Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2012 11:02:56 -0700
Reply-To: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Kens trip more comments
In-Reply-To: <CAGwfHKTsKx5JokncmjDvfn2E3QBU0n8tS08XL=GifhZV639W9w@mail.gmail.com>
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Austin, Nv. on Hwy 50 has one, too..."The Loneliest Road".....As you come
into the town from the east side you are coming down a pass and the main
street/highway is still quite steep after the final switchback outside
town.. Right on some building's wall there is a big sign painted...."Slow
down! Speed trap ahead"....and they aren't kidding.....
Don Hanson
On Wed, Oct 17, 2012 at 10:25 AM, Harold Teer <teer.vanagon@gmail.com>wrote:
> Ken,
>
> You are not alone in being caught in the Del Norte speed trap. Dove Creek
> on the same highway was notorious for doing the same thing years ago when I
> lived in Durango, CO.
>
> See: http://www.speedtrap.org/city/1434/Del%20Norte
>
> Harold
>
> On Wed, Oct 17, 2012 at 12:19 PM, Ken Wilford <kenwilfy@comcast.net>
> wrote:
>
> > One other comment on our trip and something that I think would benefit
> > Westy drivers. We made a point to drive on scenic highways whenever we
> > could. If you look on most maps you will see some highways that have
> > dots next to them and if you look close you will see that this
> > considered a scenic road. I would highly recommend following these
> > routes versus the interstate. Interstates were actually originally made
> > to transport our troops from their bases around the US to points where
> > foreign countries were likely to attack us. They were made for speed
> > and not for necessarily for the scenery. However scenic highways were
> > actually made for the scenery and therefore you can not only drive from
> > point A to point B but also enjoy doing it. The hours will fly by as
> > you "ooo and ahh" at the natural wonders around you. You will see
> > scenic pull off every so often. Take as many of them as you can without
> > getting too crazy. You don't have to stop at every single one but if
> > something catches your attention, stop and check it out. We loved doing
> > this and it breaks up the driving. You can stop, go to the bathroom,
> > eat lunch, and check out something cool all at the same time!
> >
> > The scenic highways I really liked was 101 starting at the top of Oregon
> > and going down to northern California. You will drive on the edges of
> > cliffs overlooking the crashing ocean waves in Oregon. Check out cool
> > stuff like "The Devil's punchbowl", etc. I would also recommend taking
> > 160 across the bottom of Utah and Colorado. Monument Valley, Mesa Verde,
> > San Juan National Forest, etc. These roads usually don't have many big
> > rigs on them so you won't feel as run off the road either.
> >
> > One other thing to be careful of if you are taking the road less
> > traveled by is speed traps. We ran into one of these on 160 in Colorado
> > at a small town called Del Norte. It is right after you coast down a
> > really long mountain grade where the speed limit is 65 mph. You have to
> > keep on the brakes the whole way down to stop going too fast, then when
> > you get to the town the speed limit goes from 65 to 40 to 35 without any
> > real warning and very quickly (like in the course of a quarter of a
> > mile). So if you don't slam on your brakes when you come into town,
> > chances are you are going to be coasting through at around 50 like I was
> > and get stopped and get a ticket. You have to watch and obey the speed
> > limits especially in small towns. Our ticket for going 50 in a 40 was
> > $125. That is alot in my opinion plus 2 points on your license. I
> > thought the guy might take mercy on us since my record is basically
> > perfect, but he didn't.
> >
> > Hope this helps someone.
> >
> > --
> > Thanks,
> > Ken Wilford
> > John 3:16
> > www.vanagain.com
> > Phone: 856-327-4936
> > Fax: 856-327-2242
> >
> >
> > On 10/17/2012 11:12 AM, Steven Johnson wrote:
> >
> >> Dennis H. has warned about over-loading campers for years. Common
> >> mistake for most vehicles. Then drivers expect their
> >> shocks, brakes and steering to save them when they take corners too fast
> >> or
> >> cannot stop in time. People expect way too much
> >> of physics....
> >>
> >> Steven J.
> >> 91 Westy
> >>
> >> On Wed, Oct 17, 2012 at 7:58 AM, David Bjorkman <ddbjorkman@verizon.net
> >> >wrote:
> >>
> >> I have to agree with Ken. When I took my roadtrip this past June,
> with
> >>> a new inline 4 from FAS, I packed to the gills. About 5000 lbs, and
> the
> >>> max is 5500. I should have left most of those canned goods home and
> went
> >>> shopping more. Weight absolutely makes a major difference in
> >>> performance,
> >>> as does altitude.
> >>>
> >>> Dave B.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> On 10/16/12, kenneth wilford (Van-Again)<kenwilfy@COMCAST.**NET<
> kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET>>
> >>> wrote:
> >>>
> >>> We actually sold an 88 Westy that we had for several years, and then
> used
> >>> the money to buy a 34ft 95 Fleetwood Bounder motor home. This is
> because
> >>> we have four kids that are medium sized and we were going on a month
> long
> >>> trip. I knew that there was no way we could fit all of our stuff and
> six
> >>> people into a Westy camper and not try to kill each other over the
> course
> >>> of a month. We needed some elbow room and the Bounder gave us that. It
> >>> wasn't the biggest, baddest MH out there as at has no slide outs, and
> >>> wasnt
> >>> the size of a tour bus. Actually Dennis Haynes recommended for me to
> get
> >>> the Class A motor home and I followed his advice. I used our Vanagon
> >>> camper for shorter trips that were just my wife and I. If I were doing
> >>> this trip in the future with just the two of us I think we would be
> fine
> >>> in
> >>> a Westy. However because we had the extra people, we needed the extra
> >>> room.
> >>>
> >>> As far as taking those mountains in a Westy is concerned, I can chime
> in
> >>> because I have done a similar trip to this one in a Westy with three
> >>> people. The biggest problem most westy owners have is treating their
> >>> Westy
> >>> like a much larger RV. They want to take all of their toys along and
> also
> >>> max it out on people. I have customers coming in here that want me to
> >>> install center two person bench seats in their Westy so they can seat
> >>> six.
> >>> They load every single cabinet up with stuff and then put stuff on the
> >>> top
> >>> on racks, and then tow a trailer behind. This isn't a very good plan.
> If
> >>> you are going to take a nice trip in your van, less is more. You need
> to
> >>> evaluate exactly what you need and then try to take the bare minimum of
> >>> that. You want your Westy to be safe and part of that is being below
> the
> >>> Max Gross Vehicle Weight. Most Westy owners never look at that sticker,
> >>> they never think of it, but if they ever actually weighed their vans
> >>> fully
> >>> loaded they would be pretty shocked. I have had them come in here
> loaded
> >>> down to the point that you can actually see the van sagging down under
> >>> the
> >>> weight, packed full to the point were there is only enough room inside
> to
> >>> sit but not actually move around.
> >>>
> >>> So don't overload your Westy, I would say four people is the max I
> would
> >>> take on a trip longer than a few hours or one or two overnights, and
> you
> >>> will enjoy your van much more. Maxing it out is going to make it that
> >>> much
> >>> slower, and wear out that much faster. You could even have problems
> >>> stopping going down the long downhills that always follow the long up
> >>> hills. Read the owners manual, believe what is says, follow it, and you
> >>> should have a better experience. Just my two cents.
> >>>
> >>> Ken Wilford
> >>> John 3:16
> >>> www.vanagain.com
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >> -----
> >> No virus found in this message.
> >> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
> >> Version: 2013.0.2741 / Virus Database: 2614/5836 - Release Date:
> 10/16/12
> >>
> >>
> >>
>
>
> --
> __________
> Harold Teer
> 1991 Westy
> Harrisonburg, VA
>
| 
