Date: Tue, 1 Jul 2003 19:22:21 +0000
Reply-To: Hermann the German <urlauber10@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Hermann the German <urlauber10@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: 3 weeks of beach driving/trip report short
Content-Type: text/html
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<P>Just got back from three weeks of beach, sun, and fun on the Outer Banks in North Carolina. I won't tell you where because I don't want this gem to become more crowded. The syncro performed great in the sand. Lots of deep sand driving. The only challenge was the ramp onto the beach. Deep ruts and holes dug by stuck vehicles created problems. The ruts were so deep that the syncro bottomed out several times. Here is what I learnt (first time 4 wheeling on the beach):</P>
<P>- deflate tires to 20 psi or lower</P>
<P>-always follow somebody else's tracks</P>
<P>-momentum, momentum, momentum. You can't downshift, so be in low gear before you get into a trouble spot.</P>
<P>-bring a tow strap to help out others</P>
<P>-bring a shovel to help yourself and others</P>
<P>One day,at high tide, I was forced to drive too close to the dunes, the van lost momentum in the soft sand, I could not shift fast enough into low range and got stuck. I told my kids to get out and start digging. My 8 year old took my words literally. Instead of digging behind the wheels she began digging a hole right outside the sliding door. I had to laugh and being stuck turned into a memorable moment on the beach. We removed some sand, lowered the tire pressure even more, backtracked a few meters, and then with momentum and low range drove across the dune. </P>
<P>Many a times were we approached by SUV drivers on the beach who wondered what kind of vehicle we were driving. They had never seen a van on the beach that was capable of making it across the ramp and through the soft sand.</P>
<P>I wish I had a front diff lock. Maybe I'll give Derek Drew a call and talk to Santa Claus.</P>
<P>Oh. Almost forgot one mishap. Driving up the ramp at full speed in low range we bumped so hard through the holes that the passenger window ,already lowered, shattered into a thousand pieces. We drove the 1300 miles home with a duct-taped window. Thank God for ac. </P>
<P>What the heck! The island is called Ocracoke and would be a perfect place for a syncro meeting. The Outer Banks have about 70 miles of driveable beach.</P>
<P>Sightings: a bunch of westies at the National Park Campground, two other syncronauts in town. One strangely painted westy in Virginia on I-64 with a taxi sign in the front. Crabby driver. Would not wave back at us.</P>
<P>Cheers,<BR>Hermann de Boer </P>
<DIV></DIV>Kansas City,Missouri
<DIV></DIV>87 Westy "Eurospec"
<DIV></DIV>89 Syncro GL
<DIV></DIV>"...even if you win the rat race, you are still a rat..."
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