Date:         Tue, 9 Sep 2003 19:47:05 -0600
Reply-To:     tom ring <taring@TARING.ORG>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         tom ring <taring@TARING.ORG>
Organization: Tippen Ringware
Subject:      Re: better gas mileage
In-Reply-To:  <a8a8c9a8a1c4.a8a1c4a8a8c9@gci.net>
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

Nice response.  Germain appears to be TROLLing, I would ignore him.

We own barns, Volvo owners own barn doors.  ;)

tom

On 9 Sep 2003 at 17:34, Mark Tuovinen wrote:

> Nobody drives a vanagon for the fuel economy, there are many larger vehicles using newer technology that will get equal or better mileage. The problem is not that the 2.1 is gutless, it is just not the most appropriate choice for 4000lbs of van. The 2.1 does a fair job of getting all of that
mass moving thanks to the low gear ratio's in the transmission and differentials, but those same ratio's limit its fuel economy. I am turning almost 4,000rpm at 70mph, not exactly the most efficient rpm, but the only way to get somewhere the same day you started. A larger more powerful engine
and/or higher gear ratios will provide better performance and fuel economy at the same time. This has been proven by those that have swapped their 2.1's for Jetta, Subaru, etc., engines. Our vans are heavy because they are built well, this is why after 16 years and many miles our 87 Westy Syncro
is still solid and the doors close tight. Having the shape of a barn on wheels does not help either, but t
> here is not much that we can do about that. If you want gas mileage buy a Honda Insight, I have spoken with the owners of several of them and they report the ability to get over 90mpg if they stay at the posted limit on the highway. Unfortunately you will have no room for your Dometic
refrigerator, sink, stove, etc.. As for our van, we will find out what its fuel mileage is after I repair the odometer.
>
> Mark
>
>
>
> with a manual Westy but I wonder you can get more than that. Infortunately
> > this van is not burning gas as a compact car.
>
> Forget compact car, it is'nt burning gas at full size van standards
> either.  My 98 Ford E-150 gets 20 mpg on the highway with a 4.2L V-6 and
> 6000 lbs vehicle weight, compare that to my 4,000 lb, 2.1L Vanagon which
> gets 16 mpg on the highway with a 2.1L gutless engine.  The 2.1L
> Wasserboxer is not only gutless and unreliable, its expensive to operate,
> inefficent, and bad for the environment.  The old Honda comercial where
> the new hybrid pulls upto the old aircooled bus with all the save the
> environment stickers on it comes to mind here.  Whoever says they drive a
> vanagon cause its smaller and better on gas should get their facts
> straight.
>
>
> >
> > Germain


------
Tom Ring K0TAR, ex-WA2PHW  EN34hx
85 Westphalia GL Albert
96 Jetta GL The Intimidator
taring@taring.org

"It is better to go into a turn slow, and come out fast, than to go into a turn fast
and come out dead." Stirling Moss