Itinerant Air-Cooled

. . . . . . . . '10 . . . . '11 . . . . '12 . . . . '13 . . . . '14 . . . . '15 . . . . '16 . . . . . . 2017
Visits ...... 57 ....... 54 ........ 48 ........ 48 ........ 57 ........ 68 ........ 75 .............. 57
Gross ... 23.9 ..... 20.0 ..... 19.4 ..... 22.0 .... 26.1 ..... 30.4 ..... 31,6 ........ 29,485
Fuel ....... 4.0 ...... 5.3 ....... 3.5 ....... 4.0 ....... 4.9 ....... 2.9 ....... 3.2 ........... 3,118
Ldgng .... 4.8 ...... 4.6 ...... 3.4 ....... 3.8 ........ 4.7 ....... 4.0 ....... 5.3 ........... 3,986
Net/Call.. 265 .... 194 ..... 262 ...... 293 ...... 289 ...... 344 ...... 369 ............ 374

Total Miles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22,255 ( - 293 )
Actual Work Weeks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 ( - 6 )
Average miles to each call . . . . . . . . . . 328 ( + 28 )
Average fuel expense per call . . . . . . . . 54.78 ( + 11.84 )
Average fuel economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18.4* mpg @ 2.58/gallon ( + 2.3 mpg)( + .26 cents )
Average lodging expense per call . . . . . 69.93 ( - .43)
Average net income per week . . . . . . . 933.00 ( + 11 ) @ 2.3 ( - .2 ) calls per week
Average net income if 50 wk year . . . . . 447 / week ( -125 )

* NaranjaWesty 16.4 mpg
* Chloe ............... 18.9 mpg
* Alexus .............. 21.5 mpg

It is interesting how little details hammer the bottom line in a hurry. Fewer work weeks improves the lodging expenses, but damages the "amortized" weekly income something terrible. Fewer calls places a greater burden on the "fuel expense per call" column. Chloe's fuel economy was better than NaranjaWesty's last year and I drove slightly fewer miles, and saved a grand total of 80 bucks over last year's fuel expenses even with higher prices.

NOW THEN
Do we continue this thing? Do we continue this forum?
Colin

Amskeptic wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 09, 2017 10:10 pm

NOW THEN
Do we continue this thing?
Colin

Congratulations on another year completed safely and successfully.

Selfishly - I really hope you do keep going. But that's your question to answer.

Amskeptic wrote: Do we continue this forum?

Why not? How much upkeep does it require? I assume that moderation effort is generally invisible to most of us.
Perhaps you could lock most sections for posterity and keep a couple of topics alive?

Have you thought about moving back to LA and starting an Air-cooled academy? I'd sign up!

Do you continue? That’s quite your personal decision. There’s a lot more to it than the financial aspect of your work, I believe. Do you feel like continuing this life, almost always on the road, with a pretty tight schedule to meet, places to be, people to see?
I appreciate what you do, and this forum, but there is a realization that everything ends (I just retired, at 70, from a 52 year career, and I’m thrilled to be done), and the first priority is your own happiness and contentment. I would cheer any decision you made, stay with it, or move to a new endeavor.

Colin can't retire as he has quite a ways to go before 70! Old VW mechanics go on and on...fixing cars that need love.

A) I love the work.
B) I didn't realize how hard it is until aging caught up with me.
C) I'd like to monetize the Technical Forums and maybe the Itinerary Forums with a modest annual subscription
(to gain access to all of my fabulous stories and pictures and what may be the coolest online trouble-shooter you ever did see).
Discuss while I take my nap.
ColinCodger

I will be a customer until you retire, so yes, please, keep the Itinerant Air-Cooled service alive.

I contribute money to the samba every year because I find the archived threads to be an invaluable resource and the classified section to be the world's largest repository of VW parts. I will continue to pay the price of admission as I do for other online services I value: ie. media, streaming services, etc.

I find the community here to be much more friendly to stupid questions (the only kind I ask...) and the expertise and wisdom of the forum has always been of value. I would be happy to contribute a yearly subscription fee to get access to these resources.

My $.02

James

Second that. Would be happy to subscribe to support this unique resource. The fleet needs this.

Amskeptic wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 09, 2017 10:10 pm

NOW THEN
Do we continue this thing?

Do we have a say in it? Your numbers are good, it seems. Visits and gross were down this year but net/call and the overall trend is upward, maybe flattening out.

I bet there are at least 15 of us who'll schedule appointments no matter what.

Amskeptic wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 09, 2017 10:10 pm

Do we continue this forum?

You and I have spoke about this before. I think the information on the forum is invaluable but (the Samba notwithstanding) these BBS-style forums are soooo 1999. To hook the Kids These Days, you gotta give them seamless image hosting, at least. And a true social media component. The ning model is good, I think.

Amskeptic wrote: ↑

Fri Nov 10, 2017 11:27 am

C) I'd like to monetize the Technical Forums and maybe the Itinerary Forums with a modest annual subscription
(to gain access to all of my fabulous stories and pictures and what may be the coolest online trouble-shooter you ever did see).
Discuss while I take my nap.
ColinCodger

I would gladly pay an annual fee to help keep this resource alive.

This forum has given me the courage and information needed to attempt and successfully complete repairs on my Bus that I would never have tried otherwise. I would be happy to pay a subscription fee for access.

I would subscribe. Pay to play.

Only you know the answer to if you want to continue on this business model/life style. My view is you do enjoy the travel and seeing the country each year. You cherish the alone time while driving a beloved VW bus on the open road from customer to customer with many of them having become a friend now. Clearly you still have a large, loyal customer base that will be there to support your 2018 tour if you so choose.

You've mentioned that you're not getting any younger like the rest of us. Do you take this break over winter to adjust your life style, drops some weight and get in better shape? Recently a good friend of mine who's 50 years old changed his diet, lifestyle and now exercises each day. He's down 40 lbs and says he feels like he's in his 20's again. He is shocked at how much more energy he has. How so many of his aches and pains are now gone. Something to consider as you think about the potential 2018 campaign.

Another thought is to take off 2018. Focus on finishing you book/s. Put some thought into your idea of a subscription website where you share your knowledge to folks willing to pay for it. Enjoy the year away from all the travel.

I will say that would be selfish of you though. Your loyal readership does enjoy your postings from the road. I love the pictures and stories. A lot of us are not that adventurous and live through your escapades. I will also say this 2017 tour was more tame than years past. No frequent fuel filter clean outs. No engines scattered across an abandoned retail store parking lot. I was frequently saying "WTH"? Where's all the roadside repairs?!?! LOL! You clearly missed the memo that these old VW's are not capable of being driven across the country without breakdowns every 100 miles!

I look forward to your decision either way. Clearly you need to do what's best for you at this point in your life.

What I'd worry about pay-to-play/subscription access is, I recommend this site to every ACVWer I see like I'm Paul the freaking Evangelist. I leave notes on cars in parking lots. I chase people down. I harangue users on other forums. What happens to those people? Thirty-day free access? Free access to abridged info, pay for everything? The thing is, apart from a bunch of us who're already here, no one is gonna pay to belong to a website that is, like I said, this primitive (primitive in how it works, not primitive in the quality of its content).

Do we Keep this thing going?

As others have said, this is a personal choice Colin. Being on the road has its pluses and minuses. Though I'm new, you seem to function as a central figure in this community whom many of us live through vicariously and enjoy learning from.
I have not yet have the priviledge of meeting you face to face but am anticipating this opportunity in the future.

In terms of the website, I would be willing to pay a subscription.
I check in regularly at the end of the day as a way to unwind and learn.

Yes, we should keep this going.

Jeff

"is the juice worth the squeeze?"

As far as you continuing the IAC, that should be your motto. It will allow you to determine how many visits you want to make (or don't), how much you charge (or don't), and how many weeks you work (or don't), and then adjust appropriately based upon your ability (or lack there of) to do so.

As far as this website, I would propose that it is free until they hit a certain threshold (e.g. 50 posts, or 100 posts) this way it won't strangle newbies from posting and growing the site, and I would make it a graduated subscription (the longer you are on, the more you pay) that would culminate in lifetime free subscription once you hit "x" amount of posts, etc. Because you want those veterans sticking around to be able to answer newbie questions.

Cheers,
Mike