Manx Club

We are planning to drive our buggy from Montreal, Quebec, Canada to the Big Bear Bash this year in July. Do most people attend all 3 days or are there "must be at" days? This will be over 3,000 miles. We cannot garantee we'll make it but we sure will try. We'll be driving a Berrien Buggy. This will be part of our cross country trip, we'll be driving back through the Canadian prairies. Tom and Kathleen tried something similar a few years back. BTW is there a "Long haul" award?!! Click on the following link for to read their trip log & story. http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=365206

Hi Vincent, Wow, If you drive to Big Bear from Montreal, I will personally award you with the award signed by Bruce Meyers. The event starts Friday, July 10 at Camp Tanda with checking in and meeting everybody. Saturday will be the busiest day with the show and shine, offroading and street runs and dinner at a local restarant. Sunday is a morning run and awards with everybody leaving around noon. So I would try to get there Friday to be rested up for the weekend. If you have any other questions email me at rhunter8037@sbcglobal.net. Bob Hunter Manx Club Event Coor.

A Big welcome,and Best wishes on your long trip to Big Bear,lookin forward to seeing you here, have fun,sound like you will.

Vincent, Joe (Manxter 10) is driving from the Chicago area U might team up ... C U at Big Bear. Mark

WOW My hats off to you. Good luck on the drive. go Halves Stuart

You might want to plan on being in the area a day or two early, just so you plan for time to fix any potential breakdowns while en route. If you get here early, Camp Tanda usually won't be open until Friday afternoon, so you would have to make other arrangements, but it is typical for some to arrive on Thursday, or stay until Monday and have impromptu runs in the area. If you can only be there one day, Saturday would be the one. The Show & Shine starts around 7, and the various runs around 9. You can choose between a street run, an off-road run, or the "Thrill Seeker" off-road run (be warned, things tend to come back broken on that one! LOL Tons-o-fun though). Then at the end of the day, depending on what's planned, maybe a pot luck into the wee hours of the morning (if anyone is left standing!). There are various places for accomodations, from Camp Tanda, to Holloway's RV Park, to various motels and B & B's throughout the valley for what ever meets your needs. Looking forward to seeing you there.

Thanks for all the info. In preperation for the 7,000 mile trip, we started to put togrther a list of items. Are there any Big Bear specifics we're missing? Don't get me wrong, I'd love to join you in the more adventurous runs but in the interest of getting back, we'll be sticking to the street runs... As for accomodations, we'll be looking for a nice hotel, again don't get me wrong but after this 3,000 mile run, my butt and my wife will need some comfort! Buggy Parts - Spark plug - Brake hose - Fan belt - Distributor - Fuses - Valve cover gaskets - Oil drain washer - Accelerator cable - Clutch cable Buggy Tools - Wheel lug wrench - Spark plug socket - 13mm wrench - 10mm wrench - Socket set - Open wrench set - Pliers - Wire cutter - Screw driver set - Visegrips - Air compressor - Tire gauge - Hammer - Tow rope - Flashlight - Feeler Gauge - Test Light Buggy Supplies - Engine oil - Brake oil - Extra gas - Electrical tape - Duct tape - Tire repair kit - Electrical terminals - Electrical wire - Wax cleaner - Glass cleaner - Cleaning rags People Supplies - Water - Snacks - Poket knife - Large towels - Alarm clock (set for 3:30am everyday) - GPS - Credit card - Blackberry - Camera For reference, here's an early route planned. I know the wife has made adjustments since but it'll give you an idea of the task at hand...

Not sure about the carburator you are using, but keep in mind some of the altitudes you will be negotiating on your trip. In addition, Big Bear Lake is over 7000 feet and some of the roads go over 9000'. I have to re-jet my Weber 40 for it to run right at altitude and not sputter like a whipped puppy. No pressure on this, but unless you are in a strictly street machine, you might still want to consider one of the milder off-road runs. It doesn't take too much to get through unscathed and is still quite the thrill. They usually throw in one technical section, but if you choose not to do that, there is usually some other way around it that is less bumpy. Just a thought.

We just finished booking the hotels for the 1st part of our trip... T - 27 days before we depart Montreal. Getting excited! Hope to see you at the BBB on 10-11-12!

Just a thought. If you have some way to connect to the internet while you are on the road, you could keep everyone updated as to how your trip is going and where you are at the end of each day, maybe post some pics etc. And should you have a breakdown, you could see if there is anyone nearby that could lend a hand.

You got it... We are brigning a netbook and the wife will be recaping every day with a few pictures. I'll make sure we copy it here as well.