Date:         Sat, 19 Apr 2008 01:56:10 -0400
Reply-To:     Bill Glenn <idahobill@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Bill Glenn <idahobill@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: tube bumpers/bull bars

on phil lander's syncro:
http://members.ozemail.com.au/~pjlander/volkswagen_syncro.htm

BenT provided the above link to Phil Lander's site; if you're interested in
the bull bar, be sure to scroll down to "Click here for more syncro...",
and on the next page is "Roo Bar Information", including a drawing with
measurements.

Having spent almost two years in total over the past eight years traveling
Australia, I am well-acquainted with bull bars/'roo bars (same thing), and
when I found this drawing a few years ago, I made a crude mock-up of this
design in wood to determine whether I wanted to make one for my syncro.

Here's why I decided against it.  Phil's design is a good one for what it's
for, avoiding damage to the front of the van resulting from a collision
with a kangaroo, a not infrequent occurance in OZ.  While the biggest male
kangaroos can stand six feet tall and weight between 140 and 185 lbs
(depending on the species), one is more likely to encounter much smaller
kangaroos, for which the 'roo bar is ideally suited.

In the U.S. the deer is the most likely animal to be encountered on the
road, and in some places, such as Idaho where I live, elk also pose a
hazard at times.  These animals have a high center of gravity, and if you
are unlucky enough to hit one full on, as opposed to a glancing blow, there
is a fair chance of knocking its legs out from under it and having the body
slam into your windshield; if you're really unlucky, the animal will be in
your lap.  Thus, while a 'roo bar may protect the radiator from damage, it
may well be too short to protect the occupants of the front seats from
intruding cervids.

What I would find much more useful where I go, is a brush guard on front to
protect against tree branches that have overgrown the narrow roads I
encounter.