I'm with Stan and John and George on this: sure, you
can flog your Vanagon at 70 or 80 MPH, maybe even whip
your Westy at those speeds, but why?

Why risk the damage and delay and hassle of a
breakdown far from home due to an overstrained engine?
When speed is my primary concern, I take a plane. Or
maybe my Japanese hatchback or some other
"transportation appliance". A Vanagon--especially a
Westy--is so much more, and deserves better.

I figure the time I lose by driving a more prudent 60
is regained by the time I save not checking into
motels or pitching camp. Like the tortoise and the
hare, I've often been passed on the highway by some
crazy hotshot, only to catch up to him later at the
campground. While he's still clattering around with
his tent poles and fumbling with his campstove, I've
got my Westy top popped, a kettle of soup simmering,
and a cold beer in my hand.

Don't let youself get rushed by impatient motorists
doing 20 MPH over the limit. Remember, 65 is the speed
LIMIT -- not the speed MINIMUM. That guy riding your
tail and flashing his lights at you probably won't
stop to help when you seize a piston.

I'm reminded of something I recently read in "Zen and
The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" by Robert M.
Pirsig:
Our "... plans are deliberately indefinite, more to
travel than to arrive anywhere. We are just
vacationing. Secondary roads are preferred. Paved
county roads are the best, state highways are next.
Freeways are the worst. We want to make good time but
for us now this is measured with emphasis on "good"
rather than "time" and when you make that shift in
emphasis the whole approach changes."

Slow down, you might see something interesting ...

Jeffrey Earl
1983 diesel Westfalia "Vanasazi"

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