Do we Van People have a secret signal???

[therunningdog]

OK, so I am a bit jealous of these people riding motorcycles...they have this instant comaraderie between complete strangers just becuase they ride these two-wheelers...and they wave at each other each time they pass.

My question is: Do we Van People have a secret wave or handshake that I dont know about?

If not: Isn't it about time we have one? I'm mean, IMHO we are the coolest vehicle owners that are out there! And our vehicles are arguably as dangerous as a Harley...so, let's band together in solidarity and get a secret signal!!

Thoughts?

[Wonderwagon]

I find that I get a wave from other 4wd van drivers most of the time. 2wd vans are cheap enough that many of their owners don't care whether it lives or dies. But I've gotten a few thumbs up and waves from random drivers, especially in the eastern half of the U.S. where no one knows what these are anymore.

[slosurfer]

I try to wave to all the vans, but like wonderwagon said, lots of the 2wd don't seem to care. I still wave at them though.

[my1stvan]

if we had a signal, i think it would be waving a tool box at each other!

[wishin_4_snow]

Hey there runningdog. If I see anyone around here I would first have to overcome my shock! I got my 86 her which I bought from a bonehead in Stockton Ca. Fortunately she made the trip back to Michigan without too much trouble (albeit the entire 2400 miles was in 3rd; seller forgot to mention that the OD didn't work). Anyway I found one exactly like I owned in a previous life (new in 1987 dang that was nice).
I will certainly be waving if I see another around here (4wd or not).
Ps. I sold my motorcycle to pay for the plane ticket to CA, the van and numerous repairs since then. Maybe our signal can be the waving of an empty wallet!
If ya ever make it to Michigan, I'll be waving.

[vegascraps91]

I agree with Slosurfer. I see other TV vans almost everyday and I wave at the driver everytime. Most of them do not wave back or even notice that I am driving the same type of van they are.

[glohworm]

What a luxury to be able to wave at a fellow vanner. Here in Chicago I haven't seen another van in 2 yrs! Not even in the boneyard. They've all died out due to rust from road salt. The only reason mine's still running is because it came from Maryland and the original owner had it undercoated. It also has only 108k. I'm getting more and more uneasy driving the van because I know parts are so scarce, and mechanics even more so, should something major go wrong. I'm too old now to be doing any kind of heavy work on the van and that depresses me also.

Now there's been reported sightings of a 4wd van at my local liquor store, and I've left notes for the owner to join us here on the forum but.....nada.

Gary

[my1stvan]

i like the empty wallet idea! LOL!

i would wave if i saw another van, but whenever im driving, i dont see any. but the minute im in a different car...bam! i see them all over1

Murphy's law i suppose

[skyflyer9]

Glowworm's right...

Up here in the northeast I rarely see other Toyvans...I saw one about a month ago while I was working (I wanted to honk and wave from my UPS truck, but of course the driver would have no idea!).

But, a silver 2WD just showed up a few blocks from where I live, and it's been parked in mostly the same place for a week or so (schools just started, and it's got out of state plates - student, maybe?).

I might leave a note...

[wishin_4_snow]

Hey My1stvan. Did you buy that off eBay from a guy in Georgia. I saw a listing earlier in the year for what appeared to be a perfect specimen but it was too rich for me.

I'm glad I discovered this site and am thankful for all of you folks leaving wisdom for me to stumble across. Mog, Timserv,Skyflyer, therunningdog, Slosurfer, Wonderwagon, vegascraps91,Glohworm. and everyone else; I hope to run into you folks sometime! If ya ever plan to take a trip out Michigan way, mail me that I may extend some hospitality. I long to visit the West coast of this awesome country sometime (in my TV of course) but if any of you fancy a trip to the mid west, you may just find another west coast full of beauty (Lake Michigan sunsets and all). I bet Gloworm knows what I mean.

BTW Glohworm if ya ever want to swap van stories over an Oberon at Bells eccentric beer garden in Kalamazoo, let me know. I'm always up for a road trip.

I saw someone driving a van exactly like the one pictured under the welcome of theis web site this past summer when I was camping. It had pulled out of a driveway near the state park in Ludington and it looked pristine(the van as well as the beach) . I hope to see it again that I may leave a note as well!

BTW MOG, I love that line! I miss John Candy as well as Chris Farley and PHil Hartman.

"May the good Lord take a liking to ya and blow ya up real soon". John Candy as Big Jim McBob in SCTV's "Farm Film Celebrity Blow Up"

"I'm fine even if I wind up living in my TV down by the river"!

[my1stvan]

hey wishin_4_snow! no, i actually bought it local to me on the central coast of Ca! but thanks! I would not say its a "perfect" specimen, but it sure is the one that made me finally get one! lol thanks for the complement btw looks like we have the same van almost though. i guesse we share good taste

[vectre1]

I live in Rockford, west of Chicago, a city of 150,000, and there's only one other TV owner in town. We wave at each other.

I always wave at TVs. I even wave at VWs and get about 75% to smile and wave back. In the midwest, most anyone who had a TV and just thought of it as an old beater van has gotten rid of it by now. All thats left are enthusiasts really, even for the 2WDs.

By the way, I haven't posted here in a while, but I have been slowly growing my collection. Does 4 qualify me for cult membership yet? I have bluensow10's sharp 88 Seattle 4WD as my daily driver, plus a parts Seattle 4WD, my original rear-ended Illinois 2WD, and now a new Hawaii->Portland->Chicago 2WD cargo. The only problem is that my whole stable is automatic - I need a manual!

Anyways, I will start to keep up with this group more. Anyone want to have a Chicago area meetup??

[therunningdog]

ok, so it sounds like its just a simple wave. im still love to see a secret wave developed, but we dont have much time, people...these cars will be off the road in another decade!

my 89 2WD is from minnesota, and it is very rusty. as a result, i spend a lot of time replaceing rusty parts or trying to get rusty bolts to crack.

i always wave at fellow toyota vans and get a nice rush when then wave back!

see you guys out there!!!

[harbilly]

I always wave. People wave back. Lots of vans in Vancouver BC. We saw one once near Watson Lake in the Yukon (just south in BC) and they were shocked to see another Toyota Van but we find where ever we go there is some other fool with one we can wave at. We wave whether in our 2WD or our 4WD. We don't wave at those Delica things. They get kind of mad at us if we do, maybe it's about what they paid vs what they think we paid for vans that look a lot alike.

[timmareng]

I was once mooned by a couple of guys in a Previa.

There are PLENTY of TVs here in the NW. When I wave or give 'em the thumbs-up, the other driver usually waves right back.

[slosurfer]

I was once mooned by a couple of guys in a Previa.

Yeah, that's not the secret signal!

[timsrv]

I was once mooned by a couple of guys in a Previa.

Oh sorry, I thought you were somebody else

[slosurfer]

Is your butt that big, that he thought it was a couple guys and not just one?!?!

[timsrv]

Is your butt that big, that he thought it was a couple guys and not just one?!?!

I had my pet pig with me and he was looking out the other window while smoking his cigar

[slosurfer]

That'll do pig, that'll do....