I go about 230-240 before I have to refuel. At 70 mph cruise, that
makes it about 3 hrs between fuel stops...just the right time for my
co-pilot's bladder endurance to reach its maximum. Could that be a
built in safety feature designed into the Vanagon??

Perhaps with a larger fuel tank and some of those NASA "diapers"
cruising range could be extended....

:-)

Ric

At 03:21 PM 5/21/2007, PB wrote:
>It's not that I'm trying to push my luck.  I'd just like to know the "true"
>meaning of the red area, and also what I can expect to be a reasonable range
>on a tank.  Each time I've gotten a "new" used car, I've allowed myself to
>run out of gas just to find out.  I'm getting older now, and besides, when I
>did that, the internet and message boards weren't what they are today!
>Thanks again.
>Patti
>****************************
>On 5/21/07, joel walker <jwalker17@earthlink.net> wrote:
>>
>> >I know this has a lot of variables, but in a 90 automatic, or
>> >similar,
>> > non-freeway driving, the only "extra" would be running the stereo
>> > while
>> > driving (No AC, fridge, heat, driver only, no passengers, no heavy
>> > load,
>> > etc,) about how far should you be able to go on a full tank of gas?
>> > How far
>> > into the red do you have to be to run out of gas?  Does a 90 Westy
>> > automatic
>> > have fuel injection, making it a bad thing to run out of gas?
>>
>>sadly, it all depends on your driving habits (jabbing the gas pedal or
>>smooooothly easing it down) and the traffic (having to
>>stop/go/stop/go) and the traffic lights (stop/go) and so forth.
>>
>>however, on a long trip, where you only stop to get more gas, i have
>>made it 266 miles before i chickened out and filled up. that fillup
>>took only 13.4 gallons ... so i COULD have made it farther, likely
>>another 35-40 miles. so i MIGHT have been able to go 300 miles, but i
>>would REALLY have been sweating, i think. ;) that was in a 91 carat
>>non-camper automatic bus. and i usually try to fill up as soon as it
>>gets below 1/4 tank, but that time i kinda pushed it and it was
>>getting close to the red mark when i found a gas station. on that bus,
>>when the needle hits the red, you've got only right at two gallons
>>left and you'd better hope something is close.
>>
>>so i'd figure 19 mpg, conservative (likely to be slightly
>>higher,depending on the wind and terrain), and that gives you a
>>maximum-miles-before-choking-on-fumes distance of 304 miles. the
>>conservative factor would likely get you another 15 miles or so, but
>>to me that's pushing it too far. :(
>>well, i don't like doing that ... did it once in a 4-speed 86 vanagon
>>non-camper through Kansas ... did you know that there aren't that many
>>gas stations on the interstates in Kansas!!??? i do NOW! :( ... and
>>when i coasted into the gas station, i put 16.1 gallons in on the pump
>>dial!!! (the tank ain't supposed to hold but 15.9 gallons!). i was
>>REALLY sweating on that one. but i was still "young" and did many
>>stupid things back then. ;)
>>
>>anyway, let's assume that we are intelligent folks ... and when the
>>gas needle gets to 1/4 on the dial, we start seriously looking for a
>>gas station ... that's 12 gallons (roughly) gone, at 19mpg, and is
>>228-230 miles or there abouts. at 60mph, that's four hours ... time
>>for a break. :) even at 70mph, that's a little over three hours. time
>>for a break. :)
>>
>>the question is:
>>do you really want to push it another 30 minutes and 35 miles?
>>is it worth the risk?
>>
>>my answer, fraught with hard-won wisdom of the ages, is no ... fill up
>>now and be safe for the next three to four hours.
>>
>>but i'm still young enough to do stupid things every now and then. ;)
>>
>>good luck!
>>unca joel