Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2002 16:17:46 -0500
Reply-To: Stan Wilder <wilden1@JUNO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Stan Wilder <wilden1@JUNO.COM>
Subject: Re: neat idea........anyone done this before?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
I've got to agree with you Bill.
Its a neat idea and it would really be an eve catcher.
However I just finished a trip from Dallas to Albuquerque and I was
straining my 83 Air Cooled guts out pulling those hills in third gear at
4000 Rpms and 55 mph.
My engine has only 7000 miles on it and you'd be generating more power
that I can with 110 HP water cooled but you'd still be short. Consider
that my Westy weighs 5300 pounds.
That is about what your rig would weigh and it would be stretching it.
Seems the towing aspect changes some factors of wind resistance and
buffeting.
Even in Texas where the ramps are long I go into mild hills at 70 mph and
often come out at 60 if I have any head wind. I know the Waser Boxers do
better.
Here is what you've got to calculate:
1)Vanagon weight 3200 pounds - 1/4 of that as you shave it off = 2400
pounds, That is calculating cutting the van so you keep the sliding door.
2) Drop out the engine and tranny, engine 185 pounds / tranny 89 pounds /
drive axles 20 pounds = 294 pounds.
3) There are other things you can drop weight by eliminating.
4) You'd definitely want to keep the extra gas tank. I was only averaging
10 mpg on fuel running up and down those NM mountains. 18-21 mpg average
on flat land and mild breezes.
5) If you had about 180 HP it would start becoming more practical. That
would require an engine conversion in the range of $4000.00.
Something like this would make a good club project since there is always
Murphy's law that runs expenses out of sight.
Just matching your paint could cost $600.00, a dead engine Vanagon at
$300.00 (you wouldn't need a Waser) and you know Yada Yada Yada.
I carry a four person tent with me, about $99.00 for one you can throw
away every three seasons.
Stan Wilder
83 Air Cooled Westfalia
On Mon, 22 Apr 2002 13:35:57 -0700 Bill Kasper
<dragonlist@ipmts.ucsc.edu> writes:
> well, if the van can pull more than a grand, i'll want the brakes.
> pretty easy to make a hydraulic system from the vw parts that will
> run
> to the brakes as they are setup.
>
> b
>
>
> On Monday, April 22, 2002, at 01:23 , Stan Wilder wrote:
>
> > Sounds to me like it needs to be made like those bend in the
> middle
> > busses.
> > Leave the engine in the trailing part and crank it when you want
> to
> > climb
> > a hill.
> > As for brakes, I doubt you'd ever get to going fast enough to need
> the
> > trailer brakes especially going over a small hill.
> > I've got to admit that this would be a real sight to see
> > ................... you Photoshop Guru's need to draw one up for
> us to
> > see on Friday.
> >
> > Stan Wilder
> > 83 Westfalia Air Cooled
> >
> > On Mon, 22 Apr 2002 12:24:22 -0700 Bill Kasper
> > <dragonlist@IPMTS.UCSC.EDU> writes:
> >> but imagine this: cut off the van just in front of the rear
> bench
> >> seat,
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