Dodge and Cummins No More????

[canoetrpr]

Diesel in Ontario is about 10-15 cents cheaper than 87 octane gasoline per liter - so around 40 or so cents a gallon. I think a 1/2 ton Diesel getting 25mpg would do really well here.

That said, I am on the conservative side with new power plants even if it is from Cummins. I'd love to buy a new truck with it after it has been in production for 3-4 years.

 

[Builder]

If they really wanted to produce a fuel saving 1/2 ton, they would build a diesel/electric hybrid........

 

[Diamondpilot]

At one time Ford had a gas sipping F-150, in town at least. What it had was something like a 8" deep tank under the entire bed. It held something like 150 gallons of tranny fluid. The tank had a bladder in it much like a well pressure tank and then had the standard 5.4L gas engine and a tranny that was modified to accept the pressure of the tank and recharge the tank.

I can not remember the numbers but it made the same HP, around 300, but something like 750 ft lbs of torque. The mpg on the highway was the same, in the 17 range but in stop and go traffic it was in the high 40's. The tank was stainless steel and required 25,000 mile filter changes then 100,000 mile fluid changes. Was a interesting concept and had monster torque for something like 30 seconds but never made it to the market place.

Chris

 

[canoetrpr]

If they really wanted to produce a fuel saving 1/2 ton, they would build a diesel/electric hybrid........

I'm with you Builder. I've been hoping we start seeing diesel electric hybrids. I think we eventually will.

 

[RobertN]

I'm with you Builder. I've been hoping we start seeing diesel electric hybrids. I think we eventually will.

There was a Dodge/Cummins back in '01 or so. But, it never made it to market. It was a "Contractors special"; could generate power on the job site.

 

[Erik_in_Hoyt]

I remember reading about something along those lines as a concept in 2004 as well.

 

[WilliamBos]

When GM releases the 4.5L V*, I will seriously consider a new truck. Or a slightly used LBZ.

 

[Renze]

I'd find it kinda hard to hook up a fifth wheel or dump a bucket of sand into a Van.

...At my former employer, we made heavy duty flatbeds for chassis-cab Sprinters, and converted them to 5th wheel semitrailer tractors with air brakes. The 5 ton GVW dually with the 184 hp V6 diesel, manual tranny and 4.77 rear axle, they were allowed to 8.75 ton combined GVW (19 290 pound)
The SRW 3.5 ton GVW truck was allowed to 13 889 pound CGVW, which means that it wasnt cost effective to convert them to air brakes.

In America you guys only get the Sprinter 3.0 V6 (as a Dodge) downrated to 150 hp. In Europe, Merc sells a 2.2 liter four cylinder as their 150hp offer in the Sprinter. In the USA, merc is a lot more conservative with the ratings, with hp as well as CGVW. In Europe they are more conservative than Iveco, offering warranty up to 10 ton CGVW even though they have lesser duty axles and brakes than merc on its 8.75 ton GCVW sprinter.
Iveco are plastic cars anyways: If you park it in the sun, the dashboard will fall apart because it deteriorates due to the UV light...

The Merc 4 liter V8 from the E class, with different cams, would be the weapon of choice in a 1500 class pickup truck... Or in a Sprinter, for the few surviving construction cowboys in Europe

 

[redneckford]

...At my former employer, we made heavy duty flatbeds for chassis-cab Sprinters, and converted them to 5th wheel semitrailer tractors with air brakes. The 5 ton GVW dually with the 184 hp V6 diesel, manual tranny and 4.77 rear axle, they were allowed to 8.75 ton combined GVW (19 290 pound)
The SRW 3.5 ton GVW truck was allowed to 13 889 pound CGVW, which means that it wasnt cost effective to convert them to air brakes.

In America you guys only get the Sprinter 3.0 V6 (as a Dodge) downrated to 150 hp. In Europe, Merc sells a 2.2 liter four cylinder as their 150hp offer in the Sprinter. In the USA, merc is a lot more conservative with the ratings, with hp as well as CGVW. In Europe they are more conservative than Iveco, offering warranty up to 10 ton CGVW even though they have lesser duty axles and brakes than merc on its 8.75 ton GCVW sprinter.
Iveco are plastic cars anyways: If you park it in the sun, the dashboard will fall apart because it deteriorates due to the UV light...

The Merc 4 liter V8 from the E class, with different cams, would be the weapon of choice in a 1500 class pickup truck... Or in a Sprinter, for the few surviving construction cowboys in Europe

Why no gooseneck type (style) trailers in Europe with electric brakes??? pulled with 10,000 GVW dual wheel trucks with pickup beds and or metal flat beds with 16" or 17" or 19" wheels and tires??? Notice that most rigs that you see hauling farm equipment in Europe would require a CDL driving license in USA---26001 Lbs and larger rigs??? What do they haul their compact and utility tractors on in Europe---from town to the farm etc----do they drive them everywhere???? ---Their cattle to auction etc and of course their horses to the local roping's???

 

[ultrarunner]

Why no gooseneck type (style) trailers in Europe with electric brakes??? pulled with 10,000 GVW dual wheel trucks with pickup beds and or metal flat beds with 16" or 17" or 19" wheels and tires??? Notice that most rigs that you see hauling farm equipment in Europe would require a CDL driving license in USA---26001 Lbs and larger rigs??? What do they haul their compact and utility tractors on in Europe---from town to the farm etc----do they drive them everywhere???? ---Their cattle to auction etc and of course their horses to the local roping's???

I never met a single Dairy Farmer the 5 months I worked in Austria with any kind of truck... although one was wearing a Dodge Ram Hat.

All had a nice family car... several had Honda Accords or BMW/Mercedes Wagons.

Everything around the farm and all hauling was done by the Farm tractor(s)... and they had some very nice tractors with heat and AC that could scoot going down the road.

There was a story in the paper that one Farmer with a new Tractor was caught driving it on the Austrian Version of the Autobahn... the police didn't know what to make of it since it was properly equipped and speed rated for the minimum speed and the farmer had paid for the Autobahn Tax Stamp.

The Mercedes/Sprinter platform is all over Europe where a full size truck is needed...

Metro Service people like electricians and plumbers often will drive smaller VW panel Vans...

Of course... Everything is Diesel powered... even most of the BMW's