Date:         Wed, 28 Oct 1998 20:17:13 EST
Reply-To:     MAJurik27@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Michael Jurik <MAJurik27@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Gas Mileage
Comments: To: vanagon@vanagon.com
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

Over the years I've developed the habit of monitoring my tripmeter between
fill-ups. I zero it whenever I top off. My 87GL gets a remarkably regular
21mpg, driving a combo of two lane dirt roads and Interstate highways. A round
trip between my house in the hills to Boston/Cambridge and back is 220 miles.
2/3rds of the trip is on divided 4 lane highway, driving at just over 65mph.
The other 1/3 is winding two lane country roads and the unique world of Boston
driving (unique as in being stuck in a traffic jam on the BU bridge over the
Charles river and having a rusty yellow Rabbit gently push my '75 bus forward
about a foot, then pull out from behind me and pass all the stuck traffic by
driving on the sidewalk, honking, no less, at the pedestrians...). When the
wind is a tail wind and I keep it under 60mph, I get a pretty steady 23mpg.

I got 9mpg driving into the wind during hurricane Gloria about 8-10(?) years
ago. That was in an '81 Vanagon. I ended up getting blown off the interstate
(sideways) into a tree. I was knocked out when my head hit the door. I think
side airbags would be a nice after-market addition. (As you can see, the head
injury caused permanent damage...)

Michael
87GL (Vernon)