what does everyone use for a tow vehicle.

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Re: what does everyone use for a tow vehicle.

Postby BigGoofyGuy » Tue Dec 29, 2020 3:11 pm

I will be using it to go camping next year. I think it will fun.

Nice. I have a 2008 Liberty, 3.7L V6. I don’t know the tow specs for the CRD but expect them to be similar to the gasser. 2000 lb stock tow rating, 5000 lbs with the tow package, which is just a transmission cooler and an auxiliary mechanical fan to aid the stock e-fan.
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Re: what does everyone use for a tow vehicle.

Postby MickinOz » Wed Dec 30, 2020 4:23 am

I've got a 2004 Ford Courier 4 x4.
XLT trim, so it came with big wheels for the era. 265-70-R15 Michelin A/T (I A/T think means all terrain).
2.5L turbo diesel, old school mechanical injection and old school manual gearbox and transfer case. Electrically engaged front drive though, no getting out to manually engage/disengage freewheeling hubs.
The rear diff is limited slip, not sure what operating system it runs, but damn it locks up tight like the old Detroit Locker my mate had in his 1969 Falcon GT.
Hasn't got a lot of grunt, maybe 120 HP, but that works fine for such a light 4 x4.
Towing capacity is low but well adequate for my purposes at 1650 lbs unbraked, 3968lbs if the trailer has brakes.
Not huge, but plenty for a teardrop.
Runs 24 miles per US gallon unladen.
Its the supercab, so there are two little suicide doors behind the main doors.
I love this little truck, When it wears out I'll be forced to buy one of these new fangled common rail diesels I guess. :(
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Re: what does everyone use for a tow vehicle.

Postby rjgimp » Thu Dec 31, 2020 10:34 pm

MickinOz wrote:I've got a 2004 Ford Courier 4 x4.


Yep, as you mentioned in your build thread that's a Ranger here in the States. My brother had two of those in the 80s and 90s. Pity we weren't able to have a diesel over here. Decent trucks.
-Rob


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just as soon as the steering committee gets around to scheduling one!
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Re: what does everyone use for a tow vehicle.

Postby MickinOz » Fri Jan 01, 2021 5:53 am

No diesel? Bit shocked, the diesel outfit is sweet. Wonder why? Emissions. I suppose?
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Re: what does everyone use for a tow vehicle.

Postby gudmund » Fri Jan 01, 2021 11:50 pm

Ford did sell a diesel version of the Ranger in the eighty's here in the US, but being no one seemed to care for the owning of a diesel in those times - hardly any were sold, thus very few were ever built. The engine Ford offered was a Perkin's made version from Japan. Same story with the Chev S-10 Diesel offered at the time (Chev Chevette also = Isuzu engine) along with the Isuzu PU. And in later years, the Jeep Liberty Diesel (?08/09?model). And now from what I am hearing. it is happening again with the Chev Colorado of today - it uses the same version of the diesel that was in the Jeep Liberty and may now be going by the wayside for the same reason being so few are being sold.

(But, I have also read of how that engine is the one that the 'new' ARMY troop vehicle will be using in it and I am wondering if that maybe the reason for it's removal from the 'civilian' Colorado?? - GM won the contract for the 'new' ARMY troop vehicle and it is using this diesel engine in it. It is a derivative of a Chev Colorado frame chassis being built to carry up to 9 soldiers w/battle gear - it can be driven into a Chinook Helo -and or- be sling loaded by a Blackhawk Helo for fast deployment into the battle field. :thinking: )
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Re: what does everyone use for a tow vehicle.

Postby lfhoward » Sat Jan 02, 2021 12:19 am

The Jeep Liberty had the CRD (diesel) option in 05 & 06, back in its original body style. It is an Italian Diesel engine built by VM Motori. See http://www.LostJeeps.com for more info on the Liberty CRD.
My off-road camper build on an M116A3 military chassis:
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Re: what does everyone use for a tow vehicle.

Postby gudmund » Sat Jan 02, 2021 2:18 am

Yes, and after Chrysler used the engine for the 2 years in it's Jeep, GM and this company did a deal together and it is now being used in the Colorado - the factory where the motor is being built/assembled today is in Thailand.
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Re: what does everyone use for a tow vehicle.

Postby MickinOz » Sat Jan 02, 2021 2:26 pm

We got Holden Colorado here, with 2.8L diesels. These were built on the same platform as the Isuzu D-Max.
We also got Chev Colorados.
GM have retired the Holden brand now, but Chev Colorados, Camaros and Silverados continue. They are supplied by HSV (Holden Special Vehicles) the boutique customising partner of Holden, which lives on.
The Chev Colorado is a confusing beast. In Asia it was a rebadge D-Max. i.e. all three utes were built on the same platform and all built in Thailand, I believe.

However it's not clear to me whether the North American Colorado is a a different beast or yet another badge/sheet metal engineered D/Max.
They sure look pretty similar in profile, but the wheel bases differ by about 5 inches, so I'm thinking not the same.

You'll probably never see me in the HSV Colorado Sportscat.
It's a lovely looking ute, lots off nice upgrades to suspension and trim, nice wheels, much more power even though the engine is smaller than the D-Max.
500 ft lbs from a 2.8 diesel is pretty impressive.
It really is a fine looking beast but it can only be had in 4 door crewcab configuration, and I''M addicted to the super cab configuration with its shorter interior and longer tub.

And the price! From $62,500. Nearly $65,00 if you opt for the auto trans. Of course, that is comparable to a similar spec Ford Ranger. All this premium performance and fitout has to be paid for, but it is too much for me.
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Re: what does everyone use for a tow vehicle.

Postby Timmayy » Tue Oct 19, 2021 8:43 am

WOW, looking through the pics there are some really cool oldschool rides. I have an 06 Dodge Ram that I normally tow with but since we got the little camper a couple of months ago we'd like to try our older vehicles. The wagon is my wife's 65 Plymouth Belvedere and my convertible in a 69 Plymouth Sport Satellite. Both are stock small block V8s. They have plenty of torque and I've updated the suspensions on both cars with swaybars so the handling should be fine. The only issue I'm a little weary of is the brakes. Both have drums all around. I did update the wagon to a dual master cylinder and they both stop fine. I just need to do some test rides.
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Re: what does everyone use for a tow vehicle.

Postby KCStudly » Wed Oct 20, 2021 11:07 am

Put brakes on the trailer (regardless of weight) and you will be fine.
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Re: what does everyone use for a tow vehicle.

Postby popper » Wed Oct 20, 2021 11:28 am

The newer Ram ecodiesels are also Italian from what I understand. 2014-present model year. A Fiat 3.0 and a VM Motori 3.0 too.

The 80's ranger diesels probably did not sell because there was no incentive for people to use a diesel with the dirt cheap gasoline here. Other 80's American makes also had diesels, even in passenger cars. Those were also not sales successes. Hard to find any surviving examples of them these days.

Imo its a shame that Chrysler didn't build a compact diesel pickup with benz power when they had the chance. Too late now. There were some interesting Chrysler products powered by benz like the SRT6. But no benz-diesel Dakota, boo.
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Re: what does everyone use for a tow vehicle.

Postby bdosborn » Wed Oct 20, 2021 4:02 pm

popper wrote: Imo its a shame that Chrysler didn't build a compact diesel pickup with benz power when they had the chance.


BUT, they did build an awesome diesel pickup with Cummins power! 258K miles and she's still running.

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Re: what does everyone use for a tow vehicle.

Postby popper » Wed Oct 20, 2021 5:57 pm

Yes those are nice.

https://www.fuelly.com/car/mercedes-benz/sprinter/2002

https://www.fuelly.com/car/freightliner ... _2500/2003

https://www.fuelly.com/car/dodge/sprinter_2500/2006

Imagine this drivetrain in an 02 Dakota crewcab.. This motor does 20+ combined in a huge brick shaped chassis. Can only imagine how much better it would do in a compact truck. Years 1998 to 2007 Daimler and Chrysler were merged, but of course they couldn't get the one thing I needed done for me. Instead they blow their R&D budget on a supercharged crossfire. Bleaah who needs that.
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Re: what does everyone use for a tow vehicle.

Postby bdosborn » Wed Oct 20, 2021 6:34 pm

The Dodge is my first and last diesel; they're just too expensive for how I would use it now.
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Re: what does everyone use for a tow vehicle.

Postby flboy » Wed Oct 20, 2021 6:53 pm

bdosborn wrote:The Dodge is my first and last diesel; they're just too expensive for how I would use it now.
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Ditto. That's why I bought a gas burner F250. Didn't really need the diesel and not really good for a daily driver with all the DEF and etc..

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