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Date:         Wed, 30 Dec 2009 16:20:51 -0800
Reply-To:     C B <cunegonde.van.westfalia@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         C B <cunegonde.van.westfalia@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Traction? Not very much (6)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Hmm. Yesterday we had a successful, if anxious, snow driving experience in Cunegonde the 2WD 1.9l WBX Westy with old Michelin X light truck tires and stock headlights. The manual 4-speed tranny was rebuilt by an unknown shop (I bought it used).

New Yokohama Geolander 15" tires not having arrived from the Tire Rack, nor the Daniel Stern Lighting kit, off we went anyway from Portland to Bagby Hot Springs in the Oregon western Cascades. Up three (paved) FS roads outside of Estacada, there was about 3 inches of ice-packed snow as we climbed. Under 10 miles an hour, we made it to the parking lot in the dark for a comfortable heated (Olympian catalytic LP heater line teed from the copper fridge line) overnight stay. The next day, after about 5 hours of soaking in the old growth log tub hot springs, we realized it was snowing significantly, so at about 2pm we reluctantly went back down the trail and threw the van's contents under bungee nets and such for the drive home. The entire time more passenger cars kept arriving in the parking lot. We wondered later how they managed to get out, and if not, what they did for the night - must have been quite the stay-warm overnight party at the springs.

I put on the steel cable/roller passenger-car tire chains on the rear, and down the river valley we crept in conditions that approached white-out the closer we approached the "main road" OR 224 at Ripplebrook Ranger Station. There were several front-wheel drive passenger cars and small SUVs in the ditch (fortunately no sign of any in the river!). As long as we went less than 15 mph, we seemed quite well attached tp the road. The snow was falling at 3-4 inches an hour. I don't know why we thought everything would clear up at Ripplebrook, but in fact it got heavier and wetter as we drove the 30 some miles into Estacada, along the Upper Clackamas River. I took the chains off about 5 miles from town. Turns out we were driving into Portland's first (which is frequently the only) snow of the year. No plows or sanding trucks are available in the area. There were accidents every few miles the entire way into SE Portland.

All I can say is my sweetie is the best snow driver ever - not a single significant slide, and she sang harmony to Bette Midler simultaneously! I would have found that same drive just as difficult in my '81 Volvo, the best 2WD snow car I've had until now, and the Volvo doesn't have Cunegonde's ground clearance. It's true my partner's '99 Subaru Outback wagon would have negotiated it easily with chains (studded tires are a liability in rainy Portland). But the 1.9l seemed to have sufficient torque and engine braking for the task.

My conclusions are A/T tires and light truck tire chains would have made it a breeze, not to mention a bit faster than 7 hours for a drive of 2 hours on dry pavement. And of course, the new lighting. And the front blower repair... at least the stove works again.

Bretts

'83.5 1.9l WBX Ivory Westfalia "Cunegonde"


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