Compact Diesel trucks that we can't get here

3930dave · Jan 8, 2015

According to Edmunds, the big Transit is RWD.

2015 Ford Transit Road Test | Edmunds.com

Rgds, D.

firemech · Jan 8, 2015

Owned a 1980 Datsun (what they called them before Nissan) King Cab and put over 250,000 trouble free miles (not kilometres) on it before changing up to a 1985 Toyota diesel pickup which went 523,000 kilometres (about 300,000 miles) before dropping a valve seat. Loved them both; the Toyota more because it was 4x4 while the Datsun was only available in two wheel. The toy got about 34 miles to the gallon (non-turbo) and would love if they offered them today but no such luck up here

firemech · Jan 8, 2015

Also had a 1978 Chev 1/2 ton diesel with the converted Olds 350 motor. Was worse than the dodge! Always said I paid $12,000 for a Chevette because that's what I drove most of the time I owned it!

firemech · Jan 8, 2015

Don't know how it got here or who owns it but one is running around Huntsville, Ontario as we speak. I think it might fit in the 8 ft. box of my Tundra

3930dave said:
:thumbsup: Rgds, D.

3930dave · Jan 9, 2015

firemech said:
Don't know how it got here or who owns it but one is running around Huntsville, Ontario as we speak. I think it might fit in the 8 ft. box of my Tundra

I remember doing those smileys, but not the vehicle..... whatcha got up there firemech ?

Rgds, D.

Renze · Jan 10, 2015

Scooby074 said:
Ze Germans are known for their conservatism.

What about tow ratings of passenger cars ? Though i have pulled 2 ton tractors (loaded trailer 2500kg or 5500lbs) with my 2.5TDI, it is legally allowed to pull 1600kg or 3500lbs.
In the USA passenger cars arent allowed to pull that much ??

Back when i was still in the trailer, and air brake/5th wheel tractor conversion business, the Sprinter was allowed 8750kg or 19290 pounds combined vehicle weight. but i hear nowadays they go to 22000lbs by special DOT approval, only in case of 5th wheel tractor.

Mercedes discontinued the Vario this year. a 6.5 and 7.5 ton truck with the 4.2 liter engine of the Atego. The old ones from the 70s are often still in use, and with 80hp were dead slow, but lasted forever. Mercedes-Benz T2 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The last generation ran 90-140hp or so from a 4 cylinder long stroke truck engine, yet MB doesnt build this 4.2 liter engine at this low power output anymore. at UPS the Varios are replaced by Sprinters, uprated to 5.3 ton, having the same load capacity as the old Vario because the Sprinter is so much lighter.

The Vario or T2 resembled the US style of building small commercial vehicles, except for having a low speed Diesel tractor engine instead of a relatively high powered gasser.

The Sprinter by the way, is a framed truck in chassis/cab. Two Omega profiles are pressed and rollwelded together to form a tube, or in an enclosed van, the body is welded to the lower Omega profile. Thats where it gets its great torsional rigidity from. If you compare it to an Iveco Daily with its body on frame construction, the ride is much better and the towing ability too, because this superlight ladderframe is shaking underneath the body.

aczlan · Jan 10, 2015

Renze said:
What about tow ratings of passenger cars ? Though i have pulled 2 ton tractors (loaded trailer 2500kg or 5500lbs) with my 2.5TDI, it is legally allowed to pull 1600kg or 3500lbs.
In the USA passenger cars arent allowed to pull that much ??

Yes they are, my '97 Volvo V90 is rated to tow 3500# as was my wife's '02 Caravan (both ratings were for a braked load).

Aaron Z

dfkrug · Jan 10, 2015

Renze said:
What about tow ratings of passenger cars ? Though i have pulled 2 ton tractors
(loaded trailer 2500kg or 5500lbs) with my 2.5TDI, it is legally allowed to pull 1600kg or 3500lbs.
In the USA passenger cars arent allowed to pull that much ??

It's the subject of a whole 'nother thread. It is a long one on TBN if you can find it.

Manufacturers set the tow limits, and you have to dig for them for cars. After-mkt makers make
most hitches (Draw-tite, Curt, etc.) and they set limits, too. Hitches are made for most vehicles,
even if the car maker is mute on towing, or specifies no towing.

The car makers have arkane or arbitrary limits on the tow capability of cars, though there seems
to be an industry spec that applies limits on towing based on how fast you can go up a certain
grade.

Seems to me that virtually any car can tow a trailer if you can make or have made a hitch that
attaches properly to subframe members. Indeed I helped my bro get a hitch for his 2010 MX5 Miata.

US car makers seem to discourage towing with cars, steering buyers to pickups and vans. In the
old days, car towing was common here. Indeed, in the 60s, my dad towed a travel trailer that must have
weighed over 4T with a Ford wagon with large V8 engine and weight-distributing hitch.

3930dave · Jan 10, 2015

1) Manuf. here make more money up-selling people into full-size trucks for personal use. Oil companies too. Govts too.

2) 3500# can be found in mini-vans, not typically in cars here. Bigger Volvos being one exception.

3) Many automatics in cars here are marginal under heavy use, not really suited to towing.

4) IMO, a small vehicle w. a diesel and a manual transmission will survive towing duty better than the typical small gas engined vehicle w. automatic transmission. That statement presumes the driver knows how to use a clutch properly - which is getting to be a rare skill in Canada/USA.

(Yes, I know light trucks here typ. have higher tow ratings for automatics - I'm talking about cars. And, I've always felt the higher Auto tow rating in trucks in part reflected the limited skills base here re. driving Standard trans.).

5) Scattered amongst various threads here you can find examples of light vehicles that are tow rated higher, outside of Canada/USA. Same vehicle/engine/trans. , just different countries.

Rgds, D.