Date:         Thu, 12 Apr 1990 10:32:42 -0400
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         steve@molly.tn.cornell.edu (S.Smith)
Subject:      diesels across NY


Well, got the breadwinner setup in her new apartment in Albany NY
over the weekend - got an entire apartment load of stuff into the 83
diesel, skirted the Catskills up route 88 between Ithaca and NY. 

Only bad part of the trip was in a hilly part on NY 206 - third gear and 40
mph with the load was the best i could do. On the way back (unloaded) it was a lot
better. Got about 32 mpg overall on the trip burning crude - its about 160 
miles each way - took three hours total. Temp gauge sat on the LED went about
1 gauge width higher on the big hill pulls.

I havent put a penny into the engine on this beast 80,000 miles
i have done filters (fuel, air , oil once a year and oil changes three times
a year (i dont this vehicle that much)

Starts at -20 F without a hitch

A trip like that really makes me appreciate owning the blue/white beast -
its a good hauler that you can still commute to work in!

Once i get the whopping 48 HP out on to Interstate 88, as long as i keep
it at 65 (actual 62) the torque curve allows me to maintian speed except on
the one or two long hills (then i get to pull into the truck lane and burn
diesel with the big boys/girls). If i go into a hil at 55, tho i am very
quickly dead and down to 40.

sps