Definitely.An AWD version would be a sound purchase IMO.
As far as daily driving, if you know how to drive it's not a problem
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Definitely.An AWD version would be a sound purchase IMO.
LSD. I have been doing too much hard core 4WD. Limited slip. Been looking to convert my junk to full lockers. SAS. Solid Axle Swap.Hog? Is that slang for Transit that I'm unaware off.
So, you saying the LSD (that's for limited slip Mr Leaverite...it's Friday night I'll excuse you) caused you to slide? Or made it so you couldn't regain traction? I had a similar experience driving up to Mammoth. Just got to where there was a dusting of snow on the road. Too soon to put on chains. Felt a little wobble. Looked at my friend. "Did you feel that?" No sooner said than we were spun around going backward. No time to even attempt a correction. Slid off the side of the road. I have no idea if my truck had LSD or not.
Yes it is a great improvement. I only had the conversion done because my engine was leaking coolant, the block was cracked, so something had to be done eventually.I've thought about that. But is the 2.2 really that much of an improvement over the 2.1 water boxer? Also, I've read on the Samba that the 2.2 they use are also now getting hard to find with low miles. The Transit wold cost about $10,000-$15,000 more than what I could sell my Vanagon for, and that's before fitting out, so sometimes I think just keep the $$ for repairs and towing
The one thing I love about my Vanagon is that it has functioning, in dash AC. You know how rare that is . It was an aftermarket unit that dealers installed. I've had this van over 5 years and never had to replace refrigerant. The previous owner gave me extra in case I needed it- propane. I asked him about the safety and flammability and he said it was less flammable than the r12 or r134 the is normally used. When we go on our camping trips we frequently cross deserts AC was a must for my wife and I have to admit, I feel like a king driving up the 395 or 99 in 100+ weather with cold air blowing in my face...in a Vanagon!Yes it is a great improvement. I only had the conversion done because my engine was leaking coolant, the block was cracked, so something had to be done eventually.
Mileage went from 14-18 to 19-24, HP went up 25% or more, torque also up 25% or more, all through the RPM spectrum. If I was alone in the Vanagon I could get over Hwy 17 in 4th gear no issues, it's most comfortable at 4000 RPMs.
I do oil changes myself, super easy, and cheap; just oil and a filter, and it takes regular coolant that any supermarket carries.
I believe you that the 2.2L are getting harder to find though. Kennedy Racing Products, who designed the conversion and got the CARB certification, should update it to include later model engines. Unfortunately only up to 1995 is smog legal in CA, IIRC. Smogging can be a pain cuz dudes think it's not legal, but a phone call to Kennedy fixes that, mine has always passed since 2008, no problems. My timing belt broke in 2017, but the EJ22 is a non-interference engine so the engine wasn't ruined.
There *was* a place in Sacramento pursuing a VW diesel conversion. I forget the name or if it became legal, but that might be worth a try.
I had the AC recharged on the conversion and it died within a year. I wouldn't bother with that...
Yea LSD = limited slip lol. And nah I just call vanny a hog sometimes.Hog? Is that slang for Transit that I'm unaware off.
So, you saying the LSD (that's for limited slip Mr Leaverite...it's Friday night I'll excuse you) caused you to slide? Or made it so you couldn't regain traction? I had a similar experience driving up to Mammoth. Just got to where there was a dusting of snow on the road. Too soon to put on chains. Felt a little wobble. Looked at my friend. "Did you feel that?" No sooner said than we were spun around going backward. No time to even attempt a correction. Slid off the side of the road. I have no idea if my truck had LSD or not.
OK. That makes sense. For snow it sounds like the AWD is best. Being in So Cal I don't need either but like I said, the idea is extended road trips and the option of exploring down unpaved roads. So if the choice is getting stuck on a muddy road with open diff or losing control on an interstate in Wyoming, maybe getting stuck is better. Or pay $4000 more for AWD.Yea LSD = limited slip lol. And nah I just call vanny a hog sometimes.
But what I meant was - yea, the LSD caused the back end to kick out unexpectedly. Normally with an open diff and decent traction, if one of the wheels encounters ice, it would just be allowed to slip without taking the other wheel with it. But with a locked diff or limited slip to a lesser extent, the power (or some of the power) gets shifted to the other wheel increasing its likelihood of also spinning out in the case of an icey or snowy or rainy road. That’s why it’s easier to kick out the back end on purpose with a limited slip diff, and also why the back end kicks out practically automatically on a vehicle with a locked diff when going around sharp turns. The speed of the wheels are meant to be two different speeds while turning because of the different radii of the turn for each wheel, this is why differentials exist. However when you impede that ability, you increase the likelihood of one of the wheels to slip which then increases the likelihood of the remaining wheel to slip in slippery conditions.
So my theory is that even though I was going in a perfectly straight line - one of the wheels must have caught a patch of ice and started to slip. Normally, with an open diff this would be no issue. But with LSD it shifted extra power to the non slipping wheel (effectively “gunning it”) and then that wheel broke traction and bye bye rear end.
That said, I acknowledge the purpose of a LSD which is so you don’t get stuck on tiny rocks off-roading, or in mud, or on, say wet grass haha. But that off-road capability comes at the dangerous cost of handling in snowy conditions. And that said - it still isn’t even that off-road capable compared to 4WD. So it’s like, almost not even worth it IMO.
Yeah, but was it better than 2WD? And what were you doing? Crawling over rocks?AWD in my one time of driving with it when 2wd wouldn’t cut it was useless.
4x4 or give me death.
Agree.My brother had one. A med wheel base med roof. Van was perfect. Easy to daily drive and fit in most places without any issues. Nice 3.5 Ecoboost engine. Could fit a 12' board inside.
I'm 6'2" and just had to barely hunch over in the back. The new ones come with AWD. I'd buy one before I ever bought a Sprinter.
Hey. Sounds like you are the guy to talk to about the Transit. You're basically doing what we intend to do. I was going to PM but was limited to 420 characters… basically a tweet. I don't tweet.At the time we bought it, the only 4wd options were Quigley if you ordered from the factory, or quadvans in Oregon. Each at $15k.
Starting in 2020, awd is available. Think it's 60/40 awd.
One place we could've used it was the outer banks. Bummer to see people being able to camp on the beach and drive to isolated spots, while we paid for campsites in crowded campgrounds.
Other than that, we haven't needed it. Have a set of nokians tires for snow when we go snowboarding in Utah, otherwise running Michelin all terrains.
Would spring for awd if I were buying new.
As for daily driving, the Ecoboost is awesome and the transit is nice to drive. Parking sucks and the medium roof prevents us from most drive throughs, pretty much all parking structures.
Late fall a few years ago chasing the striper migration. I pulled my truck on the beach to see if there was any action and some clueless clown couldn’t get his Lexus through the soft sand, it was fine on the lower hard sand. The tide was coming up and he was panicking. I felt so bad, told him he was an idiot and I took the drivers seat. Thing could barely get off the beach.Yeah, but was it better than 2WD? And what were you doing? Crawling over rocks?
How did I not know this was a thing?!?! Where and when do they migrate? I'm guessing the route must either start or stop in Las Vegas, right?Late fall a few years ago chasing the striper migration.
they do, however, migrate to vegas from other cities to work big showsI don’t think the stripers in Vegas ever leave Vegas.
they’re like Canadian geese, or wildlife fed by humans, no more reason to migrate.