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Date:         Tue, 2 Aug 2005 10:17:18 -0600
Reply-To:     jimt <camper@TACTICAL-BUS.INFO>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         jimt <camper@TACTICAL-BUS.INFO>
Subject:      Re: Van Cargo
In-Reply-To:  <001801c59711$ff318200$0e2406cf@bc.hsia.telus.net>
Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

I have axel checked more than once as I have made changes on the interior of my van. The long of it... What is often overlooked is the CB (center of balance) changes on the van when you load up. The weight placard on the early vanagon reflects the regular vanagon and not a westy load added to it. (can't say about later vans as I only researched out what I considered discrepancies on my own van). This is further off by any cargo and the weight of the pax in the vehicle and where they are. I found a note that in the 80s most mfr used an avg pax weight of 160 lbs each for 4 pax. This supposedly has been changed to 175 lbs each now. (enjoying that bigmac?) if you added all that pax weight to the empty vehicle balance of weight you have just added avg 640 lbs forward of the rear axel to be felt mostly on the front axel. Shifts CB about 3 inches further forward. Add aux battery a tool box and two more aux batteries CB now shifts another 2 inches. Add a camping cargo load to the center of the van and possibly put the load on top of the van in the cargo carrier and you now shift the CB another 2 inches. The front axel is now the heaviest load by about 2 inches. Inflation needs to be adjusted accordingly. (USAF tactical load planning skills put to work) jimt

On 8/1/05 9:26 PM, "Jake de Villiers" <crescentbeachguitar@TELUS.NET> wrote:

> Has anybody out there actually weighed front and rear axles separately? When > I put Dixie (1986 Westy Weekender) over the Washington State truck scale > near Everett I was astonished to read 2460 front and 2260 rear with my wife > and myself aboard with stuff for camping and bluegrass festivals. It really > made me wonder about the 10 psi difference front and rear - of course, I > gave up on that a long time ago with my GL as a ticket to terminal > understeer. Seeya, Jake. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Shawn Watson" <shawnw@ULTIMATESUBARU.NET> > To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> > Sent: Monday, August 01, 2005 8:19 PM > Subject: Re: Van Cargo > > >> I liked what I saw on a Vanagon that had a front mounted bike rack. > Pretty >> slick looking if you ask me and it kept the rear open for towing, getting >> the hatch open, etc. >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Dennis Haynes [mailto:dhaynes@OPTONLINE.NET] >> Sent: Monday, August 01, 2005 8:16 PM >> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM >> Subject: Re: Van Cargo >> >> >> I think some alternative solutions include leaving something home or > getting >> a trailer to haul some of the stuff. If you place a lot of stuff on the >> rear, consider what it will do for the rear axle loading. Also, stuff on > the >> roof will increase wind resistance and noise and of course reduce fuel >> economy. It sounds as though you are out growing the Westy. Time to > design >> a stretch version. >> >> Dennis >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of >> Jim Quan >> Sent: Monday, August 01, 2005 11:19 AM >> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM >> Subject: Van Cargo >> >> Getting ready to take off on our annual extended Van camping adventure >> and need to address some storage issues due to a growing family. We >> need to carry one Burley bike trailer, three bikes, two jogging >> strollers. Right now I have a Surco rack on Yakima bars on top of the >> van and one Yakima Cobra bike carrier. I am thinking of two options: >> One is to buy a third Yakima bar and get a Rocket Box, along with >> additional bike carriers and the second is to work with Gary Lee and >> use a configuration of his rear hatch rack. >> Suggestions/comments/alternative solutions? >> >> JIm >> 1991 Syncro Westy >> > >


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