Date:         Tue, 9 Mar 1999 20:55:28 -0700
Reply-To:     Rich Burdick <rburdick@BWN.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Rich Burdick <rburdick@BWN.NET>
Subject:      Re: towing with a vanagon
Comments: To: David and Cathy Knightly <knightly@MEGALINK.NET>
Content-Type: multipart/alternative;

    
    
    Can anyone give me some idea how much I can tow behind a Vanagon without burning out the transmission?  Could I haul, say, a Beetle behind it all day on the freeway?  The owner's manual simply says that towing "beyond the normal useage of the vehicle".  I know lots of people tow stuff.  Thanks.
    Dave way up in Maine
Dave,

If you do good care things like:

Don't let the thing get drasticly overheated going up long hills at too high (5,000 +) RPM with no breaks,
Change the oil & filter every 3,000 miles or so,
Make sure it's got good oil & coolant,

Then you should be able to tow just about anything you can hook up to and move with:

I have loaded ~2,000 lbs of stuff inside my westy Syncro, and towed a Suzuki Sidekick from east Tennessee to western Colorado - crossing mountains up to 12,000 ft plus - crossing Kansas bucking 25 mph+ headwinds - several times.

No ill effects except that gas mileage isn't too great, and it does take a bit longer to get where I'm going!

Now I do take it easy, watch my temperature and try to make it as easy on the vehicles as possible.

I'm a little over 220,000 miles on the vehicle so far.

Rich

Rich Burdick (rburdick@bwn.net)
Burdick Development
PO Box 937 
Lake City, CO 81235
(970) 944-3001

[text/html]