January 22, 2007

Owned by Cal-Poly engineering grad Lucas Valdes and his wife Kathy, Go Westy Campers offers a veritable spa experience for VW van owners.

Every one of your van's mechanical and cosmetic needs - inside and out - is looked after by a team of experts that work on nothing but VW vans, day in and day out.

We had pulled into the Go Westy parking lot in Los Osis, California with a laundry list of things that needed attention on the our van before we crossed into Mexico, and beyond.

The two most pressing items were an awning for the side for the van and a new water pump for our sink.

We also wanted them to look at the van's temperamental fridge because - despite the repeated instructions we had received from our fridge guy back in Vancouver - these two newbies were having problems figuring out how to light it on the propane option.

Before leaving Vancouver, we had done a lot of research on VW van awnings and had come to the conclusion that our best option was to pick up a Fiamma at Go Westy.

Applying the bigger is better principle, we originally went for a slightly used/slightly discounted 10-foot number.

But the 10 footer hangs off the back of the van a bit, and after spending the night at the nearby Morro Beach Beach RV park mulling it over, we concluded that it ruined the van's sleek aesthetic.

So, the next morning we returned to the garage and exchanged it for the 8-foot awning. (Given the constant need for shade south of the US border, we wouldn't have wanted to do the trip without it).

Although we left Go Westy feeling good about the new water pump and the fridge's ability to run off propane, both would prove to be the bane of our existence just a few weeks later on the trip.

Key Facts & Figures:

-Morro Beach RV Park: $23/night
-8ft Fiamma van awning (installed): $624
-10ft Fiamma van awning (slightly used, installed): $649
-Water pump (installed): $140.95