Where should we go on our Vancation?
When we plan a camp trip our family always starts with some grand plan that becomes more sensible after two hours in the van. A trip to Denali Park becomes a trip to Juneau and Skagway. A trip to San Francisco becomes a lazy tour of the Oregon Coast. Our best times in the vans have been the slower paced trips with plenty of time for campfires and reading. Once you have reserved a van just drop us a mail with your destination and we can help you with an itinerary. We go camping on the North Cascades highway at least five times a year because it begins 15 minutes from our home. We will help you with your plans. Our Westfalia vans are not getting any younger and we would like you to consider one of our contemporary vans if you plan to go beyond Oregon or Washington.
Where can we camp?
It seems like everyone loves to camp! People who plan to travel to one of the state, national or provincial parks during the high season really need reservations. The reservation system links are Washington State Parks, National Parks, and British Columbia Parks.
If you have time to plan your trip in advance, these reservation systems work really well. If you can’t get a reservation or would like to take the road-less-traveled, check out our favorite resource: The US National Forest Campground Guide. There are also many private campgrounds that can be found on Hipcamp.
You may not camp on the side of the road or up some deserted logging road in our van. It is not safe and in addition you may be fined by DNR or the National Parks for camping in a no camping zone.
IF YOUR CHOSEN DESTINATION INVOLVES MORE THAN A MILE OR SO OF UNPAVED DIRT ROAD THEN OUR VANS ARE NOT FOR YOU! WE DO NOT ALLOW OUR VANS TO DRIVE MORE THAN A MILE OR SO ON DIRT ROADS (and….your road assistance insurance does not cover you in the event that you are off a paved road)
Once you reserve your van, let us know what you are interested in and we will do our best to help you plan your trip!
How many people can sleep in a van and what about bedding?
Our Westfalia vans have four 3-point seatbelts. This limits the total van occupancy to four people (absolutely no exceptions). The two rear belts both have vehicle ceiling car safety seat anchors to protect your most precious cargo. The bottom bunk folds out with room for two campers and the pop top opens to sleep two more in a larger bed.
Our Pleasure Way Tofino Silver Star does not have rear seat shoulder harness equipped and those seats may be occupied by those 4’9″ or taller. No car seats for Silver Star. The bottom seat folds out into a queen size bed and the loft sleeps two people with a total weight of less than 250 lbs making that bed most suitable for two young people.
Our Pleasure Way Ontour 2.0 has a sofa that electrically folds out to make a queen size memory foam bed. While the van has four 3 point seatbelts it will only sleep 2 comfortably.
While we would prefer that you bring your own bedding we can supply freshly laundered over sized North Face sleeping bags and pillows for a flat fee for your group. All of our vans all have forced-air propane heaters to help you stay quite warm.
What do you do to make sure that the van we rent is safe and mechanically sound?
We made sure that our vans were ready for rental by: replacing the entire front-end including all bushings, ball joints, shocks and springs, installing big brake kits, heavy duty anti-sway bar and new larger wheels and tires appropriate for the vehicle weight. These improvements really improve the way a Westfalia handles.
The entire cooling system from radiator to engine has been replaced and all coolant hoses are new.
Our Westfalia vans have rebuilt transmissions fresh EJ25 Subaru engines built for dependability.
Before we send you off in the van, we complete safety check of all systems as well as a test drive. We have over $45,000 invested in each van so that we can ensure that you can enjoy a safe and uninterrupted vacation.
Our Pleasure Way vans are nearly new state of the art vehicles with the latest safety features. They are safety checked before every rental.
All of our vans receive new tires at 60% wear level.
What happens if my rental breaks down during a trip?
Do we have to talk about this?… lets hope not! 🙂
Our vans are completely refurbished, and we spend much of the winter ensuring that each van is mechanically sound. We also work with the best Westfalia repair shop in the Northwest to assure that the van that we provide for you is completely road-ready.
If you have AAA premium you are covered for any breakdown and towing incidents. AAA will only tow vehicles that are on paved roads. In addition, if you choose the middle tier of our insurance package for your rental roadside coverage is included.
If your van has a mechanical problem (we are not talking about a flat tire) while you are in the middle of your vacation, please call us. If the problem is a small one, we will either travel to you to fix the issue or help you get a tow to a reputable repair shop near you. Please understand that help is a day away if you are in Yellowstone.
Unless the failure is the result of negligence, the repairs are covered by us. If you are in a dangerous spot on the side of the highway, arrange for a tow to safety immediately.
If the problem is a catastrophic one, we will bring you another van, if possible, so that you can continue your trip. If another van is not available, we will arrange to refund all of your remaining rental nights and will also refund an additional $200 (one nights rental) for accommodations.
Note: ROADSIDE INSURANCE IS MANDATORY AND DOES NOT COVER YOU IF YOU ARE “OFF ROAD”. PAVED USE ONLY!
Chuckanut Westfalias has your back! Now, can we get back to the fun?
Can we take the van off-road?
Our vans are 2-wheel drive and are not designed for unpaved off- road travel.
Please stay on paved roads unless it is for a short duration. Occasionally, travel to a forest service campground requires one or two miles of travel on dirt roads, but as long as you control your speed, the vans will be up to the task.
We are not responsible for towing the vehicle if you have driven too fast on a very wash-boarded, washed out or overgrown road that causes damage to the vehicle.
Our vans have limited slip differentials and do not get stuck easily. If you do slip off the road into a ditch or need a tow, you are financially responsible for the towing and repairs because no roadside hazard insurance covers vehicles driven off paved developed roads. There comes a time on every forest service road when it is time to turn around. Making sensible decisions about road hazards will help you make sure that your vacation continues uninterrupted.