Date:         Sat, 28 Nov 2009 08:10:43 -0800
Reply-To:     Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: vanagon speed
In-Reply-To:  <BLU0-SMTP95007F869377073F8B5266A6990@phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

  Vanagons are not slow....(except maybe a 1.6 diesel Westie is actually)
They are just slow compared to automobile traffic.  But they aren't really
cars, they are vans, campers, small RVs.  Compared to those, we vanagoneers
do ok.  Slow is an older splittie converted to a camper..or a bay window
Westie with a family aboard.
  Yes, a stock motored auto westie with 'improvments' might be (is
probably?) a bit tough to push up some passes at 70mph but I certainly see
plenty of vanagons during my travels (84 low roof 'westie' with an inline VW
gasser motor) rolling right along uphill at 60+.

  There's a variety of alternative power choices available to use in
 Vanagons, too, if <100hp is too "wimpy" for your vanagon---- well tested
now for those of us who insist on accelerating uphill, or who keep 'getting
caught' hanging up the cell phone too late and starting  the ascent of
a long grade from 45mph.  If I pay attention as I drive my own van, I have
no problem holding 65 up most hills...If I space -out and start uphill from
below that speed, my little inline motor has to be revved like crazy in 4th
(I have a 5sp) to re-gain 70mph, and that takes a mile or two...

  Going 65 uphill is plenty fast for me during my travels in the van.  I
wouldn't call that 'slow'..it's just a little 'slower' than many other
travelers..maybe they have to 'get there' sooner so they can look around for
a motel room or something, that's why they drive so fast allatime.
  Don Hanson
On Fri, Nov 27, 2009 at 10:59 PM, Karl Wolz <wolzphoto@q.com> wrote:

> Smiles per mile?
> Karma per kilometer?
> If what goes around comes around (as they say), drive slower, it'll catch
> up
> to you faster.
>
> Karl Wolz
>
>
>
> and how to we measure/quantify it ...
>
> miles per day?
> kilometers per week?
> furlongs per fortnight?
>
> vanagons per minute?
> vanagons per hour?
> vanagons per day?
> or should we just use Vanagon Units (vu), which are approximately
> 4600mm or 181.1 inches or 15 feet 1.1 inches?
> (the electron masses are set to unity, but the gravitational constant
> is allowed to float, with inner tubes/kayaks or in salty water).
>
> grins/giggles/smiles per mile/kilometer?
>
> hands per holiday?
> fathoms/feet per folly?
> yards per yippee?
>
> unca joel
>