In a message dated 1/29/05 11:48:04 AM, albell@UVIC.CA writes: << Having owned both a '72 and '82 (diesel) westies I can saw with no hesitation that the Vanagon is much worse in the snow or any low traction conditions. >> I have never owned a loaf, but that will not stop me from agreeing with Alistair. Before the Syncro's, I had a 2WD and as the first winter approached I anticipated unstoppable performance in the snow. It was not naivete which fueled my expectations but the performance I had witnessed years before in my brother-in-law's '68 Westy. My brother-in-law was a bang-bang type and he took great pleasure in recounting how he would amaze his hunting buddies with the prowess of his van on the fire trails. He also silenced the chuckles of more than a few 4X4'ers. With those thoughts in my head, I was stunned by the poor performance the first time I used the Vanagon in the snow. That was when I became acquainted with Hakkapeliitta's and 200 pounds of anti-skid (pea gravel) over the rear axle. Those measures improved the Vanagon's performance, but it never equaled that of a loaf. Perhaps it is the weight distribution, the ground clearance and the larger wheel diameter. In the snow, the narrower tires of the loaf might be beneficial. As a kid, I heard old codgers tell about how well Model T's got around in the snow. Their theory was that the narrow tires of the Model T would cut through the snow instead of compacting it and floating on it. George |
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