Solvang

Our next entry brings forth some necessary tribulations of owning a Vanagon which is maintenance. I initially brought our camper into have the rear brakes and bad idle checked out which turned into the #2 cylinder having zero compression due to a faulty lifter. After a $2,100 "brake" job we were off and stopping (and running) with a new cylinder head!

Now that everything is fixed and running great, I believe we had been driving our Vanagon since we purchased it over 2 years ago with this same issue as it consistently had low compression.

With our "new" Vanagon we decided to take the parents visiting from Canada for a short trip to beautiful Solvang, California. Here we are at our final destination with a fully packed Vanagon including 5 people and luggage!

We also brought along the Dometic cooler which was easily handled by our solar panel and the bright California sunshine.

During our trip we were able to enjoy a family meal at one of the many local restaurants.

Enjoying the sights.

On the way home we were able to enjoy some beautiful ocean views.

After the ocean drive was a 100 degree ride through the valley that was more than made up for by the great memories we had during our 2 days in Solvang.