Hi Steve,
I'm hailing just south of you, Bellingham. Your story sends shivers down my
spine, glad you made it! I have had to bail as I lost my old truck on a
logging road and it's not something to re-experience.
I have a '91 Syncro Westy, you know, 5500 lbs., diff lock, Goodrich AT
tires, good traction stuff. This bus has demonstrated amazing traction, the
only vehicle moving on our street in that storm 4 years ago, pulling a band
new 4-runner out of a snow bank that I had no problem with, etc... except
one thing... IMHO all vans suck compared to cars in directional stability.
If the van gets spinning on ice, kiss it good bye. I would take my Audi or
Jetta any day running at highway speeds over black ice, the van will
tailspin and roll way before a car will. A fellow Auto Designer at work
explained it this way, what's going to fly better through the air,
(aerodynamics aside) an arrow or a brick? Interestingly enough, he brought
this up because he was test driving a Jetta over a Fox and liked the Fox
better for it's directional stability (i.e. center of gravity more forward).
-Wayne
> From: Steve Sullivan <steveis@SPEAKEASY.ORG>
> Reply-To: Steve Sullivan <steveis@SPEAKEASY.ORG>
> Date: Sat, 5 Jan 2002 21:26:09 -0800
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: A Snow Story (Whoa-vanagon!!!) and Lessons Learned
>
> Once Upon a Time, just last week. . . .
>
> . . . Two friends went snow camping north of Whistler, BC. With his fairly
> new Michelin Agilis tires (Mud and Snow rated) our hero felt confident
> driving the snowy road, though getting stuck twice on nearly flat parking
> lots made him wonder. Wasn't his Westy supposed to be superior in snow and
> ice because all the weight is over the drive axle?
>
> Then came New Years Day, almost their last.
>
> They were slowly coming down the steep 11% grade of the road to Lilloolet
> when, starting to round a hairpin curve, the van suddenly started sliding
> sideways! He hadn't even touched the brakes, had he?
>
> Before our hero could do anything the van was at the point of no return,
> where the engine's weight would pull the van completely around and they'd
> spin out of control (at a sedate 10 mph) toward either the concrete barrier
> or a deep ditch!
>
...etc