Date:         Sun, 08 Jun 97 00:02:24 CDT
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Joel Walker <JWALKER@ua1vm.ua.edu>
Subject:      Re: Hi Speed Vanagoning

On Sat, 7 Jun 1997 23:59:30 -0500 tbill said:
>Hey, just because we drive under powered bricks doesn't mean we can't
>zip down the freeway as fast as the rest of them.
>I use the IFT method: I Follow Trucks
>Not tailgating; that could get you a rock thru the winshield.  Also
>remember a semi can stop a lot faster than a Vanagon.
>Just follow at a reasonable, but close enough distance to pick up some
>good drafting.

a few words of wisdom from ol' Ben Thar-don-That: ;)
- the WORST trucks to follow are:
   - portable parking lots: the ones that haul cars. terrible turbulence!
   - flat beds. again lots of buffeting behind them.
   - the small-diameter tanker trucks.
  Schneider trucks (the bright orange ones): they never go the speed limit.

- the BEST ones are the really low furniture movers. only trouble is, they
  hardly ever go fast.
- the MORE trucks that are following each other, the more benefit they get
  and the more benefit you get. that is, if following one truck is good,
  then following three trucks (who are following the first one) is better.
  aerodynamically speaking.

but! there's always a "gotcha".
- when behind a truck, YOU cannot see what's in front of him. you are
basically blind to the road conditions ahea.
- if he's running recapped tires, and one of those recaps decides to part
company with the rest of the tire, YOU are the closest thing around to hit!!
and one of those tire carcasses can ruin your entire trip if it hits you. :(
- some truckers really really don't like people getting on their rears for
a long time. it's just common courtesty to ask (over the cb radio) if he
minds if you stay back there.  some don't care, and even seem to like having
the company.

>behind a semi doing 70-75 in the rain..  MPG = 19.2, not bad for an
>automatic.  (Most of my cars are sticks, but with 140k on this and not

i once talked to a driver and he didn't care if i got really close, so i
nosed up behind him. on my trip computer, i was getting 37 mpg. :) but i
was about 10 feet behind his rear bumper ... NOT the safest feeling!! i
didn't stay there long at all. it's much too dangerous and felt really
bad (not being able to see anything!!).  i do NOT recommend it. just a point
of interest, about the amount of air those things are pushing out of the way.

>I got around him once (flat out, 83 mph) but he muscled back in again.
>Why a low profile car bothers with drafting is beyond me.  I wouldn't.

i have a theory about this: i call them "followers". they can't seem to run
down the road on their own. they MUST have someone or something to follow.
they run up behind you and just sit there, following along. now, if they
caught up to me, that's because they were going faster than me, right? so
why don't they pass me and go on as they were before?? cause they are just
looking for someone/something to follow along behind ... so they don't have
to look waaaaay out in front: they can just keep looking at your bumper or
taillights at night. go figure. it kinda pisses me off, so i slow down. but
some of them can't take the hint. i've dropped 10 mph and some of them don't
even notice at all. so what were they in such a hurry to catch up to me for??

always remember: there are LOTS and LOTS of stupid people in this world, and
MOST of them are out there on the highways!!! :)

and YOU have to watch out for them, cause they are damned sure NOT watching
out for you!!!

joel