George,
       At one time I thought the same as you, so much so, that I took
my 2 WD Vanagon trans axle out, and install a lock diff. in it.  It did
help,
but not like I would want it to have.  With both rear wheels locked, you
almost
alway loose traction on one wheel or the Van is forcing you to go
completely straight.  Really not good, because as soon as one wheel
has to slip, your now back to an open diff.  Definately not worth it.
A limited slip diff. is really the way to go, but  who makes these
for the vanagon?  As I know it, there were a few of these made by
VW, for the Vanagon, but I have never seen one.
                                                    Eric

George Goff wrote:

>In a message dated 1/19/04 12:27:36 AM, tromper@COMCAST.NET writes:
>
><< If you just ran a Syncro with a 2wd driveline et al, for whatever reason,
>
>would it handle more in snow like an older loaf van due to the location
>
>of the gas tank adding weight to the rear and removing it from the forward
>
>section?? >>
>
>Who know's?  I do know that I was more than a little disappointed the first
>time I ran my first Vanagon, a 2WD Sunroof, in the snow.  My only previous
>experience with VW vans had been 20 years before in my brother-in-law's loaf which
>seemed to be able to go damn near anywhere.  Adding weight over the rear axle
>and mounting Hakkapeliitta's to that 2WD did help, but it never was in the
>same class as the old loaf.
>
>I'm now on my third Syncro and while it is a blast to just point it and go
>through the white stuff, I still think the ideal Vanagon would be a 2WD Sunroof
>with a locking Syncro transaxle.  I feel that hookup would get around as well
>as, if not better than, a Syncro without the locking diff.  It would perform
>well in bad conditions without the added complication and great expense of all
>that additional hardware which is called into service so seldom.
>
>George
>
>
>
>