Itinerant Air-Cooled

. . . . . . . '05 . . . '06 . . . '07 . . . '08 . . . '09 . . . '10 . . . '11 . . . '12 . . . '13 . . . '14 . . . '15 . . . 2016
Visits ... 52 ...... 32 ..... 35 ....... 46 ...... 37 ...... 57 ...... 54 ...... 48 ...... 48 ...... 57 ...... 68 ........ 75
Gross . 15.9 ...11.5 ... 11.9 ...15.7 ... 13.1 ... 23.9 ... 20.0 ... 19.4 .... 22.0 .... 26.1 ... 30.4 .. 31,670
Fuel ..... 3.9 .... 2.4 ..... 3.0 .... 4.0 ...... 2.6 ..... 4.0 ..... 5.3 ...... 3.5 ..... 4.0 ...... 4.9 ..... 2,9 .... 3,220
Ldgng .. 4.0 .... 2.3 ..... 2.7 .... 3.4 ..... 2.9 ..... 4.8 ..... 4.6 ...... 3.4 ..... 3.8 ...... 4.7 ..... 4.0 ..... 5,277
Net/Call152 ... 207..... 174 ... 179 .... 213 .... 265 .... 194 ..... 262 .... 293 ..... 289 .... 344 ........ 369

Total Miles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22,548 ( - 207 )
Actual Work Weeks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 (+ 4 )
Average miles to each call . . . . . . . . . . 300 ( - 16)
Average fuel expense per call . . . . . . . . 42.94 ( + .94 )
Average fuel economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16.1 mpg @ 2.32/gallon ( - 7.1 mpg)( - .63 cents )
Average lodging expense per call . . . . . 70.36 ( + 10.72)
Average net income per week . . . . . . . 922.00 (+ 22 ) @ 2.5 ( - .1 ) calls per week
Average net income if 50 wk year . . . . . 572 / week ( + 103 )



We shall remember 2016 as the Productivity Apogee of the entire Itinerant Air-Cooled experience.
As you all may by now know, the 2016 Itinerary kicked my butt. I enjoyed my customers better than ever, but exhaustion has diminished my recall and follow-through.
This shall be rectified!

Next year, I would like to do 40 calls over twenty weeks at an income of $26,000.00. That would be $650.00/call, and I will add an hour to the day to make it 65.00/hour.

If you would like a multi-day event, you may choose to have a M-F work week (Wednesdays off) for $1,800.00 and you agree to let me work on the car while you are at work.

Chime in! Get your reviews over to theSamba! Last review was Wednesday, Dec 09, 2015. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?
Colin

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewto ... +aircooled

Well count me in again in 2017. And if you want a quiet place to camp you can set yourself up a camp fire down by the horse barn, so you don't have to sleep at a pallet factory.

EskimoTom wrote:Well count me in again in 2017. And if you want a quiet place to camp you can set yourself up a camp fire down by the horse barn, so you don't have to sleep at a pallet factory.

Ah, memories . . . which reminded me of that huge mall somewhere outside of Maple Grove was it?

Is the bus running itself down the road yet?
Colin

Congrats, you have the tenacity. I can't believe you keep going with it, not to mention the millions of miles driven. "Expert" wrenching with no backup takes great courage.

hambone wrote:Congrats, you have the tenacity. I can't believe you keep going with it, not to mention the millions of miles driven. "Expert" wrenching with no backup takes great courage.

Every time I get tired or discouraged, I spy an appliance repair van or HVAC rig driver, and I remember where I came from. I should write sometime of the end to a typical cold Rochester day/night shift with that smelly wet Chevy van interior splashing through the slush to that horrible overhead door with the broken torsion spring, then having to scrape the ice off the windshield of my car before driving 33 miles home in snow/sleet/slush to shower and check the seven hours before the alarm on my clock pushes me to the next morning's repeat, Tuesday then Wednesday then Thursday then Friday then Saturday through an endless October/November/December/January/February/March/April/May, and eventually it warms up only to freeze again.
Colin

Colin, I never did get my bus dialed in tune up wise to my satisfaction, after your departure.

I just found a proper AE code motor for rebuilding the future.

We're visiting San Diego this week if any one has time and wants to meet for coffee!

Well, 2016 has been a great saga to follow, with the suspense of the fouling gas tank crud leaving us to ponder as to how short the distance would get before the next filter blowout...10 feet? Man, it was exhausting just following your tortuous path for awhile there.
2017 brings a change to the itinerant run, which is a good thing. It's costly to do what you do, and the unique service that you provide is such an asset to the entire air-cooled community. You can count on me for an early year visit, as I prep for a grand adventure.

Amskeptic wrote:. . . . . . . '05 . . . '06 . . . '07 . . . '08 . . . '09 . . . '10 . . . '11 . . . '12 . . . '13 . . . '14 . . . '15 . . . 2016
Visits ... 52 ...... 32 ..... 35 ....... 46 ...... 37 ...... 57 ...... 54 ...... 48 ...... 48 ...... 57 ...... 68 ........ 75
Gross . 15.9 ...11.5 ... 11.9 ...15.7 ... 13.1 ... 23.9 ... 20.0 ... 19.4 .... 22.0 .... 26.1 ... 30.4 .. 36,170
Fuel ..... 3.9 .... 2.4 ..... 3.0 .... 4.0 ...... 2.6 ..... 4.0 ..... 5.3 ...... 3.5 ..... 4.0 ...... 4.9 ..... 2,9 .... 3,220
Ldgng .. 4.0 .... 2.3 ..... 2.7 .... 3.4 ..... 2.9 ..... 4.8 ..... 4.6 ...... 3.4 ..... 3.8 ...... 4.7 ..... 4.0 ..... 5,277
Net/Call152 ... 207..... 174 ... 179 .... 213 .... 265 .... 194 ..... 262 .... 293 ..... 289 .... 344 ........ 369

Total Miles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22,548 ( - 207 )
Actual Work Weeks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 (+ 4 )
Average miles to each call . . . . . . . . . . 300 ( - 16)
Average fuel expense per call . . . . . . . . 42.94 ( + .94 )
Average fuel economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16.1 mpg @ 2.32/gallon ( - 7.1 mpg)( - .63 cents )
Average lodging expense per call . . . . . 70.36 ( + 10.72)
Average net income per week . . . . . . . 922.00 (+ 22 ) @ 2.5 ( - .1 ) calls per week
Average net income if 50 wk year . . . . . 572 / week ( + 103 )

Colin, where in these figures do the fuel filter expenses fall?

Happyfolk wrote: Colin, where in these figures do the fuel filter expenses fall?

All that filter cleaning was free.

4 filters total .......... ~ $36.00
Six cans GumOut .... $17.82
Gas tank cleaning .. $188.88
................................. $242.70

Loss of fuel economy was difficult to ascertain, because I so frequently take fuel from the tank to clean parts or my hands.

These expenses were not wrapped into the annual Itinerary but will show up in my Schedule C.
Colcountant

My longterm average in the 1600 bay was a solid 23mpg. I'm trending a few mpg less than that with the Vanagon, obviously the ability to climb hills at a faster rate, and just do everything at a faster rate, eats into the fuel reserves quicker. Seems even more logical with an early bay vs. late bay comparison. I've wondered how similar the results would be if you were able to drive them exactly the same, limit the speeds and accelerations to those that would be possible with the 1600 engine. Burning a 50hp rate of fuel should be burning 50hp rate of fuel, regardless, more or less, you'd think.

sped372 wrote:My longterm average in the 1600 bay was a solid 23mpg. I'm trending a few mpg less than that with the Vanagon, obviously the ability to climb hills at a faster rate, and just do everything at a faster rate, eats into the fuel reserves quicker. Seems even more logical with an early bay vs. late bay comparison. I've wondered how similar the results would be if you were able to drive them exactly the same, limit the speeds and accelerations to those that would be possible with the 1600 engine. Burning a 50hp rate of fuel should be burning 50hp rate of fuel, regardless, more or less, you'd think.

That is pretty much how it works out, but I think the taller gearing of the later bays reduces efficiency on hill attacks.
In Florida, the BobD is almost the same as Chloe on the level, just about 20-22mpg at 55 (which I never can maintain due to intrinsic impatience). In the mountains, you are dumping fuel into the improved torque, whereas for Chloe, the mountains are hardly different than level as far as the work is concerned. BobD plummets to 15 mpg and Chloe drops to 17-18.
Colin

If Tripod is still in nicely balanced state of homeostasis, we aren't doing anything radical mechanically. Although, I think, by the time you get to Michigan next year, we should have some very intriguing discussions to fill the void...with Trump as (gulp) POTUS I think we will have much fodder to discuss.

TrollFromDownBelow wrote:If Tripod is still in nicely balanced state of homeostasis, we aren't doing anything radical mechanically. Although, I think, by the time you get to Michigan next year, we should have some very intriguing discussions to fill the void...with Trump as (gulp) POTUS I think we will have much fodder to discuss.

You better believe it, brother . . . . this EPA pick has my blood boiling all over again!
Colin

Agreed....it's like letting the fox in the hen house.

He is going to test our countries' system of checks and balances. I could so go on a rant here, but it is pointless. They called Reagan the Great Communicator....Trump is the Great Manipulator. I truly hope the Republicans get "shellacked" in two years....

For what it's worth ... you should be equally upset if Betsy DeVos becomes Secretary of Education. I have no issue with charter schools IF they produced good sults....but in Michigan (where she is from, and the charter school system we live with was supported and nurtured by her and her family) they have failed miserably.

TrollFromDownBelow wrote:Agreed....it's like letting the fox in the hen house.

He is going to test our countries' system of checks and balances. I could so go on a rant here, but it is pointless. They called Reagan the Great Communicator....Trump is the Great Manipulator. I truly hope the Republicans get "shellacked" in two years....

For what it's worth ... you should be equally upset if Betsy DeVos becomes Secretary of Education. I have no issue with charter schools IF they produced good sults....but in Michigan (where she is from, and the charter school system we live with was supported and nurtured by her and her family) they have failed miserably.

“If ever the Time should come, when vain & aspiring Men shall possess the highest Seats in Government, our Country will stand in Need of its experienced Patriots to prevent its Ruin. There may be more Danger of this, than some, even of our well disposed Citizens may imagine. If the People should grant their Suffrages to Men, only because they conceive them to have been Friends to the Country, without Regard to the necessary Qualifications for the Places they are to fill, the Administration of Government will become a mere Farce, and our public Affairs will never be put on the Footing of solid Security.”
Samuel Adams - 1780