Thanks Melissa, Cliff and Mark for your replies on towing.  If y'all can
make it over the terrain you've described...I guess I can make it 10 miles
down the road to our Thanksgiving campsite.  The closest thing to a
"mountain" I will encounter down here is a drawbridge!

Dane Tessler
http://members.aol.com/Dane714/westfalia.html
-----Original Message-----
From: Melissa Mourkas <legacy@javanet.com>
To: Dane Tessler <dane714@WORLDNET.ATT.NET>; vanagon@vanagon.com
<vanagon@vanagon.com>
Date: Monday, November 23, 1998 7:46 PM
Subject: Re: Towing with a Vanagon?

>Dane:
>
>I had an '85 Westy which I used for about 3 years to haul two jet skiis
>on a trailer regularly from L.A. to the Colorado River and Lake
>Mojave(near Las Vegas).  Total weight with gear, skiis and trailer was
>about 1000 lbs. The trip required climbing mountain passes beginning from
>500' above sea level to about 4000' and sometimes travelling in 100+
>degree F temps in the desert.  The Westy never overheated, and towed
>really well. (I did not run the a/c when climbing!). You will find
>yourself in second gear when climbing any major hills.  The trailer ran
>nice and level behind the van due to the height of the hitch from the
>ground and launching the boats was easy. I wouldn't worry about 550 lbs
>if I were you. While it is not recommended 'by the book', I encountered
>no difficulties and enjoyed many crazy weekends on the river.
>
>BTW, I no longer have that Westy and no longer ride jet-skiis, but I am
>now wedded to an '81 air-cooled and we enjoy a little less exertion on
>our road trips these days!
>
>Melissa Mourkas
>81 Westy 'Hildie'
>Massachusetts
>