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Date:         Wed, 30 Dec 2009 12:55:16 -0500
Reply-To:     mcneely4@COX.NET
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@COX.NET>
Subject:      Re: Traction? Not very much
Comments: To: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed; delsp=no

Don, your pellet stove must produce ash. When I lived in snow country, I always carried wood ash with me for situations like you described. If by some odd chance I got stuck, I would clear a path in front of my drive wheels with a shovel, and sprinkle ash on the snow/ice remaining. Worked like a charm -- always got moving. Of course, other materials work well too, like kitty litter or sand, but ash is free, light weight so you don't mind carrying it, and easy to distribute. I had a 100 yard long, uphill climb from my house out to the public street, and I seldom plowed it. Even when I plowed, since it was gravel, there was always a layer of snow or ice remaining. No problem with the ash at the foot, even for my wife, who often was timid about getting adequate momentum because we had to make a 90 degree turn just before the climb started. Back then we had an ample supply of ash, as we heated the house with a wood stove. I had a Toyota Lift Back (rear wheel drive) and a small Ford pickup then.

Admittedly my experience with my van in snow is limited, but I had no trouble with the blizzard last week, including after getting back home where city plowing had been inadequate and I had some streets to negotiate with ice and long inclines. Nothing like mountain country, of course.

Dave Mc

On Wed, Dec 30, 2009 at 11:02 AM, Don Hanson wrote:

> One of the few areas where I fault my 84 Vanagon manual tranny low-top > 'westie' is it's lack of ability to go. I am now committed to 'saving > up' > for a limited slip diff. > > I am a very good snow driver. I lived over 20 years in Jackson Hole, > Wyoming and drove to work at the ski area every day. My Ski Patrol > job had > me arriving there at an ungodly hour to shoot the avalanche control > guns on > stormy mornings, so my commute was often before any snow plows, > through > drifts white-out storms, etc. I had a variety of vehicles during > those > years, not one a 4wd and yet I rarely got stuck or couldn't make it > where I > needed to go. > > But this Vanagon really frustrates me. It's simply not good at > all...in > fact it is 'amazingly' poor. I keep trying, thinking "Hey, it can't > be THAT > bad, maybe if I_______ this time" and like that. It feels like it > should do > OK. I've been over all the suspension looking for reasons why it > sucks..I > have decent tires. The "open differential" must be waay more open > than any > other vehicle I have ever owned..Even my old long bed 2wd six cylinder > ford > pickup had better wintertime traction without any weight at all in the > back...."Amazing".. > Just yesterday I tried again to 'leave our Hill' in the Vanagon with > a > little snow (about 3-5") on our gravel driveway. Couldn't make it > back > up...missed by about 20' and had to go get the pickup to tow it up the > rest > of the way. > Even with Nokian Hakka M+S with decent tread and a rear decklid > loaded > with ballast (480lbs of stove pellet bags) the van just would not make > the > grade...The van is virtually useless with any snow whatsoever. I had > to > 'un-mothball' my diesel Ford truck! I must be beyond the "Denial" > stage > finally. > > Don Hanson


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