Are you using your van as a winter daily driver? Temperatures in the teens? If not than just stay with the 15w-50. As a test I have been using Fun Bus this past week as a daily driver. Tuesday morning was 15F according to the thermometer at my house. The engine has the 15w-50 used for the last two Florida trips. I have oil temperature and pressure gauges.  On the under 20F days the oil pressure did go above 75 and at one point almost hit 90 psi. From my house I approach a highway in about a mile. On these colder days pressure started dropping to normal ranges in 3-4 miles and the engine (coolant) was up to temperature in 5-6 miles. As I have an external oil cooler (with a thermostat) the oil does take a bit longer to warm up and on these trips never went over 165F. Oil pressure was still ~25psi at idle.   

Point is that unless you need to start it regularly with temps in the teens or lower the 15w-50 will work. I will be changing the oil this week to the 5w-50 to experiment and see how well it work when the weather gets warmer. Keep in mind that the engine in Fun Bus does now have 290K on it. 

Dennis
 

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Eric Caron
Sent: Thursday, January 14, 2016 11:02 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Mobil 1 0W 50 any one use it yet

Denis and others,

        Did I read earlier that there is a Mobil 1 0W 50?  I’m using the 15W 50.

I’m hoping to hear some reports before I do my next oil change.

Eric Caron 
85 GL Auto Westfalia 
in Chilly VT