Date: Tue, 8 Nov 1994 08:22:40 -0800 (PST)
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: Wes Neuenschwander <wesn@eskimo.com>
Subject: Re: Driving in high winds
On Mon, 7 Nov 1994, David Carment wrote:
> Last night driving down the freeway , I had a heck of a time staying in
> the lane and keeping up the speed of the Vanagon above 50mph. I was
> driving directly against winds betwen 80 and 90 kmh (50-55 mph). Is it
> "normal" for Vanagon handling to be compromised by high winds? Will
> reinforced tires help the situation (I have C tires in the back only).
> Plus driving into the wind is like driving a barn door into a hurricane,
> speed becomes a mute issue except going downhill. DC --
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> David Carment
> School of International Affairs
> Carleton University
> Ottawa, Ontario
> K1S 5B6
> voice - (613) 788-2600-6662
> fax - (613) 788-2889
> Email address: dcarment@ccs.carleton.ca
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
No answers here, only commiseration! I've had very similar problems,
even in less forceful winds, in my '91 Westy. VERY nasty at times;
indeed I think truly hazardous. Have had to reduce speed to 40 MPH to
accomodate the problem.
Actually, this was the problem that prompted meto post the inquiry
regarding tires a few weeks ago, but apparently (at least for me) the
answer lies elsewhere (I'm running the, generally, highly regarded,
reinforced Michelin MXL's @ 35/40 PSI). The effect I experience is
actually more like a ducking and bobbing, combined with lateral
"feinting" - sort of like a boxer - rather than pure lateral
motion. It's even a problem in nearly still wind conditions (though not
so severe as to be hazardous - just annoying and tiring), when there's a
lot of semi-trailer traffic ahead of me. Sort of like the "clear air
turbulence problem caused by large jet's at airports. The dealer claims
this is normal! Curiously, my '82 camper (w/o pop-top) handled much
better - really not a problem at all. Different tires too (Continentals
@ about 40/50 PSI). One tire shop suggested that it could be a tread
pattern factor, rather than sidewall stiffness. Claimed that the
Michelin MXL's were naturally "squirelly". I'm also considering some
suspension mod's, such as a sway bar, but don't expect that would do much
for the ducking and bobbing effect. Shocks, BTW, seem excellent (and of
course this has been a problem since the vehicle was new). I don't know
what else to say, other than DRIVE CAREFULLY!
--------------------------------------------
Wes Neuenschwander
Seattle, WA
(wesn@eskimo.com)
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