Lots of Delica's in ditches, side roads, in accident's,etc..

jessef · Post by **jessef** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 12:53 pm

On my way back and forth between Vancouver and Whistler I saw 4 Delica's in ditches over the past 2 weeks.

In the past 4 days driving around Vancouver, Langley, White Rock, N/W Van, I saw 7 Delica's in one form or another stuck on the side of the road, in a ditch or sandwiched up against another vehicle or something permanent.

That's 11 Delica's !!!!

And that's only what I've seen.

If anyone of you know any of these guys, tell them to slow down !

Last night crossing the burrard street bridge a white crystal roof flew passed me and almost clipped an oncoming car, spun around and hit the side rail on the bridge. This was at 7pm last night. Totally out of control passing me, rear end slipping left to right.

Delica's are horrible on ice because of the narrow and short wheelbase.

Delica's are good in the snow providing you drive accordingly.

Please be careful when you drive these van's.

Over the cab (you are in front of the front wheels) plus a short wheelbase is not a good combination for slush/ice, slippery conditions.

I was very surprised to see so many Delica's with crushed body parts, sideways in ditches, etc...

Everyone out there, please drive safe !

konadog · Post by **konadog** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 12:59 pm

I heard third-hand about one that ROLLED and landed on its wheels somewhere north of Nanaimo - Camping kit spread all over the road and smashed windows all 'round

Over the last few weeks I've found our deli to be a superb snowy road machine - not invulnerable though, just good traction in the slop. Sure hope we've seen the last of it for a while...

Duke · Post by **Duke** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 1:00 pm

I was very surprised to see so many Delica's with crushed body parts, sideways in ditches, etc...

Oooooo! Spare parts!!!!

quadzilla · Post by **quadzilla** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 1:52 pm

Delica's are horrible on ice because of the narrow and short wheelbase.

I can attest to this - I did a 180 on Kingsway going only 30 kph when I hit black ice - thankfully I managed to not hit anything but holy smokes - what a ride! I have driven over a lot of ice these past few weeks and there have been times when even at relatveily slow speeds my van gets kicked around.

konadog · Post by **konadog** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 1:56 pm

Studded tires might be an idea for winter ice...

delicat · Post by **delicat** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 1:59 pm

Until the roads clear, any of you guys thought of deflating a bit your tires? I've been running mine at 27psi and it makes a big difference in the snow and ice. I don't really go on the hwy so not too much of an issue. And if I do it's not for long.

To my count, I've already pulled 14 cars, trucks and AWD out of the snow since we first got the snow...

Great publicity for our little trucks!

jessef · Post by **jessef** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 2:31 pm

25-30 depending on snow/slush.

Got Turtle

stuck for the 1st time since owning it. Old logging road that wasn't used for years up in whistler.

Snow level was up to the highest low point on the front doors. 3 feet or so.

Deflated to 10 psi and floated out. Tires looked pretty funny. Had a compressor with me so it was all good.

Profister · Post by **Profister** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 2:46 pm

Delica's are horrible on ice because of the narrow and short wheelbase.

They are absolutely horrible.

I did a 180 on Kingsway going only 30 kph when I hit black ice

My spin was 270 on an icy logging road but I was going 50 kph. Now I have a feel of it and avoid driving Delica on ice and slush. I am lucky having my AWD Suzuki SX4 for this occasion but I prefer my Delica in deep snow.

patty · Post by **patty** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 3:32 pm

i find as soon as i feel the rear end start to slip, i just let go of the gas and it corrects itself instantaneously. practicing in empty parking lots helps out lots, its fun, and when you do slip out your not nearly as scared cause your used to the feeling.

jessef · Post by **jessef** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 4:14 pm

Also anyone who has a limited slip rear differential (look for the red/orange 2"x3" sticker on the inside driver side door jam)

Drive carefully (feather the throttle) in snow/ice/slippery conditions.

The rear end tends to kick out sideways a lot more compared to the stock Delica (open differential).

Upside - great for traction off road.

Downside - cuts loose easier on slick surfaces but can be more predictable once you get used to it.

jwfchase · Post by **jwfchase** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:00 pm

As someone who scrapes people out of ditches for a living...

the best winter tires, studs, 4 wheel drive, perfectly balanced vehicle etc etc etc etc doesn't count for crap if you overdrive the conditions- the best ice road rally car drivers in the world still crash when they push too hard!!!

As for 4 wheel drive- it only helps when you have you're foot on the accelerator, once you let off, or are braking- YOU'RE JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER VEHICLE ON THE ROAD (and in a light back-ended Deli no less!)!!!

And by the way, far and away, the most common vehicle crashes we attend to on the Coquihalla are trucks and SUV's (with, for some unknown reason, minivans following a close 3rd...)

The Pinkfingers · Post by **The Pinkfingers** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 6:28 pm

We've had a few feet of snow over the past couple of weeks here in upper North Van. There is over three feet in our back yard, even after the kids have trampled it. Our road has been plowed once, maybe twice in these past two weeks, and the snow plow has become stuck on our road at least twice, maybe more.

Have not had a problem with the Deli getting around until today, when the warmer weather has made 12-18 inches of slush on top of ice. Got stuck once today at the corner of our road in deep, deep slush, trying to get up the hill, and had to reverse down the road a bit. In fresh snow this vehicle is unstoppable. In slush, it's not as sure-footed as before.

But compared to the Ford Windstar we had last winter, this is waaaay way way waaaay better. I still get looks from people as I drive up an undriveable hill.

Now with the slush I might add some weight to our rear end, as it does slip a bit, even in 4wd.

Regarding Jesse's first post, dumb drivers are dumb drivers no matter what car they drive. It's too bad that their stupidity affects people around them too.

jrman · Post by **jrman** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 7:12 pm

Yup...as per JWCHase...it's the driver not the vehicle. Have been all over the place helping family and friends getting out and about during this little weather anomaly we're having - very pleased with the overall performance. Take it low and slow and stay off the brake - and all will be well in the world.

Agree with Jesse about the short wheel base and LSD issues as well - definitely needs some practice but overall it's a better combination. LSD is great when one wheel has traction and the other does not - but needs to be respected and understood in situation's where both wheels lose traction. LSD helps our little trucks become billy goats when in 4WD, but can be a bit un-nerving to those who aren't familiar with it's peculiarities when in 2WD and losing traction.

4WD often gives drivers too much confidence - or put another way - a lot of rope to hang yourself with!

Stay safe out there!

mararmeisto · Post by **mararmeisto** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 8:00 pm

jfarsang wrote:Also anyone who has a limited slip rear differential (look for the red/orange 2"x3" sticker on the inside driver side door jam)

Drive carefully (feather the throttle) in snow/ice/slippery conditions.

The rear end tends to kick out sideways a lot more compared to the stock Delica (open differential).

Upside - great for traction off road.

Downside - cuts loose easier on slick surfaces but can be more predictable once you get used to it.

I can attest to the 'kicking out' - Moon Machine tends to kick it out to the right.

However, as another poster mentioned, feathering the accelerator is the simplest way to counter that. I like the LSD, and I would rather the short wheelbase on these than the 10 meter turning radius of most NAMPOS vans or trucks.

Green1 · Post by **Green1** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 10:56 pm

the most common vehicle crashes we attend to on the Coquihalla are trucks and SUV's

overconfidence is a killer. people with 2wd get themselves in less trouble because they discover that the conditions suck as soon as they try to accelerate. people with 4wd accelerate easily, so they assume the conditions are much better than they are. they then proceed to drive as if it's a beautiful summer day and ignore the fact that they're driving on glare ice topped with an inch of slush.

The best thing people can drive in lousy weather is a rear wheel drive vehicle... if the conditions suck, you know about it!

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