have a look in the morning. They arrived about midnight and we chatted about this and that and decided that perhaps there was a failure of the clutch or perhaps the throw out bearing fork. This was their first bus and they had it for less the 5 hours and did not know a lot about VWs. We all know how much I know :) In the morning I called LBC member Chad Sibert and asked him if we could borrow a clutch off of junk motor and he was more then happy to do so. After picking up the clutch we proceeded with motor pulling 101. After everything was disconnected and the motor was hanging by the studs , LBC member John Stainkamp roared up in the driveway in his 61 DC. Whenever John pulls up I feel like the calvary has arrived :) We pulled the motor but much to our chagrin the clutch, fork and all related parts were fine. The owner of the bus jumped in and tried to put it through the gears. Many loud clunks were heard. Uh oh! The plug was removed from the tranny. The magnetic plug was covered in bright shavings and the tranny only yielded a cup full of brown goo. The axle boots were in bad shape but there was no major evidence of gear oil all over the place. The tranny had been dry for some time. LBC member Roy Nilsen was summoned to obtain the only gallon of Stalube GL4 that was to be found on a Sunday morning. We hoped in vain that by filling the tranny back up it might help unstick itself. We also fussed endlessly with a stupid Hurst shifter that had no doubt been installed by the same idiot that painted the dash and the steering wheel brown. The bus would not come out of third gear. We gave it everything we had. Sadly the bus left the same way it came - on the back of a tow truck. I am sorry that we could not fix the bus but I am glad that we were able to try. Thanks to John, Chad and Roy for putting up a good fight and spending a day trying to help some strangers in a bus make it home. They truly appreciated it! --

Chris Greensboro, North Carolina

>>>.....It happend this past Monday night. I received a call from a guy who had printed out the AIRS list to take with him on his trip. He was looking for a safe place to park for the night.. told him he could park in my driveway, gave him directions and in just a bit he was here.. He is driving from California to eventually Alabama, just taking the back roads and siteseeing. He came in... borrowed the stove and cooked his dinner and then retired for the night in his '71VW bus.... and the next morning had breakfast with us and then was on his way. Not too sure which way he was going. but was headed kind of south to start with... His name is Kent... he is a really nice guy and hoped to be calling on more list members during his travels. Was glad to be able to offer a place to stay,

Gail Doles Jonesboro, AR

>>>...Thanks to every one involved in putting on Everybus. I had a great time talking with old and new friends. It was great to see so many buses together. The AIRS list saved my butt on the way home. I had a rear wheel bearing go out in Suffolk,Va. on Monday morning. I pulled out my Airs list and called a fellow named Jason in Va. Beach. He let me leave my beloved (DHARMA) at his house until I could return to get it with a trailer. I could have fixed it there, but I had to be back to work at 2:00 am Tues. morning. A great big thank you to him and everyone on the list.

Thanks,

Dave Parsons

>>>...I got a call Sunday afternoon from a Gentleman on the coast of NC, referred to me by G. Marv Krupp from the call to him placed by the aforementioned Gentleman originating from the A.I.R.S. List. Got it? His daughters 79 Westfalia had ceased operation at Brevard College. It is her first semester in a new town and they were unfamiliar with the territory, both mechanical and geographic. The Gentleman I think misunderstood the nature of A.I.R.S., and seemed to think that we are a list of mechanics for hire. I had to repeatedly refuse both his and his daughters offers of money. He found us surfing via the Type 2 site. They are not members and apparently had no knowledge of this entire subterranean vista. Anyway, a bus was in need, so my wife (after some sharp trading, I had to agree to vacuum after we got back) and I loaded up in the A***a to check it out. When I got there she wanted to give me the keys so I could tow it away. I smiled but I did not laugh out loud. She is a very nice girl, and helped me open it up for an inspection. She cranked it up and it ran very roughly. First thing, I checked the points and they were burned moderately, at least enough to run as badly as I had observed. I showed them to her and asked if she had another set. I thought for sure that all busses had a spare, but not hers. I carry a set even though I have the Pertronix, cause, well, you never know. So we offered her a ride to the parts store. This was a SMART girl. She immediately begged off to go call her Dad. It took me a moment to figure out what was going on, until my wife clued me in.... NEVER GET IN THE CAR WITH A STRANGER! So my wife and I went to the parts store while the girl was calling and bought the last set of points in stock. I didn't have a timing light with me so I bought a cheap feeler gauge and by the time we got back she was waiting at the bus. I put the points in and she started it but absolutely no improvement. I fiddled with the points but no luck. Then I noticed that the idle air bypass valve supply hose from the air intake boot to the valve had a cracked and broken elbow at the valve, leaving the hose to hang free. That's a lot of air to bypass the AFM. Then out of curiosity I checked the oil. The bottom of the dipstick was definitely wet, and if I had to guess I would say that she was at least three quarts low. I asked the girl if she had ever checked the oil. She said that she knew it was probably low. Hmmm, I asked her if the oil light had ever come on. She said yes, it came on during the eight hour trip up to school two weeks ago, but it went out after a while, so she didn't stop. At this point my wife volunteered that while I had my head in the engine compartment holding the throttle to keep it running it was blowing voluminous clouds of smoke. I asked her what colour and she said, dark. Driving a bus should be a carefully considered and educated decision. I have referred the girl and her father to our local ASE Master Mechanic. In retrospect, I see it could have been much worse for her, and I am very very very grateful that I had the opportunity to help.

Tom and Dana Cates Asheville, NC

>>>I want to let everyone, especially AIRS members, know that Kathy and I successfully made our round trip to Michigan and back to Long Island, New York this past week. Even though I didn't have to call any AIRS members for help, it sure was a nice to know I could if I had to. Thank you to all AIRS members, where ever you are. Our 71 westy ran fine for a little over 2000 miles this past week. We did experience the hot start problem a few times, so the starter will be coming out soon for a good cleaning and inspection. One morning the engine shut down just a few minutes after starting. It was sudden, just as if it was shut off. Seemed like an electrical problem to me, so I opened the distributor cap and had a look see. Everything was OK, so I closed it up, checked for spark and got a good hot one, then tried to start it back up. It started on the first try and ran fine the rest of the time since. Gas mileage was 23.7 mpg, and I did have to add 1/2 a quart of oil during the trip. I guess the biggest problem we had is that the plumbing for the sink drain started leaking in the cabinet and got the surrounding floor wet. Most of the driving to get to Michigan and back was on hiways 80, 23, and 75. As you can guess, we were the slowest thing on the roads. Most other drivers seemed to just go past us and on their way. In western PA we did have one New York driver lay on the horn as he followed very close behind us and then passed, but even more people gave us a smile and a wave. Of course as we were driving around lower Michigan for a week many young people pointed and waved as we drove by. I'm sure some of them had never seen a bus before. One young lady had a real laugh as she checked us into a camp ground. Part of the paper work asked for vehicle make, model and year. When she asked for the year I said I thought the bus was older than her and asked what year she was born. Her reply was "85". When I told her the VW came out of the factory in 71 we laughed for 5 minutes, at least. I've got to say, that there seemed to be a real lack of buses and a/c VW's in particular in and around Flint, MI. Yeah, yeah, I know, MI is the capital of the US automotive industry. While we were there we did get to meet John H. , list and AIRS member. Of course since he too has a 71 westy we each had to inspect the other guys bus. I sure wish I had his interior. Over a cold beer our wives decided that there must be some common traits in folks that want to own old VWs. They talked about making up a questionaire for list members to find out what it is we all have in common. Personally, I call it class! Also on this trip our bus revealed it’s name to us. It’s now called John Dear. You see, I just gave it a quick coat of paint a few weeks ago, and the color was called John Deere Green. So when you see us, don’t forget to ask how John is doing. All in all the trip was a great success and adventure. This is the farthest we’ve ever been by bus and were prepared for all sorts of problems. I’m sure glad we didn’t have any.

Paul A Huntington Station, New York

>>>Chad and Willa (and their dog, Butter) called me yesterday, about 5:30pm. I swiped a pulley from a spare motor and took my dog with me, and found them at the Quality Inn off of I-385 in Greenville. Installed the pulley, tried to find a spare belt in my parts stash for them (I think I gave my last one away), hung out for a few minutes, swapped e-mail addresses... They are driving a purple '72 with an upright in it, bought recently from a bug that had been sitting for awhile. They are strapped for cash, and the engine compartment looks pretty rough. I hope they make it, they need all the help they can get... The crank pulley is pretty rough, and I'm sure it is shredding the belt (evident by all the black rubber dust in the engine compartment). I advised them to get a spare belt as soon as they find a parts store open... Meredith, I have one of your screwdrivers, that Chad found in his toolbox... Viva la Airs List!

David F. Martin

>>>We got a call at home this afternoon from "Shawn" [Sean?] of Spokane, WA. He was in Tacoma visiting friends. I still don't know his last name. Seems he came over Snoqualmie Pass last night in a downpour, and before he reached the summit he lost his 1 [and only] wiper arm. Off his '62 Type 2. With safari windshields/windscreens. He was desperate to find at least 1 replacement arm and blade so he could return to Spokane tonight, over Snoqualmie Pass, in a downpour. My daughter called all over the Tacoma area trying to track down the part, without success. I discussed the situation with Shawn, covering all possible scenarios including a large supply of RAIN-X. His friends found a couple of leads up Seattle way, and Shawn was considering following them up but his time was getting pretty tight. He promised to let us know how his journey home panned out.

Fred Stoermer Tacoma, WA USA

>>>In the middle of a big cross country trip, I happened to print out some names of folks off the AIRS list from Seattle to San Francisco, and damn if I didn't use it. Just 30 miles out of Seattle i threw a rod in my 71 camper bus. Arggh! No worry, I called a few folks off of the list, one of them (Terry Tacker of Puyallup) towed me with a special bus towbar, and another (Fred Stoermer of Tacoma?) came just to see how things went. They recommended Ovals Motor Sports of Federal Way. I had a rebuilt engine put in, and after several days of diagnosing heating problems, Oval's got me back on the road. Thanks to all in the area for their help and concern, and Oval's for being patient with a weary traveler and helping to solve the overheating problems!

Thanks to terry and Fred from the AIRS list, as well as others who wrote in and called with suggestions. wink, still on the road.

Daniel Winkert of New Orleans

>>>Just returned from a little voyage from Clarksville TN to Fort Walton Beach FL. Everything was going well until I got about 15 miles from Fort Walton Beach. At that point in time (which was about 3:00 AM), the little noise coming from the rear of the bus got really loud and then went completely silent. The bus floated across the road a few times before I managed to get her to slide to a stop on the shoulder. When I got out to see what happened, I found that the driver's side rear wheel had come completely off the vehicle. The axle was shredded, cv joint sheared apart, breaks torn to pieces, tire blown out, and the back of the bus was resting with the shocks on the ground. My wife, a friend, two dogs, all of our luggage for the 4-day weekend, and myself were now stuck on the side of the road. Nobody we knew was home, all of the garages and tow trucks we called we're still closed and no cab would come and pick all of us up (would only pick up to two people and they weren't willing to do it for the money I had). And then, the cell phone started dying. So, we set out reflectors, popped the top, and went to sleep thinking daylight would bring better news. Around 6:30 AM we were still unable to get in touch with anybody (I spliced the cell-phone power pack into the bus - ok, so the wife forgot to bring the cigarette lighter adaptor, but wasn't going to make an issue of it right there - You know). Finally, just before 7:00 AM, I turned to the last resort and called AIRS volunteer Victor Cardona (HUGE ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR MR. CARDONA). Victor was great. He came right over and picked us all up, drove us all the way into Fort Walton Beach over to my wife's friend's house, and even recommended a great mechanic. Thank you so much Victor. So, we were finally able to get the bus towed to Little Motors off of Highway 98 near Hulbert Field owned and operated by Jeff (Huge plug for him - I'll get all the specific data later when I get my other bag back - another story). Jeff was closed for 4th of July, but came in on Monday the 3rd since he knew we were from out of town and had to get back to work, took an axle from another bus and had our Bess running and ready to go by late Monday afternoon. Also, he got us another tire because he wouldn't let us leave without having a spare. So, he got another axle, fixed the breaks, new tire, and all put it all together in perfect working order on his day off for people from out of town and charged us less than $100 (We were already trying to figure out which one of my organs we were going to have to sell to pay for this). What a guy!!! Seriously, he did a great job and helped us out of a very tough spot. Thank you so much Mr. Cardona and Jeff from Little Motors. You guys are what makes owning a VW so special. Also, having the weekend that we did (very tough), it was great to see what great people are still out there. Great for the soul! Thank You so much,

Darrin K. Pierce '74 Westy

>>>One Saturday I got call from a couple traveling from Washington to Mexico. Their throw out bearing disintegrated because the return spring on the tranny gave out. They told me that some guy in San Francisco had given them a print out of the AIRS list. They too had never heard of any of the mailing lists. After calling every place within about a 50 mile radius I ended up giving them the spring off my bug in the garage. It's not going to be on the road for a while so I have the luxury of looking for another one at my leisure. I still hear from them via email every once in a while. Last I heard they were in Las Vegas having CV joint problems.

Chuck & Jan

>>>>"Before I went on my Texas road trip, I printed out the AIRS lists for each state I was passing through (geographically, that is). At the time it was more for "the mojo factor" because this voyage was intended to be a cruise -- carefully planned and uneventful. Shuffleboard on Tuesday, water aerobics on Wednesday -- like that. Which it was, until an apparently despondent deer crossed my path on the first leg of my way home. So here I am, in the dark, in the middle of Texas hill country, trying to figure out what this wet stuff is all over the inside of my cab (windshield washer fluid -- whew!). I didn't even have time to panic, it happened so fast. Everything seemed to be rolling okay, so I drove on until I could find a place to camp for the night. This turned out to be a rest area about 20 miles east of Sonora. It was a little late to call back to Art Lynch (with whom I'd had dinner just a few hours before), so I called David S. who is two hours earlier and ran down my plan to get the bus looked over in San Angelo. He gave me the number for his friends Rob & Kim (from his Mustang life). It was the next morning that I called Art and he gave me Rex Rogers number in San Angelo, who's number was incorrect -- oops! It was on the way into San Angelo that the bus started running badly and actually stalled at one point (when the idle solenoid stripped out?). Jim, a stranger on the side of the road, stopped to help and followed me on to the next town Eldorado. He and Rob hooked me up with John Talley at J&O in San Angelo. John got my carburetor hooked back up. He's honest and nice! And he knows VW's. His dad had the local VW dealer back in the day and he worked there before starting his own business. I never did get hooked up with Rex, but Art's assistance was invaluable -- and I'm still stunned that Mike G. was ready to bring me an engine if it came to that. David and Art got me through my first valve adjustment. I was really nervous about getting on the road out of San Angelo, but I made it home just fine -- another 27 hours of driving! Knowing I had that support network on the way home made all the difference to me. And made my parents very happy. Even now, with me at 40, my mom still worries.... :-) The big difference is that now, I *let* her...."

Nikki Elko

>>>>"I met Aaron Badertscher of Ohio, online and chatted about some camping trips, which led to arrangements to meet up on the way to EveryBus . Aaron had a chance to talk to John Morris, and John decided to join our carabus! Actually by the tone of his email... he seemed worried that a *split* bus of his would hold up the tempo of the Bay brigade..... Well, fortunatly we met up with John and Aaron in PA. and carabused to Va. to meet with [ Honorable mention] Jeff Stewart on our way to EveryBus. You can read the trip report on the EveryBus page,, But what I wanted to say here,,,, We never knew any of these people 2 months before EveryBus,,, But Jeff Stewart opened his house to a whole tribe of unknowns,,,, and John Morris did a very kind thing,,, and For this I think they need a Hip Hip hooray! When Dave's Bus Finally quit running ,, due to the engine block completely separating from the trans... we left it in VA.. JOHN was at home by this time ,,, Left his house in OHIO and drove to Va. Picked up Dave's Bus and TRAILORED it to CANADA! Prolly about 15 hrs one way,, then another 5 hrs home! He wasn't called on,, or asked to help out,,, but he met a guy who he heard had problems,,, so he OFFERED to help out!! WOW ! He is on the AIRS page .... John Wrote on the Airs page... CAMPING SPOT: MOVE IN!!! :) Wow! unbelievable! This is My second usage of the AIRS pages,,,,, While in Colorado Springs last year [ 99 ] Dave Russell helped me work on my Bus in his garage... on a fuel problem,, [ I don't like working on fuel in my own Garage, let alone asking someone else to allow me to do it in theirs! ] And he gladly took a DAY OFF WORK to help me!! Thanks Dave! Thankfully this time it wasn't My Bus that was in trouble again,,, But , back to my point:

I genuinely want to THANK the people....Thank You to The ingenious persons who thought of the AIRS, Thank You to those that offer their names on the pages for nothing in return ... helping others.. Thank You to the keeper of the airs site ...... Thank You to Type2.. and most important here today,,, Thank You to John Morris of Ohio on behalf of the CANADIAN contingent in the EveryBus Carabus!!!!"

Jamie Rivers Cambridge Ontario Canada