Realisation that you guys are martyrs to the cause.

I keep hearing people saying their bus is good for 50 mph or 55 or 60 and Ive always thought they must be fubarred if thats the case but ive heard it too many times now and also passed sooo many on the motorway at those sorts of speeds and hat goes off to you guys that do this it would drive me mad! As an aside I also hear people quoting very low mpg figures. Now if your only getting 20 to the gallon and can only travel at 50 then Jeez you are a saint and must love your bus to death.

 

A sober conversation with a certain Mr Petit one evening resulted in the knowledge that most of the a/c engine failures he's seen are the result of over revving/going to fast. Makes sense when you think about it from an engine designed before the dawn of time and changed very little and now everyone travels or expects to travel at far greater speeds than when those wooden wheels were employed on yer cart.
As for MPG figures, correctly timed and serviced engine coupled with a sensible carb should do the trick for mid 20's to 30 mpg.
(Awaits severe slagging from the twin DRLA mob)

 

Whats the rush @Dicky are you late for something

 

I take 'A' roads rather than motorways, I can keep up with the big stuff on motorways until a long hill, then I wish I'd stayed on the 'A' road.
Even when I used to ride motorbikes, I would rather take an 'A' road, keeps me awake rather than counting junctions, France and Spain has got the right idea about motorways, weird mushrooms, triffids and Bulls at the side of the motorway, and a bushy central resevation to prevent getting blinded by oncoming traffic.
Chilled driving suits my way of life, I try my best not to get in a situation that requires rushing, I learn't from the Spanish how precious time is, I allow plenty of time for my journey and have to try hard to get speeding tickets and I'm no saint, I drive in a world of plastic bumpers with steel blades, waiting to take on those who stray to close

 

I do A roads if possible. If I wanted to go fast id get something different. If I wanted 50 mpg Id get something different. If I want a big smile I take the camper.

 

I get crappo mpg round town (think 16mpg) but on long run on motorway , 55mph get good mpg ,done London>Glasgow last year for £80, note to all(inc. me) who cruise at a respectable 55mph ,all trucks are governed to a max. speed of 56.5mph, that's why they may seem very close to your/my rear bumper, and yup ,previous owner fitted twin Dells on my now bus(shame I never use it now)

 

Please tell me where these mythical motorways are that you can travel at 70/80 mph on, all that happens is that you get to the next hold up or road works quicker!
A few years back I bought a boat to take from Cheshire to Cornwall every year for the hols and realised straight away it was taking me the same time to do the journey as when I was thinking I was flying along unencumbered by towing anything!

 

Ha. on the news Monday when reporting on the demise of the Brazilian Camper Quote" they will only go 80mph"

 

My other car is a mk1 golf caddy.....i'd gotten quite comfortable with pottering along at 50 ish, but then i dropped in a 1.9 Tdi from a mk3 and tweaked it a bit. Its now quite the flyer, but i rarely use it because i worked out a long time ago that speed is an illusion.......you can drive like an a**hole but in reality you shave off maybe five minutes on a journey and use twice the fuel.....just doesn't seem worth the trouble to me lol
Similarly, my panel has a 1676 with twin 40 webers and big valve heads etc, and will pull off the clock if i feel the need, but i mainly chug around at the national limit......life is a marathon not a sprint

 

Mine will happily sit at 80, no problem. Cruising on an A road at 60 isn't an issue. When I check the average speed indicator in my car I rarely record an average speed of >60. I guess the difference is the car is more point and squirt, there will be periods where I am doing 100, others where I'm almost stopped.

If I drive from here early morning no traffic I can get to Sheffield in 2 1/2 hours. I'd never consider using the van as my daily, even if it had all the mod cons and better fuel returns.

As for MPG, IMHO anyone who even works out what they're getting from their van is driving the wrong vehicle. I read so much nonsense about the 'better than VW ever managed in lab style conditions, but from a stock worn out motor' that its either BS or just crap maths!

 

A few years back I bought a boat to take from Cheshire to Cornwall every year for the hols and realised straight away it was taking me the same time to do the journey as when I was thinking I was flying along unencumbered by towing anything![/quote]

This statement officially means you are getting old, but I agree

 

55mpg? I'm guessing you've got Toyota hybrid technology fitted then?

How do you mean 'you guys'. I thought you had one too?!?

 

Soz for typo, just received rates bill/notification for coming year ,bloody hell, looks like a mortgage quote they have sent.(surely they are joking?)

 

There is no sane reason for travelling long distances in a 1970s delivery van designed in the days of cheap petrol. It's ridiculous. A modern camper makes far more sense.

 

?

Eh? I don't 'love to speed everywhere'

I drive an old camper because I enjoy it. Full stop. Its not my daily drive. I'm not stupid enough to run one as this. I don't worry about the fuel consumption because there is nothing to worry about. If I couldn't afford to run the van I'd sell it. Full stop. Anyone who is genuinely worried about the fuel consumption should sell up and buy a VW up because without considerable expense you won't make it more efficient (comparable to modern motoring) Maybe I'm being extravagant in running my bus as a bit of weekend fun? I don't know, but I assumed that was what everyone did?

Typically I drive it at 55 to 60 to stay ahead of aggressive lorry drivers who prefer to sit on the arse of anything doing the speed that they are restricted to. But it will happily cruise at 80 no problem, should I wish it to do so.

That was the answer to the op's post about the 50mph martyrs... I don't feel that when I drive my bus I have entered martyrdom because I can keep up with modern traffic...

You won't make them more efficient out of an aircooled engine. Full stop. It's the most inefficient use of energy and pushing a heavy inefficient monster of a house brick.

You might make it slightly more fuel efficient by spending £6k + on a scooby conversion or similar (true efficiency will only really come from a 6 speed box and super efficient turbo diesel) but then by default you're actually likely to drive it quicker and consume more fuel anyhow. Using simple maths and assuming 10k miles a year it will take around 5 years to get a fuel consumption alone return benefit out of a spend of 6k on a conversion at break even. As the majority of people tend to only do around 2k miles a year... Do the maths.

The brakes in my van work as well as in my car in fact so the whole '70 mph +' argument doesn't wash either. I've never caused an accident and never will because I drive within my limits and with care and attention for other road users and myself. Motorways are made for driving fast. If conditions allow I'll open the taps but not in a way in which I'll cause danger to myself or others. Officer.

No road going vehicle will protect you at speeds in excess of 70mph. That's why NCAP tests aren't performed at these speeds. There is no point. But then it's only muppets who are using their phone, smoking, eating, watching TV, using their laptops, texting, reading the paper, arguing, prostitute killing etc. who are likely to have an 'accident' at this sort of speed. I don't fall into any of those categories.