Date: Thu, 30 Jul 2020 09:54:20 -0700
Reply-To: Bruce Todd <beeceetee@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Bruce Todd <beeceetee@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Curbside classic article and Trip Report
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Thanks Alistair - singing to the choir. Pretty accurate reason why we all
are smitten by these vehicles and continue to maintain them and keep them
roadworthy.
We have arrived after about 600 km of travels after leaving Vancouver BC
and arriving in Vernon BC. I did not want to drive the big highway
(Coquihalla) and instead drove to Princeton to Tulameen to Merritt and then
took the Douglas Lake Ranch Road from Merritt to Westwold and then Highway
97 to Vernon. An additional 175 km to the regular route.
Camped 3 nights along the way at BC Recreation sites - $15/ night - only
amenities were outhouses. Stayed at Harmon Lake and Lundbom Lake -
elevation of about 1100 metres. The bugs were a little vicious at Lundbom
especially in the evening but we had some good times swimming and fishing
and sleeping in the hammock and enjoying some good bbq meals...and quaffing
a Dometically chilled beer or two.
Not much traffic and probably close to 250 kms of dirt road travelled
altogether - some oiled and some pretty rough. All the work I did on my
motor in June and July which included some cleaning and wiping around hard
to reach parts was basically thrown out the window.
I thought about logging trucks - which we pulled over for one north of
Douglas Lake and got a friendly wave from the driver as he covered us in a
plume of dust. And I thought about weak solder joints as we bumped and
bucked our way north. I also completed an assessment of my shocks (Sachs)
and would say they are a really good shock - smooth on pavement and not
super stiff on gravel - absorbing a lot of the medium pounding. ( If
following along these are all Vanagon Member topics of recent memory).
Lots of dashboard pats and eyes on temp gauge and my portable dash volt
meter - (checking when radiator fan is kicking in) to keep an eye on
coolant temperature and how long the fan is cycling and at what speed. I
don’t have an oil temp gauge wired in yet so this is my current method of
monitoring heat until I wire one in.
The van has run like a top so far (knock on wood) and I really enjoyed
driving the various types of roads and the scenery as we have travelled
along. Best range is about 85 to 90 kmph - or 60 mph - around 3400 rpm.
We have climbed several summits and have been as high as 1300 metres.
Pretty amazed that we have 4 travellers and all our camp and sleeping gear,
food, water, chairs, bbq - and although a little cramped, everyone’s has
enough leg room for travelling and sleeping. No oil loss and very little
coolant loss - about an inch or so down from the max level, not bad as we
are travelling in 34 C or 93 F weather and at extended times in 2nd gear
climbing or descending gravel pitches.
No flat tires (thankfully) or creek crossings and no forest fires. I was
thinking that this would good territory to come back to and explore - lots
of lakes and remote camp spots - dirt roads going off in all directions. I
was also thinking if Alistair ever left the back roads of Vancouver Island
he would find a lot of territory to bounce around in and put his ECU to the
test. Only thing I have forgotten so far is a 19mm socket to access the
spare tire compartment - I was thinking of using the area to store garbage
and recycling - as I don’t use the space anymore as my spare hangs off the
back hatch....oh well. The kids have spent more time viewing out the
windows instead of the iPad so far on this trip - and they have had their
say on which is a better place to sleep - upper and lower.
Anyway we are in Vernon for about a week before heading back on another
backroad trip - toward Cache Creek to Pemberton to Vancouver. Less dirt
road.
All for now - and hopefully no roadside requests.
Bruce
86 Westy Syncro
(White Sail)
On Wednesday, July 29, 2020, Alistair Bell <albell@shaw.ca> wrote:
> Nice one today on the van. Is the writer, Ed hardey, a listmember?
>
> https://www.curbsideclassic.com/cars-of-a-lifetime/coal-11-1
> 987-vw-vanagon-westfalia-the-leatherman-multi-tool-of-curbside-classics/
>
> Alistair
