I suspect the Vanagon's poor offroadability may be in part due to its
short-travel coil-spring suspension, in addition to its extra mass. The old
Series 1 (1949-1979) had l-o-n-g-travel torsionbar setup, and could keep
good traction in loose going on irregular ground. My 57 would go up the
steepest roughest track, and cruised over big rocks that would endanger any
4X4 offroader's dangly diffs. But I did get it stuck in very coarse
flattened rounded beach gravel once...