Let me know when you install your flux capacitor. I need to go back in time.

Danny C.
Portland, Oregon
'84 Westy (Vanny)
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________________________________
From: Poppie Jagersand <poppie.jagersand@YAHOO.CA>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Sent: Wednesday, October 26, 2011 1:56 PM
Subject: Re: Aerodynamics related to fuel consumption (for an 84 tin top)

________________________________
From: Danny C. <bruiserbabie@YAHOO.COM>
Sent: Monday, October 24, 2011 10:18:37 PM
�> Seriously!!! your worried about what drag there is on a roof rack. WOW!!! 

The difference in air resistance coefficient between the regular Vanagon, Cv = 0.44, and the Vanagon Westy� with the front roof rack, Cv=0.51, is a significant 14%.

Many of our vans have gone 200,000 miles or more by now. Over that distance the difference in Cv translates into about 1000 gallon additional fuel consumption. (Assuming 20mpg, mostly highway driving, and air resistance is 60-80% of total drag: 200000/20*.7*.14=1000)

When independent labs published these Cv numbers in magazines VW removed the front roof rack on the European market Westys (model years '89-92), and replaced it with a more aerodynamic profile reducing Cv back to 0.45, nearly as streamlined as the original Vanagon.

Maybe if the North American consumers had been more cognisant of the accumulated cost of usage VW would have offered the same improvement here also.

For aftermarket add-on roof racks and accessories designs vary as well as the vehicles they are tested on. Reported fuel economy impact vary from a low of a few percent up to 15 % for some racks and 25% for rack and bicycle. 

Martin (and Westy Poppie with poorly designed roof rack :(