Mine is a 1991 VW Vanagon GL Campmobile with a 2.1 with 179K miles.  I
don't try to maintain 70 mph, or want to.  I drive 60 on level roads.  On
upgrades, I downshift as needed to maintain appropriate revs, and try to
keep at a speed that feels good to me for that road.  On a four lane I
consider that perfectly fine.  If it is a 2 lane, and there are pullouts, I
use them when appropriate.  I have stacked up traffic a bit, but not a
mile.  I pull over as quickly as is appropriate (which means safer than not
pulling over;  it does not mean pulling over every time there is someone
behind me).

If you vehicle is overheating to the degree you say, there may be a problem
with the cooling system.  Mine did that until I got a new radiator and
flushed everything else.  After that, it has been fine.

On Sat, Feb 13, 2016 at 3:05 PM, Ken <kdlewis@northstate.net> wrote:

> Spencer,
>   Forget about making it go faster, it's a VW bus. You
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
> Of Spencer Allen
> Sent: Saturday, February 13, 2016 1:09 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: [VANAGON] westys & climbing mountain roads
>
> Hi all. Sitting here in frigged Chicago and dreaming of a summer road trip
> to Colorado in my 85 AUTO westy I shiver thinking about that little 1.9
> fighting it's way up those BIG mountain roads at serious altitude. While on
> the interstates this past HOT summer climbing up some mountains in Tenn and
> Virginia I was barely keeping up with trucks in the slow lanes. By the time
> I reached the top my speed was topping out at around 40 mph with a loud
> knocking noise coming from the engine. Also the temp gauge was in the red.
> Can only imagine what the auto trans fluid temp was. Flatlands, can cruise
> all day at 65-75. Any of you mountain folk got words of wisdom on getting
> up those roads without stacking up traffic a mile behind a "damn VW bus" (
> BTDT.). Never too soon here to think about summer. Have a great winter
> everyone.
> Spencer
>