Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2013 07:12:34 -0600
Reply-To: James Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: James Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: long term parking on hills
In-Reply-To: <51037ADC.6010103@turbovans.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
This is what drivers were trained to do back in "my day." It's something fathers taught their kids when they learned to drive.
When parked against a curb facing downhill, turn the wheels into the curb.
When facing uphill, turn the wheels away so the "back" of the tires will catch the curb if the brake lets go.
Other mid-century nuggets of driving wisdom:
When waiting to turn at an intersection, don't point your wheels where you want to turn. Point them where it would be best to go of you were hot from behind.
Align the hood ornament (don't try this in a Vanagon) with the curb while driving to keep the car the proper distance from it.
A turn signal should be taken to mean that there is someone in the car and that the switch is on.
Jim
On Jan 26, 2013, at 12:42 AM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM> wrote:
> It depends..
> if you are pointing uphill, parked on the right side of the road .
> with a curb on your right..
> you would turn your front wheels left and away from the curb, sothe rear
> edge of the front tires can roll back into the curb ..so 'away' from the
> curb in this case.
>
>
> On 1/25/2013 1:29 PM, Karl Wolz wrote:
>> More simply, always turn your wheels toward the curb, if there is one.
>>
>> Karl Wolz
>> Sent from my electronic umbilicus
>>
>> On Jan 25, 2013, at 2:13 PM, Steven Johnson <sjohnso2000@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
>>
>>> Be sure to turn your front wheels to the left (driver side) directions so
>>> if it does
>>> happen to roll it doesn't go down the hill and who knows where?
>>>
>>> Facing downhill turn them to the right (towards the passenger) side for the
>>> same reason.
>>>
>>> Steven
>>> 91 Westy
>>>
>>> On Fri, Jan 25, 2013 at 9:41 AM, Tom Carchrae <tom@carchrae.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>> I just moved and our new driveway is a pretty steep hill. I'm wondering if
>>>> it matter which direction I park the van, ie, nose up/nose down? Or is
>>>> there nothing in it? Surely for short parking it wouldn't matter a fart,
>>>> but if the van sits for some time, then does this matter?
>>>>
>>>> I also need to fix the handbrake - I have some paranoia chocks under the
>>>> wheels just in case. I had thought that perhaps I could tighten the
>>>> handbrake cable, but reading this makes me wonder if I need to check the
>>>> rear brakes:
>>>> http://www.vanagonauts.com/[46.11]Parking-Brake,-adjusting112.htm
>>>>
>>>> I guess I can answer my own question on which direction is best at the
>>>> moment.... perpendicular to the slope!
>>>>
>>>> Tom
>>>>
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