Date:         Thu, 26 Oct 2000 15:38:06 EDT
Reply-To:     Oxroad@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jeffrey R <Oxroad@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: CROSS COUNTRY TRIP
Comments: To: bigw@gateway.net
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

In a message dated 10/26/2000 6:41:11 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
bigw@GATEWAY.NET writes:

> The only complaint is the power going up hills on I-5 in
>  northern Ca.  I did not want to strain the motor  so had to do 3rd gear and
>  45 MPH as that felt comfortable.

Will--

I think that's the best way to go on the steep inclines. I talked to a guy
with a split windshield bus in Carson City, NV and he has to deal with the
steep incline over spooner pass up to Lake Tahoe and the show in Sacramento
and that sort of thing. I seem to remember there's about a 3,000 foot gain in
a few miles of twisting highway.

While my instincts were to rev it high in third and hit fourth gear on the
inclines--once the bus was in fourth it would quickly bog down and I'd have
to downshift to third again. And this would be the endless cycle. I grew up
in the east and have never had to deal with real mountian inclines before.

The Splitty driver said, "tach it up to 3500 RPMs in third gear and and stay
there and you'll get up the hill." Generally that's about 40 or 45 MPH I seem
to remember. The key is to sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride. And that, by
the way, is always the key.

It helped also that I put a new radiator and water pump in in Nevada so the
bus ran nice and cool up the mountain. The hoses were all new as well.

Jeff
83.5 Westy
LA,CA