Date:         Sat, 28 Nov 2009 22:47:51 -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:  <d3b2fe670911281922p28a740d1uea8a86734082895c@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

    Not just for speed but for every aspect of driving a Vanagon,  strong
and gusty winds suck!  I hate driving mine in gusty cross-wind conditions or
with a side wind and passing traffic on a two lane.  Every time a truck
rushes past, even going the other direction is seems like we just got
'sacked' by some huge linebacker.  Sometimes I've had both mirrors blown
back against the windows.  The dogs wake up, the co-pilot goes "Huh, what
was that, we hit something?"...
  It takes all the enjoyment out of a journey for me when I have to be
constantly alert to try to anticipate what the wind will do to my high
profile vehicle...I don't believe you who say  "Oh, My Vanagon is not
affected by winds at all"...
  Try a trip through the Columbia River Gorge or perhaps down 395 in the
high desert of California in spring or fall...You don't just sit there with
one hand on the wheel and a cup of coffee in the other, cruising along all
relaxed...No, in my van, you set a correction for the 'lee helm' that the
cross winds are creating and then every time you pass through a wind shadow,
the van wants to jump over into the vacuum...Tedious and tiring...but
bearable, just.
  Don Hanson

On Sat, Nov 28, 2009 at 7:22 PM, Peter DiFalco <peter.difalco@gmail.com>wrote:

> Having just driven about 200 miles up the center of Northern
> California in an ''89 non-camper 2.1L battling crosswinds and
> headwinds the whole way, I will amend my earlier comments by adding
> that sometimes the Vanagon can be a little slow. I was at times
> fighting to maintain 60 mph with one eye on the temp (edging at times
> to uncover the LED), and the sound if one or two crying kids was
> motivation for me to think engine conversion... someday.
>
> For reference my 71 would have been at 35 or 45 at most in those
> winds. I don't miss that.
>
> -Peter
>