On Fri, Apr 29, 2011 at 4:19 PM, James Felder <jim.felder@gmail.com> wrote:
> I took my Westy to NC for business a few weeks ago. It's a diesel 1.6 NA with a five speed. I camped in Pisgah National Forest, probably no more than a few hundred yards from listmember Karl Mullendore, but neither of us knew it at the time.
>
> I was delighted with the way the Westy handled the hills, which �dreaded after reading several weeks of posts on driving in the area before the trip. The Westy was a great place to camp, a joy to drive and got 400 miles out of the tank on the way up. That area around Asheville is truly stunning
>
> Jim

Driving a 1.6 NA diesel Westy in the mountains is an exercise in
patience.  It is very satisfying if the slow speeds don't make the
drive dangerous.  When you're in "the zone," everything is good.  The
5-speed definitely helps to wring the best performance from the anemic
engine.  I have had much better luck with this on the east coast than
out west.

-- 
Michael Snow
1987 Syncro TiiCo
1982 Westfalia 1.9TD
http://slowmachine82.blogspot.com/