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Topic ClosedDiesel tow vehicles
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Joined: 03 Dec 2010
Location: Hightstown, NJ
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Posts: 571 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Diesel tow vehicles
    Posted: 11 Apr 2012 at 8:23pm
My BIL has a Mercedes Sprinter for his antique business and travels with his stuff around the northeast to shows and the like. He has advised that when we replace the current TV, a Dodge Dakota V6, we get a diesel pickup. He claims 22 mpg with his loaded Sprinter which has a high frontal area, like the Pods. Anyone have a diesel powered TV that can comment? Economy, noise, any drawbacks? Thanks. Walt
Chris and Walt
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Joined: 29 Jul 2009
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Posts: 9059 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Apr 2012 at 8:31am
Uh-oh.  Next you'll be jumping to a 5th wheel after you get a diesel.   Tongue
Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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Posts: 1447 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Apr 2012 at 8:46am
Diesel is more expensive at the pump, and much more expensive to buy in a truck.  How much you will save depends on how much you will use it.  In my case when I ran the numbers I could not get a reasonable pay back over the expected life of the truck.  If fuel continues to go up, and the initial cost remains the same or goes down, at some point it may make sense.
 
Were I to be thinking about a 5th wheel or a class A diesel would be my only choice.
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Posts: 315 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Apr 2012 at 9:12am
When I priced out my Silverado, the Turbo-diesel was $7,000 more than the gas version.  In addition, the diesel requires a urea liquid storage tank.  The urea needs to be refilled about every 2000 miles for about $70-100.  At $4/gal...that's nearly 2,000 gal or 24,000 additional miles using the V8. If you are going to put 100,000 miles on your rig/pod, the diesel may make sense, but if you are towing much less than this, the gas engine seems to the way to go.
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Posts: 1447 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Apr 2012 at 11:19am
That's what I was trying to say.
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Posts: 5 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Apr 2012 at 2:22pm
I did some of the same analysis last year when we bought our truck.  The price difference of $7-10k will still buy a whole lot of gas.  Diesel would be nice and needed if we get into a larger trailer but we are thinking Class C next so no need for a truck.
The F250 6.2 pulls the R-Pod with absolutely no problems.  The best feature is actually that the truck is much heavier than the trailer and wind, semis, etc. do not matter anymore.  We used to tow with a Jeep Liberty and it was a constant battle for control between the Jeep and the Pod, lots of white knuckles back then.  We are getting 12-13 MPG towing and loaded.
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Posts: 13 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Apr 2012 at 5:26pm
I had no idea you needed to change the urea every 2k miles on a silverado... That's just ridiculous.

Our tdi Passat needs it done every 10k to 15k miles which would be ok in my book. Think I may have to get a Tourage tdi since we're averaging about 600miles per tank on the Passat.

Oh, currently tow a 182g with an FJ Cruiser but I would definitely like the Torque from a diesel for towing.
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Posts: 1447 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Apr 2012 at 5:33pm
Originally posted by Bill & Marie in TX

I did some of the same analysis last year when we bought our truck.  The price difference of $7-10k will still buy a whole lot of gas.  Diesel would be nice and needed if we get into a larger trailer but we are thinking Class C next so no need for a truck.
The F250 6.2 pulls the R-Pod with absolutely no problems.  The best feature is actually that the truck is much heavier than the trailer and wind, semis, etc. do not matter anymore.  We used to tow with a Jeep Liberty and it was a constant battle for control between the Jeep and the Pod, lots of white knuckles back then.  We are getting 12-13 MPG towing and loaded.


Even with a 150 I don't have trouble with cross winds and semis.  Diesel would be nice, and if I were looking for a class C I may consider one of the diesel options.  But you are right:$7,000 buys a lot of gas.
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Posts: 315 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Apr 2012 at 9:43am
The newest EPA standards require that diesel-powered pickups have better pollution control of  unburned carbon (black soot).  The easiest (cheapest to manufacture?) method was to inject urea into the fuel stream.  All of the 'Big Three' use this method.  I believe European manufacturers went different routes.  I know that Mercedes went to a 'soot exhaust filter'.  My European cousin has  a Mercedes sedan and he has to clean a special exhaust filter every so many thousand kilometers.
If you are contemplating buying a diesel TV, check with the dealer about the method to keep the exhaust clean.
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Joined: 03 Apr 2011
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Posts: 1447 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Apr 2012 at 9:48am
European diesel is formulated different and their emission standards are different also.  If we were just like Europe there would be a lot more diesel vehicles in America.
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