Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2005 17:30:24 +0000
Reply-To: mtbiker62@COMCAST.NET
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Bob Stevens <mtbiker62@COMCAST.NET>
Subject: Re: [WetWesties] How do Vanagons do in the snow?
Here in Utah I've owned an '88 Westy manual tranny, '91 Westy auto tranny, and my current '87 Westy Syncro. The 2 2 w/d had problems in fairly deep sand in the Canyonlands and that pumice-like stuff in the southeast Sierras (Mammoth). The Syncro hasn't had problems in any condions I've faced here. I've driven on packed snow, fairly deep snow, mountain jeep trails, desert jeep trails that are rocky and sometimes fairly steep. The 2 w/d's do well in all those conditions except the deep sand. 2 w/d's in deep sand sink like rocks in water without forward momentum, and sometimes you just can't get a run at one of those sections. Although I haven't faced it, my bet is they would not do well going up steep, snowy offroad conditions.
I've never had studded snows on any of these vans, but I bet that would make a huge difference in packed snow or icy conditions. I used to work at Snowbird and drove an '80 Jetta up there for 3 years. I had 4 studded snows on it in winter and never got shut out, never used chains. Front wheel drive with the engine over the drive wheels, "rocks" in those conditions.
An aside here: I lived in Portland for 5 years back in the early '70's. I'd never faced sleet (freezing rain) before and that is without a doubt, in my experience, the worst possible of all driving, or walking, conditons to negotiate. I mention that because I don't think you're going to run into that in Denver. I have children and grandchildren there, so I've driven there several times, but fortunately only in "usual snowy" conditions. Not in any of their extreme snowy conditions. I've seen conditions there where they had 4' to 5' drifts along side the road from plowing, but only when I've visited via flight so have no idea about that there. I have driven here in Salt Lake on very snowy roads and like with any other vehicle, driving slow and cautiously goes a long way to being able to negotiate OK.
OPINION: I don't think you're going to find a vanagon worse than most other vehicles you could get, in the conditions Denver delivers. If you get a Van, load the rear/middle up with a few hundred #'s of something(sand, cinder blocks).
Bob
--
http://groups.msn.com/BobsPhotoShare/87westysyncro.msnw
> --- Michelle wrote:
>
> >
> >
> > I'm talking about non 4WD Vanagons for those of you
> > who have the
> > experience with them..I'm moving to Colorado and
> > contemplating
> > buying a Vanagon and would be interested to
> > know...Your input is
> > greatly appreciated...
> >
> > Thank you,
> > Michelle
> > Portland, Oregon
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