Take a look;

VW Camper for sale

www.busandcamper.com

For Sale Link here

We’re reminded of Jay Leno’s quotes about the US of A which was forwarded to us by a good friend – Charles Cooper, and it goes something like this;

Jay Leno wrote this; it’s the Jay Leno we don’t often see….

“The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine and came across some poll data I found rather hard to believe. It must be true given the source, right?

The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy with the direction the country is headed and 69 percent of the country is unhappy with the performance of the president. In essence 2/3s of the citizenry just ain’t happy and want a change. So being the knuckle dragger I am, I started thinking, ”What we are so unhappy about?”

Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7 days a week? Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter? Could it be that 95.4 percent of these unhappy folks have a job? Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocery store at any time and see more food in moments than Darfur has seen in the last year?

Maybe it is the ability to drive from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean without having to present identification papers as we move through each state? Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we would find along the way that can provide temporary shelter?

I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around the world is just not good enough. Or could it be that when we wreck our car, emergency workers show up and provide services to help all and even send a helicopter to take you to the hospital.

Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home. You may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of a fire, a group of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch equipment to extinguish the flames thus saving you, your family and your belongings.

Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs, a burglar or prowler intrudes , an officer equipped with a gun and a bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your family against attack or loss. This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90 percent of teenagers own cell phones and computers.

How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we enjoy that are the envy of everyone in the world? Maybe that is what has 67 percent of you folks unhappy.

Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the world has ever seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S., yet has a great disdain for its citizens. They see us for what we are. The most blessed people in the world who do nothing but complain about what we don’t have and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the good Lord we live here.

I know, I know. What about the president who took us into war and has no plan to get us out? The president who has a measly 31 percent approval rating? Is this the same president who guided the nation in the dark days after 9/11? The president that cut taxes to bring an economy out of recession? Could this be the same guy who has been called every name in the book for succeeding in keeping all the spoiled ungrateful brats safe from terrorist attacks?

The commander in chief of an all-volunteer army that is out there defending you and me? Did you hear how bad the President is on the news or talk show? Did this news affect you so much, make you so unhappy you couldn’t take a look around for yourself and see all the good things and be glad?

Think about it……are you upset at the President because he actually caused you personal pain OR is it because the “Media” told you he was failing to kiss your sorry ungrateful behind every day.

Make no mistake about it. The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have volunteered to serve, and in many cases may have died for your freedom. There is currently no draft in this country. They didn’t have to go. They are able to refuse to go and end up with either a ”general” discharge, an ”other than honorable” discharge or, worst case scenario, a ”dishonorable” discharge after a few days in the brig.

So why then the flat-out discontentment in the minds of 69 percent of Americans? Say what you want but I blame it on the media. If it bleeds it leads and they specialize in bad news. Everybody will watch a car crash with blood and guts. How many will watch kids selling lemonade at the corner? The media knows this and media outlets are for-profit corporations.

They offer what sells , and when criticized, try to defend their actions by “justifying” them in one way or another. Just ask why they tried to allow a murderer like O.J. Simpson to write a book about how he didn’t kill his wife, but if he did he would have done it this way……Insane!

Stop buying the negativism you are fed everyday by the media. Shut off the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times for the bottom of your bird cage. Then start being grateful for all we have as a country. There is exponentially more good than bad.

We are among the most blessed people on Earth and should thank God several times a day, or at least be thankful and appreciative.”

“With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, “Are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance”?

John Harper of DerCarolinaPanzers.com was very kind to open his doors for all, his collection of VW’s and others is something to behold.

The snowmobile is a 40hp driven vehicle and right next to it is the pig bus which was used at Carrowinds I believe, a sweet low mileage Scirocco, a Rabbit, a couple of early Mercedes being the rare water coolers in the collection.

The primo vehicle has to be the 23w barnddor deluxe showing its original paint mostly – reportedly running for the weekend open Haus. This is an extremely rare vehicle and a real treat to have it on show in Charlotte.

An open frame VW bug presumably for a dealer display would have looked stunning in its day, not that anyone dares to do the same today but VW were proud of their simplicity and form enough to show their cars bare and all.

To the album of pictures

This was an interesting vehicle, quite the piece, open exhaust, inlets all proud, some custom welded steering components and suspension. Fantastic seating arrangement – looked like some sort of tractor seat, barbed wire roofing, amazing.

And here is our very own Dragbus nestled inbetween some american muscle

Thank you Joel and Kelly for a super afternoon, click the pic for albums

But before you do we have to show this one – a shaved cat, yay

A really cool VW bus show that is held every year in downtown Charlotte, just outside the Panthers stadium. Approximately 50 buses turned up this year which was down from last year – we all blamed the forecast rain. The weather held off for a few hours but then.. well.. we all got wet.

The Irish bar / pub was open this year, however with a rather poor selection of draft beers – Guiness and Bass – and the indignity of drinking it from a plastic cup it was sort of – average.

As always some really cool buses turned up – from early barndoors, a Binz doublecab, singlecabs, bay windows, all with happy proud owners. I think the earliest bus we saw was a barndoor panel and the latest was a 77 westy. It all got started at about 8am, a warm welcome by the hosts Monkeynut, Brian and Jake making everyone welcome and pointing them to their spots.

Check out the trophies Monkeynut had – all set out in an armchair – yeah. Go to the gallery for the big pictures of this and all the buses in all their glory.

Mum just loves the crab cakes, oh and the ice cold white wine.  We went there for Dads birthday – was yummy.
Erm.. crab cakes anyone?

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So looking at the map we imagined a straight line to Asheville, this took us along route 129. We didn’t think any different. So off we set. We passed Foothill imports – a yard full of air cooled volkswagens which was tempting to stop at but with a late start we were short on time and short on patience.

Route 129, started as a gentle overlook on a lake whereupon a few motorcylces turned up, then a few minutes later a few more, eventually we were surrounded by fast bikes, leather clad fast riders and testosterone – lots of it.

The next 10 miles on 129 was frantic, second gear, hard left, hard right, sweep left hairpin right, its only now that we realised we were on what is nationally known as the Dragons tail. Katie managed to take some pictures and a movie from the back seat but after a while she felt sea sick

Dragon over with, there was the long haul home, we didn’t stop again

As before this is the gallery;

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Another jump start and plan B was enacted. Walmart sells batteries, so we limp there knowing that if the engine were to stall then we’re in trouble. Suffice to say we made it, bought 2 batteries and a charger, and we were off again.

Memphis was pretty cool – sitting next to the Mississippi (spelling?) and some cool bridge – pic in the gallery of the state line.

A fairly uneventful and ambitious plan to go to Knoxville (about 400 miles). All is well on the journey, lunch on the run which was AL’s first, sorted all the spares, used the knackered battery to power the fridge for cool beers, and then shot for 65mph top speed despite the 4% downhills.

As an added interest we took some artistic photos inside the bus (gallery). Otherwise fairly uneventful. Spotting tag plates we saw our first North Carolina. We also saw lots of poeple either texting, talking on the phone, wearing beards, listening to ipods, wearing a dog on their lap or.. giving us the thumbs up (some weird guy in a BMW).

Many many hours later we arrived at our turn off, the anticipation was there – would this be a noisy train site – nope, would it be a site next to the interstate – nope, or next to an sirport – nope. In fact the Sweetwater KOA is perhaps the best KOA we have stayed at – well done whoever. We think a return visit in the summer is in order.

Katie saw her first glow bug of the summer, yay. The neighbours had stories – they were from Cambridge (Canada) drove an ancient vehicle that also broke down and had 2 boys at home tearing the place up.

Reminder to charge the battery. So this should be our last night, our last dash back home. See you soon.

As before this is the gallery for today;

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