Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

VW Bus caravan makes it to Border Field

Met by VW fans across the fence

This was the last stop for the Treffen.
This was the last stop for the Treffen.

On July 29 at noon, about 75 vintage Volkswagen owners rendezvoused at International Friendship Park in Imperial Beach.

The group stopped at Crescent City, Garberville, Santa Rosa, Pacific Grove, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura.

This was the last stop for the Treffen: “A traveling [rear-engine] Volkswagen carnival, complete with cruises, camp outs and car shows; covering the entire length of the west coast in ten days.”

Some drove in from as far as Canada, Idaho and Michigan; the annual caravan started in Port Angeles, which is about 80 miles northwest from Seattle, Washington.

Imperial Beach resident Tom Summers talks to Border Patrol. He drove his turkis colored 1962 VW Bus up to meet with the caravan.

Two weeks ago, Imperial Beach resident Tom Summers drove his turkis colored 1962 VW Bus up to meet with the caravan.

Sponsored
Sponsored

“I’m the only San Diegan that made it to Washington,” Summers said. “Normally I’d be in La Paz with my Volkswagen right now.”

Bus from Canada

On July 20 at 9:00 am, the Treffen, which is German for "meeting," commenced. The group cruised down Highway 1/101 the whole day then arrived at the Astoria–Megler Bridge at around 6 pm.

Andre Toselli, the main organizer for the caravan, drove up to Washington from Ventura.

“The bridge is epic,” Summers said, “it’s four miles long and at the other end of the bridge, at Astoria (Oregon), that’s where we camped for the night.”

Some of the VWers booked a spot at the campgrounds while others crashed in hotel rooms. “I camped at the hotel [parking lot] and I got to shower in somebody’s room,” Summers said, “this is what a lot of us do that sleep in our buses; we call it urban camping and all we need is a parking spot or a [house] driveway.”

Toselli's was postal vehicle in Switzerland.

The next day, the caravan cruised down the Oregon coastline and Summers’ bus broke down at Newport, which is about 150 miles south of Astoria.

VW will cover the 75-or-so $5 entrance fees at Friendship Park.

“The problem was a broken clutch fork,” he said, “the thing that pulls the throwout bearing when you disengage the clutch.”

Jim McGill, who drove in from Idaho, was following Summers in his ’67 VW Westy.

Ezequiel Vazquez from the Tijuana Vintage club

After they pulled over, Summers’ female co-pilot and another caravaner knocked on the doors of a nearby house attached to a mechanic's garage. The gentleman and his wife that answered the door were apprehensive at first, but they “warmed up immediately being from Idaho (like Jim),” posted the caravaner on the Treffen Facebook page. “It turns out [he] had everything they needed; they were awesome.”

“Jim jacked the back end up, dropped the motor, and we straightened it (the clutch fork) and welded it up,” Summers said, “we put the motor back in and we were rolling. I was only down for three hours and I caught up with the crew that night at Coos Bay.”

“It’s such a communal spirit to the repair process that’s really cool,” said Andre Toselli, the main organizer for the caravan. He drove up to Washington from Ventura, then lead the caravan southbound with his blue 1971 factory high-top commercial VW that was a former postal vehicle from Switzerland.

“I planned this 20th anniversary route,” he said, “and we had at least 100 cars per day.”

In the next seven days the group trekked and stopped at Crescent City, Garberville, Santa Rosa, Pacific Grove, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura. They reached San Diego on July 28; many camped out in their buses on a beach-front property south of the Imperial Beach Pier.

The next morning, on July 29, the group met at their last Treffen stop: Friendship Park, next to the bull ring at Playas de Tijuana.

Carlos Ontiveros, a member of Buses Only, a VW Bus club in Tijuana, couldn’t make it to the U.S. side of Friendship Park. “We can see them (the 75-plus VWs from Treffen) from above the plaza or between the bars from our side.” Last year Ontiveros and many VW owners from across the border met with the Americans and Canadians from Treffen, at the front of the bull ring.

Ontiveros’s buddy, Ezequiel Vazquez, from the Tijuana Vintage club crossed his 1965 VW Bug through San Ysidro. “I give them a lot of respect for the energy and effort to drive their vehicles that are 60-70 years old,” he said, “and all the way from Canada.”

“Volkswagen of America supplied us with a master mechanic,” Toselli said, “and he takes care of their museum cars, but for this trip, he’s been keeping a lot of us on the road.”

Summers added that VW will cover the 75-or-so $5 entrance fees at Friendship Park.

Some of the VW builders said that VW corporate wasn’t so supportive of them before.

“Coming back from Dieselgate, which was a devastating debacle,” Summers said, “these guys at VW are serious about rebuilding their image.”

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Syrian treat maker Hakmi Sweets makes Dubai chocolate bars

Look for the counter shop inside a Mediterranean grill in El Cajon
Next Article

Trophy truck crushes four at Baja 1000

"Two other racers on quads died too,"
This was the last stop for the Treffen.
This was the last stop for the Treffen.

On July 29 at noon, about 75 vintage Volkswagen owners rendezvoused at International Friendship Park in Imperial Beach.

The group stopped at Crescent City, Garberville, Santa Rosa, Pacific Grove, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura.

This was the last stop for the Treffen: “A traveling [rear-engine] Volkswagen carnival, complete with cruises, camp outs and car shows; covering the entire length of the west coast in ten days.”

Some drove in from as far as Canada, Idaho and Michigan; the annual caravan started in Port Angeles, which is about 80 miles northwest from Seattle, Washington.

Imperial Beach resident Tom Summers talks to Border Patrol. He drove his turkis colored 1962 VW Bus up to meet with the caravan.

Two weeks ago, Imperial Beach resident Tom Summers drove his turkis colored 1962 VW Bus up to meet with the caravan.

Sponsored
Sponsored

“I’m the only San Diegan that made it to Washington,” Summers said. “Normally I’d be in La Paz with my Volkswagen right now.”

Bus from Canada

On July 20 at 9:00 am, the Treffen, which is German for "meeting," commenced. The group cruised down Highway 1/101 the whole day then arrived at the Astoria–Megler Bridge at around 6 pm.

Andre Toselli, the main organizer for the caravan, drove up to Washington from Ventura.

“The bridge is epic,” Summers said, “it’s four miles long and at the other end of the bridge, at Astoria (Oregon), that’s where we camped for the night.”

Some of the VWers booked a spot at the campgrounds while others crashed in hotel rooms. “I camped at the hotel [parking lot] and I got to shower in somebody’s room,” Summers said, “this is what a lot of us do that sleep in our buses; we call it urban camping and all we need is a parking spot or a [house] driveway.”

Toselli's was postal vehicle in Switzerland.

The next day, the caravan cruised down the Oregon coastline and Summers’ bus broke down at Newport, which is about 150 miles south of Astoria.

VW will cover the 75-or-so $5 entrance fees at Friendship Park.

“The problem was a broken clutch fork,” he said, “the thing that pulls the throwout bearing when you disengage the clutch.”

Jim McGill, who drove in from Idaho, was following Summers in his ’67 VW Westy.

Ezequiel Vazquez from the Tijuana Vintage club

After they pulled over, Summers’ female co-pilot and another caravaner knocked on the doors of a nearby house attached to a mechanic's garage. The gentleman and his wife that answered the door were apprehensive at first, but they “warmed up immediately being from Idaho (like Jim),” posted the caravaner on the Treffen Facebook page. “It turns out [he] had everything they needed; they were awesome.”

“Jim jacked the back end up, dropped the motor, and we straightened it (the clutch fork) and welded it up,” Summers said, “we put the motor back in and we were rolling. I was only down for three hours and I caught up with the crew that night at Coos Bay.”

“It’s such a communal spirit to the repair process that’s really cool,” said Andre Toselli, the main organizer for the caravan. He drove up to Washington from Ventura, then lead the caravan southbound with his blue 1971 factory high-top commercial VW that was a former postal vehicle from Switzerland.

“I planned this 20th anniversary route,” he said, “and we had at least 100 cars per day.”

In the next seven days the group trekked and stopped at Crescent City, Garberville, Santa Rosa, Pacific Grove, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura. They reached San Diego on July 28; many camped out in their buses on a beach-front property south of the Imperial Beach Pier.

The next morning, on July 29, the group met at their last Treffen stop: Friendship Park, next to the bull ring at Playas de Tijuana.

Carlos Ontiveros, a member of Buses Only, a VW Bus club in Tijuana, couldn’t make it to the U.S. side of Friendship Park. “We can see them (the 75-plus VWs from Treffen) from above the plaza or between the bars from our side.” Last year Ontiveros and many VW owners from across the border met with the Americans and Canadians from Treffen, at the front of the bull ring.

Ontiveros’s buddy, Ezequiel Vazquez, from the Tijuana Vintage club crossed his 1965 VW Bug through San Ysidro. “I give them a lot of respect for the energy and effort to drive their vehicles that are 60-70 years old,” he said, “and all the way from Canada.”

“Volkswagen of America supplied us with a master mechanic,” Toselli said, “and he takes care of their museum cars, but for this trip, he’s been keeping a lot of us on the road.”

Summers added that VW will cover the 75-or-so $5 entrance fees at Friendship Park.

Some of the VW builders said that VW corporate wasn’t so supportive of them before.

“Coming back from Dieselgate, which was a devastating debacle,” Summers said, “these guys at VW are serious about rebuilding their image.”

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Poway’s schools, faced with money squeeze, fined for voter mailing

$105 million bond required payback of nearly 10 times that amount
Next Article

Southern California Asks: 'What Is Vinivia?' Meet the New Creator-First Livestreaming App

Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader