Date: Wed, 4 May 2005 19:58:32 -0700
Reply-To: Mike Miller <mwmiller@CWNET.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Mike Miller <mwmiller@CWNET.COM>
Subject: Re: gas mileage
In-Reply-To: <F2F8E6C0606BCA4790069652B051E240204726@BONHAM.AD.UWS.EDU.AU>
Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
That mileage imperial gallons?
Mike
On 5/4/05 7:17 PM, "Stephen Overmyer" <S.OVERMYER@UWS.EDU.AU> wrote:
> On 5/4/05 9:40 AM, "Don Williams" <williams@FIRE.BIOL.WWU.EDU> wrote:
>
>> So I have my 85 westy with manual transmission running about as perfect as
>> this human is able to get it----and I get 16 miles to the gallon. I have
>> worked methodically through my 20's list (the things that I was doing to
>> get my vehicle to get 20 MPG, but after working through it I'm faced with
>> the probability that that ain't never going to happen (unless I go to a
>> different engine). I love my beast but I get ridiculed by friends who
>> drive really horrible cars (eg, Pontiac firebirds and Cadillac eldorado's,
>> really ugly and old cars that I look at as environmental disasters) but get
>> better gas mileages than I do. I have taken to mumbling when people ask me
>> about the gas mileage, so that 16 MPG sounds something like 26 MPG. I
>> carry a heavy burden in this matter because I parade myself (in some
>> circles) as an "environmentalist" and people who know what I drive ain't
>> buying it. My wife told me that if I gave a sh** about the environment I
>> would be driving a Prius. I carry this burden as best I can but it is hell
>> to love a vehicle that gets such poor mileage.
>> Should I auction it off on Ebay or say to hell with the critics???
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Just to give ya'll an idea of just how much a Westy or other camper laden with
> all manner of stuff,
>
> auto transmission and power everything that the Nth America models deemed
> necessary to appeal to
>
> the market there impacts on fuel consumption, consider this for comparitive
> purposes...
>
> My '92 Transporter with the standard 2.1 waterboxer has consistantly averaged
> 10L/100 kms over it's
>
> entire life of 273,000kms to date. You can do an accurate conversion to mpg if
> so inclined however it
>
> is in the order of 26mpg.
>
>
>
> I have owned this vehicle since new and have monitored it's fuel consumption
> for the past 13 years.
>
> Oedometer is re-set at every fill and distance travelled at next fill
> compared to litres pumped in.
>
> I tend to fill up at around 500kms and fuel required to fill again will always
> be very close to 50 litres.
>
> Occasionally I might only need 48.5 litres and at worst I may see 52 litres on
> the bowser but that's it
>
> under normal driving conditions. Exceptions are only noted if I have travelled
> a long distance with a
>
> heavy load or I am towing a trailer. Obviously that increases fuel
> consumption. Worst was towing
>
> a 6' x 10' trailer with a railway inspection vehicle in the back. Over the
> 4000kms total distance I dragged
>
> this thing I found it neccessary re-fill at around 350kms but the van can be
> forgiven on that occasion ;-)
>
>
>
> The van has the original 2.1L WBX engine and is a 5 speed manual....15" rims
> and 215/60 tyres.
>
> I always run on the mid-range Premium fuel...95 RON .
>
> It is a 5 seater with the rear 3 person bench seat folding into a full-width
> bed. No power steering, A/C
>
> central locking or power windows. The van's side-mounted tent and all other
> camping gear is stored
>
> seperately and only loaded into the van when I'm going camping or playing at a
> music festival.
>
>
>
> For average mpg figures consistantly in the mid 20s, I can happily live with
> what others may see as a
>
> basic 5 seater box on wheels but with all the potential versatility that
> actually gives me....
>
>
>
> Your mileage (obviously ) varies...;-)
>
> Cheers,
>
> Steve O
>
> NSW Australia
>
> '92 Transporter WBX Kombi
>
> '00 Transporter Double Cab
>
> '03 Transporter Double Cab (work truck)
>
> '78 Landrover Series 3 Soft top Ute (ex-Aust.Army)
>
>
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