Date:         Tue, 22 Apr 2003 13:05:46 -0400
Reply-To:     shawn luft <shawnagan@SYMPATICO.CA>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         shawn luft <shawnagan@SYMPATICO.CA>
Subject:      Re: Smooth sailing on the Coquihalla :-)
Comments: To: Shawn Wright <swright@ZUIKO.SLS.BC.CA>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Sounds like a successful trip!  So any new ideas on the vanagon syndrome?

Regards,
Shawn.


Shawn Wright wrote:

> After some trepidation, we set out last Thursday to Salmon Arm, BC, via the
> Coquihalla Hwy. Those who've driven this road know why, and those who
> haven't should, if only to see the ultimate in poorly engineered mountain
> highways. (the railway managed to do it in 2% grades 100 years ago, but
> the highway now forces us to climb 8% grades over countless long climbs
> and descents.)
>
> The good news is the van performed flawlessly, with the first "burp" not
> occurring until after Kamloops, which is ~450km into the trip. It burped only
> once as we accelerated from a slower section of road through the city back
> up to 100km/h, as if to remind me that the Vanagon Syndrome is still
> lurking. Mileage over 471km from Langley to Salmon Arm was a decent
> 11.2 L/100km, or 25.2 MPG Imperial. This was keeping the van to a max of
> around 95-100km/h (except for the neutral downhill coasting...!)
>
> Return trip over the same section of road saw mileage of 11.9 L/100km
> (23.7MPG), a bit lower since I was driving at 100-110km/h most of the way.
>
> The VS returned with a vengeance as we got off the ferry on the way home
> tonight however - violent bucking and sputtering as we acclerated off the
> ferry. Just a reminder that I need to fix this I guess... :-(
>
> Shawn Wright
> http://Zuiko.sls.bc.ca/swright
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