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vvolfbus
Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2017
Posts: 62
Location: Breckenridge, Colorado
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 Posted: Mon Feb 19, 2018 9:01 pm Post subject: First Road Trip: SUCCESS! |
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Hello Samba world,
We just completed our first long mountain road trip in our 78 Westy Campermobile!
Breckenridge, CO to Santa Fe, NM
5h23m each way says the iPhone/7h30m in bus time
Roundtrip net elevation gain: 18,632 feet
Some highlights:
Hoosier Pass at 12,000 feet
Poncha Pass at 9,000 feet
She ran beautifully thanks to all of your help getting her into shape.
We had some difficulty going up the 10+% grade climbs but dropped her into second and climbed nice and slow. We comfortably drove around 65 on flat roads, but never got past 45 on even subtle climbs in order to keep the cylinder head temp at 350. If we went any faster than 65/45 in the respective conditions, our CHT quickly began climbing but then would drop once we slowed our speed.
In New Mexico, we hit 80 mile per hour winds during a high wind advisory (I swear I read about this in the John Muir book) but she made it through with lowered speeds and a sturdy hand on the wheel.
Checked the oil, gas mileage, and tire pressure at every stop and she was perfectly consistent. No tire pressure loss, minimal oil loss, and 17.5 miles to the gallon.
Hoosier Pass
Driving past the Sangre de Christos on the Cosmic Highway
Night 1: Ojo Caliente Hot Springs near Taos, NM
Night 2: Santa Fe sunset
The wolves of the wolf bus
Feeling like one of these tumbleweeds in the high winds
Link
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scrivyscriv
Samba Electrician
Joined: October 04, 2011
Posts: 2922
Location: Memphis
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| Posted: Mon Feb 19, 2018 9:07 pm Post subject: Re: First Road Trip: SUCCESS! |
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Glad to hear a good road trip! I was a little apprehensive on my first long road trip out but trips like that helps build some confidence in daily driving an old vehicle. Looks like you could use a cup holder lol
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Robert in Memphis
Dünkelgrügen 1967 Java Green bug thread
Engine rebuild thread
If you're ever in the Memphis area, you are welcome to stop by for advice and help. |
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dasdachshund
Samba Member
Joined: March 29, 2010
Posts: 728
Location: Vancouver, WA USA
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| Posted: Mon Feb 19, 2018 9:26 pm Post subject: Re: First Road Trip: SUCCESS! |
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Cool. 
-dasdachshund |
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richparker
Samba Member
Joined: November 24, 2011
Posts: 6983
Location: Durango, CO
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| Posted: Mon Feb 19, 2018 10:47 pm Post subject: Re: First Road Trip: SUCCESS! |
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Super stoked for you guys! Hope to meet up with you guys at one of the Colorado events or maybe a wave as we pass each other in a small mountain town. Happy busin!!!
_________________
__________
’71 Westy build
Adventure thread
’65 Deluxe Build
’63 Deluxe Build |
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Abscate
Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2014
Posts: 22670
Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
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| Posted: Tue Feb 20, 2018 3:38 am Post subject: Re: First Road Trip: SUCCESS! |
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Hey!! They stole Tuna!!!!
( Sanchius and Tuna ride again thread in Vanagon forum)
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.ssS! |
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dobryan
Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2006
Posts: 16505
Location: Brookeville, MD
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Manfred58sc
Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2009
Posts: 3382
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| Posted: Tue Feb 20, 2018 8:56 am Post subject: Re: First Road Trip: SUCCESS! |
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Congrats! That is a great trip to make with many worthwhile stops. Did you know Hoosier pass has never been closed due to weather?? I've driven over it in some awful blizzards wondering "Why is this open?". State patrolman told me that it is considered " A security access point for Summit County " in case I-70 has a hazmat situation. Nice wolves, good heaters in winter!
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Fat chick owner/operator |
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airschooled
Air-Schooled
Joined: April 04, 2012
Posts: 12728
Location: on a bike ride somewhere
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| Posted: Tue Feb 20, 2018 10:19 am Post subject: Re: First Road Trip: SUCCESS! |
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Woo hoo! Congrats on the successful first big trip!
Now, when is the next one?? 
Robbie
_________________
Learn how your vintage VW works. And why it doesn't!
One-on-one tech help for your Volkswagen:
www.airschooled.com |
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camit34
Samba Member
Joined: January 14, 2006
Posts: 1567
Location: Commerce City CO
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| Posted: Tue Feb 20, 2018 12:56 pm Post subject: Re: First Road Trip: SUCCESS! |
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That's awesome! Nice to see another CO Bus out and about!
_________________
In search of a Vanagon
1971 Westy (SOLD)
1971 Deluxe (SOLD)
1967 Freedom Camper (SOLD) |
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mark d
Samba Member
Joined: February 06, 2013
Posts: 219
Location: Costa Rica
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| Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2018 9:41 am Post subject: Re: First Road Trip: SUCCESS! |
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congrats. nice photos
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1972ish westfalia
"what good are tractors without violins ?" jose figueres |
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danfromsyr
Samba Member
Joined: March 01, 2004
Posts: 15144
Location: Syracuse, NY
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| Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2019 12:27 pm Post subject: Re: First Road Trip: SUCCESS! |
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rereading this trip, surely you've accomplished another great roadtrip in your bus.
*bump. fall is coming and the western nights are calling me once more.
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| Abscate wrote: |
| These are the reasons we have words like “wanker” |
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cmonSTART
Samba Member
Joined: July 15, 2014
Posts: 1915
Location: NH
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| Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2019 12:40 pm Post subject: Re: First Road Trip: SUCCESS! |
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Good read!
Same here - dear wife and I are heading North for a couple days in a week.
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'78 Bus 2.0FI
de K1IGS |
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WildIdea
Samba Member
Joined: September 17, 2016
Posts: 928
Location: Black Hills, South Dakota
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| Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2019 4:10 pm Post subject: Re: First Road Trip: SUCCESS! |
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Nice! Looks like a great time to me, jealous 
_________________
1977 Sage Green Westy
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=691987
1965 SWR Walk-Through Standard
1960 211 Panel American Camper Conversion |
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Globespotter
Samba Member
Joined: February 16, 2012
Posts: 1770
Location: Newmarket, ON
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ImAddicted
Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2012
Posts: 1195
Location: Unorganized Territory, Maine
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| Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2019 5:05 pm Post subject: Re: First Road Trip: SUCCESS! |
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| Abscate wrote: |
Hey!! They stole Tuna!!!!
( Sanchius and Tuna ride again thread in Vanagon forum) |
You and that thread were the first one I thought of when I saw doggo 
_________________
1979 Transporter (sold)
KC1MUR
| strfish7 wrote: |
| Original condition, which means something different on this forum than anywhere else! |
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Jetfxr69
Samba Member
Joined: December 28, 2018
Posts: 1293
Location: White mtns nh
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| Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2019 4:39 am Post subject: Re: First Road Trip: SUCCESS! |
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I know those hot springs in Taos. Was a stop off back in ‘92 when wife and I toured our 76 westy around the country. Probably a few oil stains still where we parked. Beautiful spot up on top of Taos. You feel as if the night sky is as close as a ceiling. 80 mph winds?!! I would have been looking for a cave.
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You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline. It helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer. Zappa
‘77 westy Seamus
‘76 tintop Crusher
‘77 westy The Judge
‘72 tintop bastard westy Hudson |
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