I have not driven very much in the snow in my 2WD, 4-speed GL, because I
like to keep it out of the salt.  However in March of '08 I drove it
from Indiana to Florida with the first 200 miles or so of the trip going
through a pretty significant winter storm.... many inches of snow and
plowing not keeping up.  I had on four brand new Hankook RA08 tires and
really had no trouble.  I did have the whole family and luggage in the
van, but no extra weight otherwise.  Saw many other cars spun off the
road, including a fair number of 4WD SUVs.

Allan

Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM> writes:

>  One of the few areas where I fault my 84 Vanagon manual tranny low-top
> 'westie' is it's lack of ability to go.  I am now committed to 'saving up'
> for a limited slip diff.
>
>  I am a very good snow driver.  I lived over 20 years in Jackson Hole,
> Wyoming and drove to work at the ski area every day.  My Ski Patrol job had
> me arriving there at  an ungodly hour to shoot the avalanche control guns on
> stormy mornings, so my commute was often before any snow plows, through
> drifts white-out storms, etc.  I had a variety of vehicles during those
> years, not one a 4wd and yet I rarely got stuck or couldn't make it where I
> needed to go.
>
>   But this Vanagon really frustrates me.  It's simply not good at all...in
> fact it is 'amazingly' poor.  I keep trying, thinking "Hey, it can't be THAT
> bad, maybe if I_______ this time" and like that.  It feels like it should do
> OK.  I've been over all the suspension looking for reasons why it sucks..I
> have decent tires.  The "open differential" must be waay more open than any
> other vehicle I have ever owned..Even my old long bed 2wd six cylinder ford
> pickup had better wintertime traction without any weight at all in the
> back...."Amazing"..
>   Just yesterday I tried again to 'leave our Hill' in the Vanagon with a
> little snow (about 3-5") on our gravel driveway.  Couldn't make it back
> up...missed by about 20' and had to go get the pickup to tow it up the rest
> of the way.
>   Even with Nokian Hakka M+S with decent tread and a  rear decklid loaded
> with ballast (480lbs of stove pellet bags) the van just would not make the
> grade...The van is virtually useless with any snow whatsoever.  I had to
> 'un-mothball' my diesel Ford truck!  I must be beyond the "Denial" stage
> finally.
>
>   Don Hanson
>

--
1991 Vanagon GL