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