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RE: GM HD 3500 Dually with 6.0 gas engine?
Sure don't know where all this "power complaint" is coming from on the 6.0L Gasser ... but we sure don't see it's a problem.
You've probably noticed that most of the negative comments on this "small" engine are from those who don't own them. ;)
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rjstractor
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02/04/12 09:33am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: length rules ?
What brand of 42-foot Motorhome are you looking at?
I'm impressed by the 37-foot size of the trailer (with cars, I presume) that it's able to tow.
It must be a real beast!
If it's a class 8 truck based motorhome, many of those have a 40,000 lb. towing capacity.
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rjstractor
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02/04/12 09:19am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: GM HD 3500 Dually with 6.0 gas engine?
Never have understood why someone would buy a "big" truck and get such a "little" engine...
It's all relative, of course. The current 6.0 gas outpulls and outruns any pickup truck engine, gas or diesel, that was available 20 years ago. Not everyone needs or has to have the extra power of a diesel. Some guys gladly will trade less towing power and more noise on hills for a much more reliable engine and a heavier wallet.
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rjstractor
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02/01/12 06:29pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: MPG
With my 30' gas C my toad costs me .5 mpg. Diesel will get better mpg but fuel economy overall will be about the same when factoring the higher cost of buying diesel. Not many diesel As in the 26 foot range. You will see some Safari Trek models with the Isuzu diesel. They get pretty good mileage but don't have any power.
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rjstractor
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01/29/12 11:39am |
Dinghy Towing
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RE: Front end diesel vs "pusher"
Is this a late 90's front engine 3.9L 4 cylinder engine in a Trek motorhome? The RV is only 90" wide, not the normal 96" or 102" wide, and most people are not satisfied with the low horsepower engine - I think rated at 200 HP, it might not be that high though.
I think the 3.9L Isuzu had around 125-140 hp. Economical and durable, yes, but not powerful.
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rjstractor
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01/29/12 11:20am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Harbor Freight 800W Generator?
If the "quiet diesel" is really that quiet, just run it. You won't wear it out, and those little diesel engines use next to no fuel.
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rjstractor
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01/28/12 03:37pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Ecoboost in F250's & 350's
Been done already - with the 5.9 Cummins - I know - I own one!
Too bad you still can't buy a new one. The 20+ mpg ship has sailed away, it's sails blown by the hp wars and 2008 emission standards.
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rjstractor
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01/27/12 05:47pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Saw the darndest thing..a modern Class C on a VW van chassis
Somewhere years back, I also saw a pic of a single cab being moved under its own power with casters holding up the back end.
I wonder what could happen if you combine one of these single cabs, a little bit of open space and a heavy foot on the throttle! :)
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rjstractor
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01/27/12 05:42pm |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Freedom elite 21c (gas) to 23S (deisel)
If your current coach has a Ford V10, it has an overwhelming horsepower advantage over the Sprinter, so the Sprinter will probably be slower on the hills. Having said that, many Sprinter owners have reported that their rigs are much more pleasant to drive than the Ford. I think a long test drive would tell give you some of your answers.
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rjstractor
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01/23/12 11:56am |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Towing a New Jeep
Because there is potential for vehicle damage and/or personal injury from doing something wrong when hooking up a car to tow, the manufacturers HAVE to print detailed instructions to cover all of their bases and avoid liability when someone does something dumb like leaving the parking brake on and frying the rear brakes. (I can say this because I've done it) It seems as though we live in a culture where many folks can't accept responsibility for their lack of common sense, and they expect someone else to pay for it.
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rjstractor
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01/19/12 01:09pm |
Dinghy Towing
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RE: Regrets owning a 350/3500?
So I have no problems staying within the weight limits of the 3500 Dodge SRW. Frankly I don't understand why they even make a 2500 diesel engine truck?
I understand what you mean, it's mostly a marketing thing. I don't understand why the manufacturers sell both 250/2500 series trucks and 350/3500 SRW trucks when just about everyone agrees that the basic nuts and bolts of the trucks are the same. On a SRW you get maybe an extra leaf in the rear, slightly higher rated tires and a bigger number on the door sticker. There is more difference between a 3500 SRW and a dually than between a 2500 and a 3500 SRW.
What would really make sense is for the manufacturers to make it simple and eliminate the SRW 350/3500 altogether, and make a 250/2500 truck with a GVWR in the 10K-11K range and a RAWR in the 6.5-7K range. (right about what a SRW 350/3500 is now) The 350/3500 would be DRW only with a GVWR in the 12-13K range and RAWR around 9K. This would make truck selection simpler. The downside is that there would be one less issue to debate on this forum, since the difference between a "3/4 ton" and "1 ton" pickup would be very obvious.
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rjstractor
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01/18/12 10:53pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: 2011 chevy express 3500 15 passenger van as tow vehicle
It should be an even better tow vehicle, unless your work van had the 8.1 engine or the Duramax.
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rjstractor
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01/16/12 01:55pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: western mountains
I have a '98 E450 based C with the older 265 hp version of the V10. I've driven it over the 5500 ft North Cascades Highway in the summer towing a toad and have never had any overheating issues or really lacked for power. Keep in mind that while the class As with the V10 have more horsepower, they are also heavier.
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rjstractor
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01/16/12 01:38pm |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Why no 8,10,12 speed transmission?
Well, we sure would love to have a 6 Speed Tranny in our Motorhome. It would for sure climb hills better, and would probably get some what better MPG, compaired to the Tranny that is in our Motorhome with the 460 EFI Engine. Wonder what it would cost to do that Mod, if possible and wonder if it would pay for itself over time in the extra MPG's.
While I suppose it would be possible to mate a 6 speed Allison to your 7.5 gas given enough effort and $$, I think the best bang for your buck would be a Gear Vendors Overdrive.
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rjstractor
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01/16/12 10:12am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: more chyrsler diesel news
I don't know where these supposed US prices are coming from, but the VW stores I visited over the past 6 months in 2 states and prices I saw on "new" cars, showed about a $1000 difference between gas and diesel, for similarly equipped cars.
The problem with a TDI is that they don't sell a base version. To get the diesel option you have to buy a car with a lot of options that you may or may not want. If I were buying a top of the line Jetta I'd get a GLI that would spank the TDI in performance and still deliver nearly the same fuel economy when factoring in the extra cost of buying the diesel.
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rjstractor
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01/15/12 06:19pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Why no 8,10,12 speed transmission?
The Allison transmissions offer great acceleration and they are easy to drive. The multispeed automated manuals are probably more fuel efficient but not quite as user-friendly.
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rjstractor
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01/15/12 06:09pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Backing up a toad
It's really easy to back up a toad. You disconnect it, which takes about 2 minutes, you back it up to wherever you want it to be, you reconnect it , which takes about 2 minutes, and away you go, without worry of bending tow bars or scrubbing tires, or inciting debates on this forum. :) I've had to do it exactly twice in 10 years of towing 4 down.
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rjstractor
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01/14/12 07:38pm |
Dinghy Towing
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RE: more chyrsler diesel news
There is no gasoline engine that can match diesel for the blend of efficiency and performance.
I just bought a new Jetta, so I am familiar with the specs of these new cars. The 2.5 gas is rated at 33 mpg highway and the TDI is rated at 42. However, with diesel costing 50-70 cents more per gallon there is almost no gain in fuel economy with the TDI. The 2.5 beats the TDI 0-60 by more than a second, so there is no performance advantage. I bought the 2.0 gas which the TDI will easily outrun, but my wallet is $7K heavier. You don't buy a car to tow a trailer, so unless you just crave the feel, smell and sound of a diesel there is no really good reason to buy one in a passenger car.
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rjstractor
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01/14/12 07:33pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Rear-end change out
Unless you are right up to or over your GCWR AND have the need to launch on very steep hills I don't see the point of changing your gear ratios. The new diesels like yours have almost ridiculous amounts of hp and torque and you should have great performance even with the 3.42 rear axle gears.
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rjstractor
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01/14/12 07:14pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Jeep Wrangler or Suzuki Grand Vitara
If you are planning on sticking to just forest service roads and the like the Suzuki will go wherever you want. If it has a true ladder frame and a low range transfer case it will probably go anywhere you would be willing to drive it. Since the GV and Wrangler are not really directly comparable you should look and and drive both. If it were me I would get a Wrangler, because for what you are doing I'd want a soft top and a manual transmission. I know you can't get both with the Suzuki.
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rjstractor
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01/12/12 06:46pm |
Dinghy Towing
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