Traffic jam issues...

[fallingoffalot]

This Friday I am due to go down to Cornwall for a week and as I understand it there is likely to be a LOT of others with the same idea. So I have a bit of a dilemma, do I take the van?

Pros:
1) I love driving the van and it is a great place to go with it.
2) I can fit all the stuff in including two 8ft surfboards and a mountain bike.
3) It will be a good long distance trip.
4) I did a 90 mile trip last weekend and it was flawless (no jams though)

Cons:
1) I have never been stuck in traffic before and have no oil temp gauge.
2) There is a bit of tin missing from around the alternator pully so allowing hot air into the cool air part, I have read that you can prop the engine lid open to provide additional cooling.
3) Breaking down would ruin the holiday.

We can't all fit in the van yet until I have refurbed the inside so my wife and daughter are going in our BMW anyway and there is room for the boards on the roof + a slim roofbox, will have to forget the mountain bike.

Mmm...

 

[sparkywig]

Don’t prop the engine lid open, it sucks hot air back in as it’s a low pressure zone at standstill and all the fresh air coming in from the corner vents goes straight out when travelling. If VW thought it was a good idea they would have put vents in the engine lid....
Fit the piece of tin and make sure all the rest of it is in place along with the engine bay seals.

Just check the oil, take a spare fan belt, don’t drive it like a company/rental car and you’ll be fine.

 

[fallingoffalot]

Thanks, that's kinda how I'm thinking. Tin ordered today, hopefully it'll be here by Thursday. I'll definitely get an oil temp gauge, not time this week though.

 

[matty74]

A savemybug dipstick is a good interim solution before you get chance to install gauges. I have one on mine and it works a treat [emoji106]. Y’never know, you might prefer it to a gauge and save yourself any untidy wiring worries [emoji6]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[sparkywig]

Yep, I'm running a savemybug dipstick as well.

 

[K@rlos]

Fit the bit of tin, check of the fan belt tension is ok and the oil is at the correct level. If the engine is in good health and tuned correctly it will not overheat. Aircooled vws have operates for decades in country’s vastly hotter than the UK.

 

[Clem]

If you are travelling seperately, go at a better time - set off at early doors and from Gloucester you will be past all the traffic pinch points on the M5 before they hot up. Or, leave at night and drive through the night, maybe have a nap alongside the road once you've gone past Exeter. Oh, its cooler at night and the early morning too. Win Win.

 

[K@rlos]

Just seen your bus is from South Africa, if it ran over there it will be fine here :lol:

 

[sparkywig]

I'm having a mini tour of Cornwall at the moment, traffic's not too bad. We left midmorning and had no holdups at all on the way down.
There are roadworks on the M5S at Burnham, between Bridgwater - Taunton and Taunton - Wellington, but not congested.
Remember schools finish for the summer on Friday, so traffic will increase and we're outta here....

 

[fallingoffalot]

Just seen your bus is from South Africa, if it ran over there it will be fine here :lol:

Well yes, the bodywork/chassis is from SA.
(It came over as a microbus, with an 'original' 1600 engine, which the previous owner recently replaced with a 1776 from Brazil - minus some tin and a unsealed portion of the tinware seal, which I'll attempt to fit tonight. I've not ruled out the option of taking it.)

 

[Clem]

Rain all day today and tomorrow - it'll be fine!

 

[fallingoffalot]

Back from Cornwall now - fantastic week with loads of sun, loads of surfing... only saw 3 bays, and 2 splits (and about 500000 T5s)

 

[cunning plan]

Back from Cornwall now - fantastic week with loads of sun, loads of surfing... only saw 3 bays, and 2 splits (and about 500000 T5s)

:lol:

Funny it used to be T4s!

 

[sparkywig]

Back from Cornwall now - fantastic week with loads of sun, loads of surfing... only saw 3 bays, and 2 splits (and about 500000 T5s)

But did you take the bus?

 

[fallingoffalot]

Ah no, I couldn't replace the tin in time (as it turns out I've bought the wrong one!). Next year!