Date:         Thu, 6 Jun 2013 22:25:52 -0700
Reply-To:     Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Diesel good idea?
In-Reply-To:  <51B14660.1050402@cox.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

    For sure, there is no rush needed when driving a vanagon anywhere.
Some (many?) places, however, you are considered a rolling traffic hazard
when you are only driving at 75 or 80mph, and some places, if you happen to
get onto the freeway you will not be allowed to change lanes...you must
actively try to match the traffic and slide into any opening you see..
Not any of that is do-able in diesel NA vanagon, 'specially a Westie...

  I could certainly manage a diesel westie in my daily driving in rural
south central Washington state but I'd spend a lot of time on my westerly
drives, where I encounter frequent headwinds in the 50-60mph range, and
almost everywhere is UP from the Columbia River, which is at 35' above sea
level just between Mt Adams and Mt Hood...I seriously considered the diesel
vanagons, until I rode in a friends...It scared me.   I thought it was
dangerously underpowered.  In a short 40mile trip east of San Diego in the
mountains we were dangerously passed by perhaps 8-9 impatient and angry
drivers who were not happy with our 15-20 mph pace.

  I decided that while the Trip is just as important as the destination,
sometimes....that I'd rather not spend all my free time on the
trip...especially since I often travel long distances over repeat small
roads with a goal in mind....a windsurfing destination, a weekend bike
race, a load of lumber to retrieve, a horse show to attend...etc...I don't
want to have to insure, fuel and maintain a whole other vehicle to drive
when I feel like I want to average 55mph over a long distance or my route
includes a mountain or an interstate...

  I did my stint in a 36hp splitty...Smoked a lot and just sat back and
waited...and shifted and waited and shifted....That AC splitty was a lot
faster than a normally aspirated 1.6 vanagon, too.  I'd say if you have a
thick skin and don't mind impeding the rest of the drivers, or you have two
vehicles and use your Vanagon for special outings...OK..diesel....but I
decided to pass and went with something a bit more powerful.


On Thu, Jun 6, 2013 at 7:33 PM, mark drillock <mdrillock@cox.net> wrote:

> Agreed, Westy travel is best enjoyed for its own sake rather than
> rushing to get to a destination. Of course rushing is not even remotely
> an option with a stock diesel engine 82 Westy.
> Andrew Graydon wrote:
>
>> ...............
>>
>>