this is what I try to tell people will lots of 'stuff' and big racks on the
top of their vans.

one very fancy fan I work on...owner says he gets 14mpg.

that's a 3.0 six cylinder Tribecca EZ30 engine, Syncro Vanagon, not terribly
large or agressive tires..
but a big ole honkin' full lenght roof rack ( that's empty 11 1/2 months of
the year I believe ) plus a pretty big spare tire up there ..
by your calculations he's loosing out on  $ 500 in fuel costs a year likely.
He should be able to do 16 to 17 mpg.
it goes really well too of course.

scott

----- Original Message -----
From: "Don Hanson" <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Monday, December 05, 2011 8:51 AM
Subject: ~2mpg reduction in fuel economy: confirmed when sporting a roof
rack.

>   I posted recently that with a Quick n Easy roof rack with 2X4 cross bars
> on my tin top Vanagon, I noticed a significant reduction in gas mileage.
> Between   jobs, I popped off the rack and my fuel consumption returned to
> it's normal level of ~23mpg.   Then,  I found some more work and put the
> rack back on, for two tankfuls...again dropped to just below 21mpg.  Then,
> two more tankfulls,  but  with the rack again sitting in my shop, not on
> the van's roof...back to 23 mpg, +/-.
>
>  Some will say "so what?  What's a few miles per gallon difference
> anyhow?"   Well, I was just budgeting for my annual "trip to the dentist"
> this winter....to the desert Southwest near Yuma, Az.   It's about 3000
> miles round trip from near Portland, Oregon.  I will be able to go 460
> miles further at the 'no rack' fuel consumption rate.  Roughly $100 bucks
> in savings on gas costs.  That will pay for  a tooth-filling (+) at the
> dentist there in Algodones, BC, or a couple of sets of eyeglasses..The way
> things are right now for us 99ers, every expense that can be avoided is
> important...so a few mile per gallon better gas mileage does make a
> difference.  The Quick n Easy  racks do go on quickly and easily with the
> flip of cam-type levers...
>  Don Hanson