Date: Fri, 5 Mar 2010 13:12:38 -0800
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: High top
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OK, here's my comments -
I am talking about a 'real' Adventurewagon hightop though..
not something similar.
I read a long time ago in the factory AW propaganda that the pointy back end
of the AW roof move the center of pressure aftward a bit ...and that helps
directional stability - and I believe it.
I also note that the flat top of a westy with goofy roof rack in front of it
must cause a lot of turbelence at speed all across that large flat roof. I
notice that the same 'flat top area' on an AW top is rounder ...
and only about 70 % or so, the area of the westy flat top.
And I originally thought that an AW would be a scow to push through the air
at speed, and that it would feel top heavy.
It's neither of those.
I just jammed as fast as I could driving 300 miles last week, to get free
parts off an 84 GL ...anything I wanted almost, except engine and trans. So
had to take advantage of that. I was running late the whole time.
My 85 AW has a 2.1 waterboxer engine,
with 2.1 exhaust and intake runners, plenum, and throttle body, but 1.9
Digijet fuel injection ( and I am liking Difijet a lot lately, over
Digifant ) and 1.9 cooling system.
I ran at 4,000 to 4,200 rpm the whole way .....about 65 to 75 incicated,
and saw 80 mph inicated a time or two.
This is kinda 'driving the snot out of it' to me - pushing it much harder
than I normally do.
Fuel milage was probably close to 17.8 mph.
coming back going at more reasonable speeds I probably got about 19 mph.
I run really solid Michelin Agilles 205/65 R 15C's on stell 15 inch south
african wheels.
the van does not feel top heavy. It corners and handles just fine. Got HD
Bilstein shocks on the front, just used stockers on the rear.
It goes throug the air really, really nicely.
there is TONS of room for stuff up there, fore and aft ...though I never put
heavy things up high - they all go down low, and towards the rear - like
rear floor.
and ...the QUIETEST vanagon I have ever been in. Much quieter than a westy,
and infenitely quieter than a diesel westy.
And it doesn't 'noodle' around in the air at 70 mph like a westy does.
And the top is two layer ....except in the forward storage area ...but the
rest of it is two layer ...whether there is insulation between the two
layers I don't know...but seems like there might be.
The AW rooof molds are still awaiting a new owner too, btw.
There is Only One Downside in my experience...
it won't fit in some house garages, or in some low roof parking garages
...but I never go in those anyway.
the roof glued on ...
I wonder about that. There is flexing and some movement between the AW roof
and the vanagon body - or seems like there is.
some craking now and then.
If they get that bond permanently solid enough, it will help with rigidity
of the whoel van's body.
If they don't get it that solid.....slight movement will be minorly
detremental to the joint eventually, is my guess.
last comment - funny ,. this is thee 3rd time today I am reflecting on 'hard
mounting' versus 'soft mounting.'
( the other two were on fuel lines/hoses on vanagons and on electrical plugs
on subaruvanagons )
If you make something under the pricnicple of Solid Mounting ...
then it's fine as long as it stays solid, but once it looses a solid
connection ..then it's in failure mode. - like leaks could happen, or cracks
develope etc.
If you use the principle of 'soft mounting' .....then thing can flex and
move slighlty ...
and not fail because some movement or give is designed in. - so I question
the glue it on method some. With the roof mounted with screws and a bead of
sealant ....some flexing can occur and still work, is my guess.
anyway ....I am hyper picky about many things, and seldom give a good grade
......
but the Shape of the stock AW roof - I give that an A +. The Aerodyamics
and the visual appreance of the shape are just excellent to my artist's eye.
( I also would not put windows with moving parts mounted on a slanted angle
....just asking for leaks, which mine do sometimes )
Scott
www.turbovans.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Don Hanson" <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Friday, March 05, 2010 8:42 AM
Subject: Re: High top
> On Fri, Mar 5, 2010 at 8:04 AM, Gregoire Blachon
> <g.blachon@gmail.com>wrote:
>
>> I had one few years ago,
>> Now i have a westy and i realized that hard top is very good.
>>
>> *pros:*
>>
>> 1/ you can park in the middle of a city and sleep 4 people with
>> discretion
>> (you
>> don't have to pop the top and then get kicked because it looks like a
>> camping spot or something like that)
>>
>> 2/ For a big trip you can store a LOT of things in the top rear AND
>> overhead front compartment thing that you can't do with the westy!
>>
>> 3/ Stiff roof, it's like a house! very good insulation ( the roof is made
>> of
>> 2in foam sandwiched by glassfiber resin)
>>
>
> Another Pro:
>
> Sound.....Having a Westie with it's pop top canvas sides you can hear
> your
> noisy neighbors and are susceptible to gusty wind noise. I have a tin top
> Van with a westie inside and it's much quieter inside than both of my
> pop-top pick up campers.
>
> That top looks to be a nice one. It looks like it would make a vanagon
> into a pretty good mini-RV. But as Gregiore says, it would subtract
> drivebility and fuel economy from a 'low-profile' Westie or Vanagon.
> Don Hanson
