What more data do you want Mark? You didn't believe me when I said I had a
4.57 R & P either! Dennis gets 23, Roger gets 22, Chris gets 22 in his air
cooled and I get 26. There's no secret. I think the taller gearing helps a
lot, as do the car tires at 44 psi front and rear, the optimized alignment,
the driving at 55, no air conditioning and the fact that I never open the
throttle more than necessary. It hardly makes a difference to the
acceleration whether I put the pedal down all the way or just a little, so I
put it down just a little. Neither van has seen 70 mph more than a couple of
times since I got them.

And Sam, I calculate the mileage by writing down the number, driving 1500 or
2200 miles and keeping the receipts, and then writing down the number again.
I subtract, I add, I divide, I get miles/per/gallon. That's what average
means, no?

On 3/31/06, Dennis Haynes <dhaynes@optonline.net> wrote:
>
> My first Vanagon was an 84. 4 speed, 7 passenger, no power steering and
> I later added the AC. Even on 215/70-14 tires, I could usually get 20-23
> mpg on the highway, (AC off). When I got the Syncro, the 17 took me by
> surprise back then.
>
> Dennis
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
> Of Old Volks Home
> Sent: Friday, March 31, 2006 8:23 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: MPG Question
>
> Gee Jake, so Shawn got the number of vehicles wrong. 2, 3, 6 or a
> baker's
> dozen, who cares...?
>
> If you won't tell the list publicly yer secrets of such great mileage
> (outside of taller gearing) like Sam Walters asked, just say so.
>
> For the record, Ole Putt gets 17 on the highway (55-60 usually, I'm not
> in a
> hurry to get anywhere), but for some strange reason when I have my small
> 900lb trailer hitched up I get 19.  Probably the aerodynamics of the air
> washing over the back end of the Westy and the low profile trailer
> dispersing the air accordingly.  As I live in my Westy Full-Time, It's a
> bit
> heavier with the necessities of living :-)
>
> Doing 70-75 w/o the trailer definitely brings it down to a dismal 15-16.
> 2.1 engine with the 86-later automatic.  I'm sure a stick shift would be
> better, but I'm used to it.
>
> Mileage figures quoted are Good ole USA, not that inflated english
> imperial
> crap ;-)
> --
> Jim Thompson
> 84 Westfalia 2.1 "Ole Putt"
> 73 K Ghia Coupe "Denise"
> 72 411 Station Wagon "Pug"
> oldvolkshome@gmail.com
> http://www.oldvolkshome.com
> **********************************
> On 3/31/06, Jake de Villiers <crescentbeachguitar@gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > I hate to call someone a moron, but I am too am skeptical. Why don't
> you
> > read my initial post on the subject again Feller. If you got the
> number of
> > Vanagons wrong, maybe you got  the rest of what I said wrong too!
> >
> > On 3/31/06, robert shawn feller <feller@carboncow.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > Wow far too defensive, I specifically said I don't want to call
> someone
> > a
> > > liar due to my skepticism. Sorry to offend my disclaimer was
> > intentional.
> > >
> > > How do you get three vans to do so well when 90% of us would agree
> that
> > > 16-17mpg is our best average experience? I'm quite sure with the
> > > engineering
> > > experience you have in the family you are far more knowledgeable
> then me
> > > (and I'm not be facetious) that is why I stated I would love to know
> > what
> > > I'm doing so wrong!
> > >
> > > I think we would all love to know better driving techniques that get
> us
> > > 30%
> > > more miles per gallon, just not me! I'd love to improve as I already
> > think
> > > my habits are better then average. With current gas prices it all
> helps.
> > >
> > > Shawn
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On
> Behalf
> > Of
> > > Jake de Villiers
> > > Sent: Friday, March 31, 2006 4:15 PM
> > > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> > > Subject: Re: MPG Question
> > >
> > > Go ahead and call me a liar if you want to feller! Just because YOU
> > can't
> > > do
> > > something, I can't either ? I'd bet there are a bunch of things that
> I
> > can
> > > do that you can't, and a bunch of things that YOU can do that I
> can't!
> > > Just
> > > because I can't weld for beans doesn't mean that I don't believe
> that
> > > someone else can.
> > >
> > > I've been driving for 35 years and learned  how to calculate mileage
> > from
> > > my
> > > engineer grandfather at age 5. He also taught me how to get great
> > mileage.
> > > This was in the heyday of the Mobil Economy Run, when many folks
> were
> > more
> > > interested in efficiency than power, and the same techniques still
> > apply.
> > > On road trips as a younger man I would always get better mileage on
> my
> > > driving stints than my co-drivers, though we didn't always make the
> best
> > > time when I was driving!
> > >
> > > If you want to know how it is done, send me an email.
> > >
> > > Seeya, Jake
> > >
> > > On 3/31/06, robert shawn feller <feller@carboncow.com> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > I hate to call anyone a liar but I'm so skeptical!
> > > >
> > > > I've been driving Saabs, Volvo and Vw for 10 years. Every bulletin
> > board
> > > > I'm
> > > > on there is a certain percentage of members who post very
> impressive
> > MPG
> > > > numbers. I am an enthusiast which means I keep my cars in great
> > > mechanical
> > > > shape, I drive conservatively (my wife will tell you) and I live
> Ohio
> > > with
> > > > moderate hill at best and I'm 80% on the freeway. I never come
> close
> > to
> > > > these guys who IMHO are off the charts with their numbers (not off
> > their
> > > > rocker). I often wonder if they are doing calculations wrong, or
> if
> > I'm
> > > > doing them wrong of something else.
> > > >
> > > > I'm fascinated by guys claiming numbers (especially on three
> vans?)
> > that
> > > > are
> > > > way over what the federal sticker has on them when new (and it
> great
> > > > running
> > > > shape). We all know that federal sticker MPG are rated high then
> real
> > > > world
> > > > numbers often.
> > > >
> > > > I'm most amazed with my fellow Saab owners driving turbos claiming
> > close
> > > > to
> > > > 38mpg on the 9000 Turbo with a 200hp engine. My onboard computers
> and
> > > > calculations tell me I'm lucky to get 26mpg and some are claiming
> 35%
> > > > bette
> > > > fuel econmoney!
> > > >
> > > > Everything must be downhill in some of these states and they drive
> > > 55mph.
> > > >
> > > > Shawn
> > > > Ohio
> > > >
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On
> > Behalf
> > > Of
> > > > Anthony Egeln
> > > > Sent: Friday, March 31, 2006 3:31 PM
> > > > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> > > > Subject: Re: MPG Question
> > > >
> > > > Wow!  Is that with a 2.1L wasserboxer?   That is way, way high.
> Do
> > you
> > > > have
> > > > some secret?   I've been very satisfied with my Syncro GL
> consistently
> > > > 18-19
> > > > (US) city and 21 highway.   Are you in Canada?  If so, maybe you
> have
> > > much
> > > > better gas there.  Anthony
> > > > '89 Syncro GL (Hidalgo)
> > > >
> > > > Jake de Villiers <crescentbeachguitar@GMAIL.COM> wrote: Our 86
> gets
> > only
> > > > 28
> > > > mpg HWY (24 US) but our 84 GL with the 4.57 gears still gets over
> 30
> > (26
> > > > US), both at 55-60 mph. The GL gets  26 (22 US) around town,
> stuffed
> > > with
> > > > tools and materials for work.
> > > >
> > > > On 3/31/06, chris  wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > in my 81 aircooled van, if I run at only 55mph and don't have to
> do
> > > > > too much climbing, I'll pull around 20-22 MPG.
> > > > >
> > > > > That having been said, I live in Northern California with
> nothing
> > but
> > > > > climbing to do, so my usual MPG is closer to 17 average.
> > > > >
> > > > > The PO had electronic ignition which may have helped, but im
> back to
> > > > > the points setup now for ease of repair when travelling. (the
> unit
> > was
> > > > > really old and hard to get setup properly.)
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > > Jake
> > > > 1984 Vanagon GL
> > > > 1986 Westy Weekender "Dixie"
> > > > www.crescentbeachguitar.com
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > ---------------------------------
> > > > New Yahoo! Messenger with Voice. Call regular phones from your PC
> and
> > > save
> > > > big.
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > Jake
> > > 1984 Vanagon GL
> > > 1986 Westy Weekender "Dixie"
> > > www.crescentbeachguitar.com
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> > --
> > Jake
> > 1984 Vanagon GL
> > 1986 Westy Weekender "Dixie"
> > www.crescentbeachguitar.com
>

--
Jake
1984 Vanagon GL
1986 Westy Weekender "Dixie"
www.crescentbeachguitar.com