So you're saying reducing under-body air flow will not help a wheezing 82 hp
engine pushing a barn door through the atmosphere at 65mph?  All you need to
do is look under the front of your van and see what happes to the air
entering under your front bumper - it goes straight into the suspension
components and your front wheelwell which is a vertical surface.  This
creates a lot of drag.  Are you saying there's no room for improvement here?

On Fri, Jun 13, 2008 at 1:13 AM, Stuart MacMillan <macgroup@comcast.net>
wrote:

> Chris,
>
> There is nothing you can do with a "shoe box" moving at 70mph to improve
> the
> aerodynamics.  If you could fabricate a long nose like an airplane and
> attach it to the Vanagon it might help, but you still need to get air flow
> through the radiator, and that's another problem.  Just slow down to the
> point you can stand the abuse from other drivers, and you will be surprised
> at the mileage improvement.
>
> Stuart
> '97 EVC, 65 mph max cruising now, my limit.  23 mpg on a good day.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
> Chris S
> Sent: Thursday, June 12, 2008 8:18 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Aerodynamics for MPG
>
> This is part 2 in my aerodynamic MPG ramblings (Yes, I've already slowed
> down and got 600 miles out of the last 12 gallon tank in my Beetle TDI)...
>
> We've covered belly pans..
>
> What about using one of those old-fashioned bug shields you used to see
> mounted on the front of old trucks?  Those upright pieces of lexan perched
> on the front of the hood?  Why not find one that's close in width to the
> Vanagon and mount it under the front bumper?  I'm sure that would keep a
> lot
> of air from getting under the vehicle where it encounters front suspension
> components etc.  This would be more ideal for the taller '84-'85 Vanagons
> than the later GL lowriders, of course.
>
> http://www.thebugshield.net/Photo_Gallery/IMAG016A.JPG
>
> Chris S.
>
>