Life in the slow lane

[debbiej]

Not wanting to hijack a thread, or resurrect an old one, I wanted to report on a recent observation.

A dream of mine has always been to leisurely travel the back roads on a meandering sort of adventurous road trip.

One of my dreams, anyway.

Husband recently retired, removing some of the time constraints on travel. I still own my shop, but am weaning my employees and myself from constant supervision.

We went north to Santa Fe, then east through NM to Texas, across panhandle into Oklahoma, where our son and family now live.

Nice trip, but I'm here to say driving a little slower than the rest of the traffic on 2 lane roads is anything but relaxing. It is white-knuckle and hair-raising. The back roads in NM were not too bad, but the back farm roads in parts of Tx and Ok we're heavily used by people in a big hurry.

People piling up behind you, riding your bumper, passing on questionable stretches of road.....

I was more than relieved to get back on the interstate, where I at least felt safe in the slow lane!!

[fraggle00]

I always just keep an eye out for a place to pull off and let everyone by, even if its only one car. If I was in a hurry, I wouldn't be driving my van!
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'91 Vanagon Carat
'87 Porsche 928S4 DOWN
'12 Fiat 500 Abarth

[randywebb]

IIRC, it's a coffee shop, right?

You could create a mobile coffee van. A long-range version of the food trucks that are on every block in the PNW.

Orygun also has pull-outs for slower traffic to use (and use is required).
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1986 2.1L Westy 2wd Auto Trans.

[IdahoDoug]

Go wander British Columbia. Relaxing beauty, courteous drivers, and my wife and I chose to literally wander on our anniversary. No agenda, stopped wherever and whenever. Slow pace equated to richer experience exactly as you would hope. Memorable and repeatable...
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1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1988 Toyota Supra 5 speed targa, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader

[zipster48]

I think you could even be driving a modern vehicle at the speed limit, there's always drivers who just consider you an obstacle and will treat you the same way. When I'm driving my van I want to be enjoying the experience, I do the same & just let them go by. Serenity NOW!

[outdoornate65]

We contemplated getting personalized plates that say "GO ARND" but figured it might get us shot.

Americans are in too much of a hurry these days. Why?
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1984 Westfalia Wolfsburg "Nana"

[Solrider]

I drove to and from California for the holidays in an FJ cruiser and decided to conserve on gas and enjoy the trip mostly right at the speed limit or at the most 5 over....I felt like I was standing still most of the time.
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Heidi - KF7CKI
85 Vanagon GL 1.6NA - Otto Von Wunderwagen
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Gone but not forgotten:
71 Super Beetle - Gretel
92 Jetta GL - Jerry
97 Passat TDI - Penny

[bugeye72]

Well my van is a diesel, so I'm usually going like 45-50, sometimes up to 55. It's not rare to have a long hill drop me down to about 38-40mph. I pull over whenever I can to let people by, but as you know, it's not always practical. I recently drove I 95 from Maine to MD, in my Golf, and the whole time I was thinking how absolutely terrifying it would be to travel that route in the van. People drive so fast, and so aggressively. Merging situations would be a leap of faith. I do find, at least at home, that people really have a soft spot for this van, and when they do get a space to pass me, as often as not, they are smiling and not fuming. Next winter, I hope to have the van sorted out a little better, just got it in October and now it is locked in with ice and snow, and I'm hoping to drive the family someplace south and less wintry. I will spend a lot of effort in planning the route, that's for sure.

[morymob]

U could do what i did, lg sticker on rear window= "PASS NOW AVOID THE RUSH' no problem since.

[strawhouse]

I got pulled over by the police going too slow.... I was going 60km/h up a hill in a 100km/h zone.... I explained aerodynamics to him and he let me on my way.
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Pacifist with a gun

[pioneer1]

Maybe you just had bad luck with your route. We always choose secondary routes.The old 2 lane blacktop serves our needs and all through the eastern states from NY to Georgia we have had great trips doing 55. The only headaches are all the antique stores we have to stop at.
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"Always waiting for tomorrow ruined everything"

'85 Porsche 911 Targa

'76 Westfalia project

[EVinVT]

I really hate it when driving the posted speed limit is too slow and actually dangerous.

[wooden nickel]

My Bostig Westy is slow and my Russian Ural sidecar motorcycle is slower. Both vehicles are happier on the backroads and so am I. I travel at my own pace because there is always someone in a bigger hurry. I give them as much room as possible and if they are passing in a bad spot, I slow down or stop to allow a safer pass. I love small towns and hate big cities so two lanes are more my style.

[bugeye72]

[shadetreetim]

The most relaxing trip I have ever driven was on the Interstate, running the same speeds as the big rigs. That trip a trailer was holding me to their speed. But without the trailer I find it hard to drive that slow. Maybe I need to add a cruise control.
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Tim Potts

Doing my best every time I drive it to dispel the myth these Vanagons have to be slow!


'89 Vanagon Bluestar/Country Homes 1.8T & .77 4th
'74 Jeep CJ5

[Ahwahnee]

You've described how we like to travel but I don't recall being overly concerned with traffic trying to get around us.

One thing to look for are highways that were built for lots of traffic before the interstate system was in place. Wide lanes, turn lanes, 4-lanes near urban areas, wide shoulders).

Especially in the South (where they had the congressmen with lots of seniority & clout) there were some great highways built that now see mostly local traffic (few billboards, even fewer trucks).

A route like that is near you is US82 -- a federal highway that starts in Alamogordo and goes all the way to the Atlantic.

[debbiej]

Enjoyed the replies, yes we pull over to let people pass. My point was that we actually felt safer going 55-60 on the interstate. And that some of the back roads felt more dangerous and stressfull than the interstate.

US 82 is beautiful, although we haven't taken it out of NM..

On a recent trip to CA, we drove the passat. I noticed the big guys were really keeping to the posted '55 for trailers'. Although we were going or exceeding the limit in that car, I was glad to see an opportunity to feel ok with the speed I like to drive the westy and the toyota dolphin.

[Ahwahnee]

[vanagonjr]

[NorCalbuggy]

We got a "It IS floored" sticker from someone on the samba...
It's on the back window to warn my fellow motorists
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"Steam seems to have killed all gratitude in the hearts of sailors"

1987 Westfalia Vanagon - "Clifford"