January 1,2022

Dear Friends of Chuckanut Westfalias,

We hope that this mail finds you in good health and looking forward to another season of camping. We still enjoy being in the van rental business and the wonderful people we meet make it all worthwhile. Many of our rentals this year were to past customers and we were able to reward their loyalty with a gift of our monogramed Chuckanut Westfalias insulated Yeti mugs.

Covid made being in the van rental business a challenge at times the last couple of years but it certainly helped us hone our cleaning skills. Our business has continued to grow despite the frustrating Canadian border closure and the challenge of obtaining reasonable transportation from Seattle airport to Bellingham. The shortage of rental cars combined with the cancellation of Amtrak and Bolt Bus frustrated our out of state renters but many were still able to arrange reasonable connections. We hope that the availability of rental cars and improved public transport is coming.

 

Van News:

Honu has been on rental for over 60,000 miles since we started our business. The engine in that van came out of a vehicle with 80,000 miles and it is time for a complete rebuild. Bob will start that work after the new-year and will drop it off in Bend for a refreshed German Transaxle transmission later in March giving that van a new lease on life. Honu has 200 watts of solar power and there will be no need to plug into shore power. The van will be based in San Francisco with our son Kjell and his wife Molly. We are undecided about renting from that location but for some of you it might be a great way to see Big Sur and the Mendocino Coast. We will supply more news on that opportunity later.

Van Gogh has been on rental for 45,000 miles on a rebuilt VW engine and last spring Bob did a Subaru conversion with a completely rebuilt engine. We also had the transmission refreshed and strengthened to meet the new engine. With some modifications the engine develops 140hp and combined with a higher fourth gear is great to drive. This van has 200 watts of solar power and there will be no need to plug into shore power. If you drive a manual transmission and want that Westfalia feel this is your vehicle.

 Silver Star is our 2020 Pleasure-Way Tofino. This is a great van built on a Ram Promaster van base. It is simply a large version of the Westfalia with lithium batteries, a 16000BTU furnace and an induction cook top. The van has been lifted and has all terrain tires but is a great road van getting18-20mpg. You will enjoy the air conditioning and cruise control on longer trips. Silver Star has been making laps between Bellingham and Yellowstone or Glacier every summer. It is also a great Washington/Oregon Coast/San Francisco van.   The van sleeps 4 and with all terrain tires and 200 watts of solar power is suitable for forest service camping.

Salish is the newest addition to our fleet and is a van for two people. It is a 2020 Pleasure-Way Ontour 2.0 and is a full on Class B Coach. It has 200 watts of solar, a generator, camper and vehicle air conditioning, toilet/shower, instant hot water system and two-speed furnace. It also has a Bose sound bar and small TV with adapter for Netflix viewing, large refrigerator, microwave and induction range. We have been out about 40 nights in this van and we are still learning the systems. Orientation will likely take over an hour and we are in the process of putting together an operating manual and a video. We are excited about this van that sleeps 2 in a queen size bed but until it has been lifted and larger all terrain tires installed it is only for highway and developed campground use. The Ford Transit van has a twin turbo engine and it has plenty of power. You can expect 16-18mpg depending on how you drive. This van has a 6 night minimum.

 

Camping News:

Canadian Camping: It looks like Canada will be open for the fully vaccinated with a recent Covid test. The B.C. Provincial Parks camp-sites may be reserved two months in advance. https://bcparks.ca/reserve For camping at Green Point near Tofino, make reservations through Parks Canada https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np after January 1, 2022. These reservations go fast as it is a beautiful campground and will be likely filled in a month. You can also make reservations for Banff /Jasper from that site. One of our favorite campgrounds is Bella Pacifica in Tofino on Mackenzie Beach http://www.bellapacifica.com/  Fine Print: Because the status of entry into Canada is completely out of our control we will be unable to refund deposits if the border closes. We suggest that you make two sets of plans so that you do not miss out on a great vacation. If the border is open you need to present us with your proof of vaccine and proof of negative test before you leave our site. We cannot afford to have a van stuck at the border.

 

Washington and Oregon State Parks: Both States have clear instructions for campground reservations. We suggest that you plan to make reservations rather than hunt around for a campground at the last minute. There are many alternatives to State Parks on Hipcamp that you should consider. We really like forest service campgrounds and as long as there are no forest fires during your rental period they are a great place to camp. The National Parks also require reservations.

 

Yellowstone/Glacier/Banff/Jasper: These are all great destinations for our two modern vans. We do not allow our Westfalias to venture farther north than Tofino and farther south than the Oregon/California border. The Westys have new engines and transmissions but they are not getting any younger. To avoid mileage charges and to have a more relaxing time be sure to plan two weeks for any of these destinations. We have had customers do it in 9 days but they always come back complaining about time constraints. Remember, the journey is most of the adventure of a road trip. Take your time getting to your destination and then drive hard to get home in a couple of days.

 

Refunds and Deposits: We did not require deposits for rentals for the past two years. The first year it worked out great but last year was very disappointing. We had cancellations because of “weather”, “change in plans”, “the border did not open” as expected “found a better deal” or “bought a cool van” and we had several vans held out from rental during prime time when we had individuals who actually wanted to camp who thought all of our vans were rented. For that reason we are back to our old policy:

50% deposit to reserve

Cancellations must be received in writing 30 days before pick up.

Cancellations made prior to 30 days will result in a full refund minus $300 booking fee.

If you must cancel a reservation made within 30 days of scheduled pick up, we can offer you a credit, minus $300 booking fee that may be used within one calendar year.

A $1500 security deposit against damage, unreasonable use (driving faster than 65 in a Westy or 70 in Silver Star or Salish) or excessive cleaning requirements is authorized 7 days before your rental and is usually fully refunded within 3 days of the last day of your rental.

A few final details:

• We have decided to continue to rent to dog owners. There is a cleaning fee and your dog (not dogs) must be at least 1 year old. Any dog that weighs less than 25 lbs needs to come with a carrier for times when you are not able to adequately supervise your dog. All damage has been done by small dogs.
• Please be aware of the occupancy restrictions: Westfalia Vans 4 persons but 2 adults and 2 children is best, Silver Star is suitable for 4 but the upper bed has a load limit of 250lbs and the seatbelts in back are only lap belts and there is no attachment for car seats, Salish is a 2 person van.
• The Westfalias and Silver Star have roof racks that can be used for paddle boards or small kayaks. They must be removed before lifting the top and you must bring your own straps.
• We are again able to rent sleeping bags with our vans. If possible however, we would prefer that you bring your own bedding.
• All of our vans have new Swiss Diamond cook ware, an aero-press coffee maker and a Yeti insulated coffee cup for each member of your party.
• As a returning renter we will give you one of our really nice engraved Yeti coffee cups when you return.

 

We are looking forward to working with you on your next vacation….we open for reservations on January 1, 2022 and begin our rental season March 1, finishing some time in the fall likely September 30.

                                        Bob, Maureen, Bailey and Scooter

Twenty miles after crossing the border at Mexicali we turned onto a dirt road and headed to our first camp ground in Canyon Guadelupe, Baja Mexico. We chose this destination because it advertises a hot spring pool for every campsite. Two hours later we had only covered ten of the seventeen miles to our destination. The road was the worst we had ever encountered but we drove faster realizing that we not make it to the campground before dark if we did not speed up. The crash of silverware in the drawer became our speed limit. When we finally made it to our destination we stopped before a stream and looked up to see a hand painted sign that said “Office this way….Safe”. We waded across the knee-deep stream checking for large holes or rocks and decided to go for it. We had come this far and were looking forward to a good soak to remove the dust.

Our site was surrounded by date palms and had a very clean hot spring pool with a view of the hills. As we soaked in our private hot spring, our only concern was the drive back to Mexicali on that daunting road and the possible effect that eating dozens of dates would have on our traveling companion Bailey.

A trip to Baja is a dream for nearly every Westfalia Van owner and we are not the exception. With the adventure of extended backpacking and mountaineering trips just a memory, we were looking for a new challenge. Ruining two new shock absorbers on a terrible dirt road the first week of our trip and trying to buy replacements at “Autozona” without speaking any Spanish was perhaps more adventure than we bargained for.

Pete’s Place/ San Felipe

After leaving Canyon Guadelupe we drove two hours south to San Felipe. To our amazement, it was an easy drive on a smooth highway with beautiful scenery. The route passes close by a State Biosphere Reserve that is an estuary and home to thousands of birds. We stayed at Pete’s Place, six miles out of town. We drove onto the beach and enjoyed our first Sea of Cortez sunrise the next morning. Each site came with a palapa (small grass beach shelter) and the beach extended out nearly a thousand feet at low tide. It was a secure camping area and we enjoyed the evening around a campfire with other Westfalia owners who shared their favorite Baja destinations.

 

Puertecitos/Gonzaga Bay

An hour and a half south of San Felipe on the last stretch of maintained road on this section of the coastal Sea of Cortez highway 5, is the fishing town of Puertecitos. The camping can be noisy because of early morning boat launches but the cove features a hot springs pool that is tempered by water from the sea. The springs are too hot to use at low tide but as the tide comes in the temperature moderates. We chose to camp farther south on a more deserted beach near Gonzaga Bay. The heavily cockroach infested outhouse was the only down side of the camping area but the heavily shelled quiet beach more than made up for the inconvenience (at least for Bob).

Mulege’/Bahia Conception

After reluctantly leaving the beach at Gonzaga Bay we braved the 25 miles of dirt road that connects to Mexico Highway 1 on the way to our next stop Mulege’. The road was in better shape than the road to Canyon Guadelupe but the worry of rocks cutting our tires and the many washboard sections made the trip from Puertecitos to Mulege’ an all day affair. We arrived in Mulege’ just in time to enjoy a farmers market and the annual pig races. Music, great food and a welcoming local community made this a great destination after our day on gravel roads. It was like stepping back into the 1970s. The town has a cash machine that actually works, you can have your clothes laundered and folded for five dollars and a local hotel sells showers that do not cause you to linger.

Camping Bahia Concepcion

South of Mulege’ there are a series of sandy beaches that are appropriate for an extended camping stay. With some patience we were able to find a great spot and we will leave the excitement of discovery to you. The five-dollar per night camping fee made it just right for our budget. Every morning vendors came by with fresh fish or shrimp, tamales, vegetables, avocados, firewood and baked goods. Supplying the winter campers is a good source of family income for locals in the area. During our week there and easily settled into beach life enjoying nights by the fire, kayaking, hikes in the hills and great home cooked meals.

San Ignacio/Kuyima

The turn around point of our trip down the peninsula was to see the Grey whales and their babies at Laguna San Ignacio. This destination requires another 10 miles of heavily washboard dirt road but the reward is one of the nicest campgrounds we visited. Hot showers (bucket style), flush toilets, recycling and absolutely clean beaches. Reservations are required but the sites are large, sunny and at waters edge on Laguna San Ignacio. For $50 certified guides will take you out in a Panga to see the mother grey whales and their babies. The guide boats are 25 feet long and they sit stationary once the whales are near. The whales swim up to the boat and often the babies come close enough to touch. It seems as though the mothers bring their babies up to the boats to visit. We held our breath as a giant mother whale headed straight for our boat and silently swam under. It is an Eco Tourism whale watching camp and it is very well run. They are most respectful of the whales.

Would we return to the Baja Peninsula?

Travel in Baja can be stressful because you never know what lies around the next corner. Will the pavement end? Is that dark area on the road ahead a four-inch hole that is the size of your dining room table? Will those goats ever get off the road? Where can we buy propane or water? Is the extra five-gallon can on the roof enough to help us make it to the next gas station? Why on earth didn’t we brush up on our high school Spanish? If you travel without self contained bathing facilities you need to work on your outhouse skills.

 

For us, all of these inconveniences add up to adventures. Would we return to Baja?

We certainly will, because we like the white sand beaches, turquoise water, funky restaurants and coffee shops, great tequila, friendly locals and the Baja culture.   What would we do differently? We will travel less and stay in each location longer.   We will also bring a compressor so that we can lower our tire pressures to make dirt road travel more comfortable.

 

Follow your curiosity! It may lead you to adventures you never thought possible!

 

We would be happy to help you with your local adventures and travel dreams.

 

 

Bob and Maureen

Chuckanut Westfalias

We rent fully refurbished Westfalia Vans

Chuckanut Westfalias

Camping with Dogs

( as told to Bob and Maureen by Bailey )

First let me say that I am one camp loving dog. One of the hardest things for me is when one of our rented vans heads down the driveway without me. It is not that I never get to camp. I spent over 120 nights sleeping in a van last year but I can’t seem to get enough! There is nothing better than sleeping on the floor of the van so close to Bob and Maureen and knowing that our next walk full of new sights and smells is just a few hours away.   As a fellow dog traveler I want to give you some sound advice that you should share with your owners when they take you van camping.

 

Riding in the Van–

• I ride on the rear seat. Bob and Maureen bought me a really nice sunbrella cover and I am only allowed on the seat when the cover is in place. They get really mad if I get up on the seat without the cover and sometimes they have to shampoo the upholstery so the next renters don’t have to sleep with their face in my hair and dander. It takes two hours and they forfeit some of their deposit. I hate listening to Bob carry on as he cleans the seat.
• I know that I am in the front seat for photos sometimes but I am so afraid to get up there that they have to bribe me with cookies. Bob and Maureen do not allow me up in the front seat….ever! (except the time Maureen broke her foot and there was no where else to sit).
• When it is hot Bob puts little white fan on and points it toward me so that I don’t overheat. Sometimes he even closes the curtains on the sunny side of the van. Every time we stop I am allowed to get out of the van, do my business (usually at a McDonalds because they always have grass) and get a drink of water. We never ride with the overhead vent open because the plastic will break in the wind.

All Alone-

• I am so glad that we have a rule that I can never be alone in the van.…even for a quick stop. The van is my part time home and I still worry that I will be left alone in there. We were parked next to a van on the ferry once and the dog in the van next to us was left alone while the owners went up on deck. I felt so sorry for that little guy! He ran back and forth inside, barked constantly disturbing us as we were relaxing on the ferry. He had licked the windows, was scratching at the doors and I think he did a lot of damage. He might have even peed on the seat in his anxiety.
• I am too big for a dog carrier but if I was smaller having a place I already know would ease my anxiety and I would not bark so much.  I don’t know why but small dogs sure get nervous.
• Not being alone means that Bob and Maureen really don’t eat out much because there is nowhere for me to be while they are gone. I am lucky that they look for restaurants with outside seating because sometimes I can wait out there with them. I know I am an inconvenience but that is what they signed on for when they decided to take me camping. In Switzerland I can just go in the restaurant and lie on the floor if I behave but not in the U.S.A.

In the Campground-

• I go everywhere on leash with Bob and Maureen when we are in a campground. It is against the rules but sometimes Bob even sneaks me in the men’s bathroom. One time we were at Kalaloch and Maureen let me off leash for just a couple of minutes so I could do my business in peace and a ranger came around the corner, gave her a lecture and a ticket for letting me be off leash! It was just for two minutes! Honest! Those rangers drive around in the early morning looking for dogs that are off leash! You can’t even pee in peace in State Parks and National Parks. Private campgrounds are much cooler and I can usually just run free.
• Some beaches don’t even let dogs on the beach. When we go to California we need to be really careful because they think I will chase their birds (my favorite!). They even let motorcycles on their beaches but not dogs! It is not fair at all because we are the coolest animals on earth. Bob and Maureen always carry a long rope that I am tied to when we are in camp. Once I walked around the fire pit and my rope was burned in half. It is a hard adjustment for me but Bob says that it is for my safety because the raccoons in the campgrounds and the Fog Wolves on the coast are really dangerous. Once when we were in Banff a wolf walked right through the campground. There are groups of coyotes in some remote areas that try to get me to play with them and to have me for their dinner.

Why Don’t Other Van Rental Companies Allow Dogs?-I asked Bob and Maureen why other van companies don’t allow dogs (service dogs excepted). Here is what they told me.

• A rental van is a new place for dogs and they are nervous. A perfectly calm dog that is accustomed to being home alone will bark, chew even pee in an unfamiliar enclosed van. A van ruined by a dog also ruins the next persons vacation and that is not fair to them.
• Some people are allergic to dog dander and hair. Even the cleanest dog leaves hair and dander behind and most often the van seats are shampooed after a dog rental. This is a lot of extra work and the $50 fee doesn’t cover it.
• People leave their dogs in the van while they go in the store or on a ferry or in a restaurant and the dogs wind up in the front seat scratching the dash board and door panels, barking and slobbering all over the windows. Re-painting a dash board is a $500 project that is done by their detail shop and renters are responsible.

I hope that you bring your dog because there is nothing cooler than camping with a dog but be sure that you know the responsibilities that go along with the experience.

Camp On!!

Bailey

Animal Coordinator

Chuckanut Westfalias LLC