Date:         Tue, 21 Jul 1998 16:57:02 EDT
Reply-To:     BDOSS24046@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Brian Doss <BDOSS24046@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: vanagon off-road capable?
Comments: To: mac_stricklen@YAHOO.COM, Vanagon@VANAGON.COM
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

Don't get me wrong, I love my Vanagon. But as far as traction goes, I'd rate
it somewhere between a golf cart, and a wheelchair. As long as you keep the
momentum of the vehicle up, it will travel over the wettest of grass, or the
loosest gravel, but pray you don't run into something that will slow you down,
like - say a wallnut.
For a long time I thought maybe I had a problem with the rear end. But I once
had the occasion to jack all four wheels off the ground, and sure enough, when
you spun one wheel, the other wheel rotated the opposite direction. This I
have always been told is indicative of a positraction rear end. I also started
it up, and put him in gear. Both rear wheels rotated.
Once, I was out for a rural drive, and saw a dirt path that went up a very
steep hill. I thought it would be interesting to see how far I could go from a
dead start before my wheels would spin. I was bitterly dissapointed. Only one
wheel would spin, and I was hardly tilted to an angle that was steep enough to
make my beer spill over.
Well, maybe I do need some $50 cup holders!