A funny thing about People who tow campers and 5th wheels

[Pookster]

I was reading the forum on campingworld about towing, 5th wheels, and what not.. and they all seem so concerned with fuel economy/power/ towing capacity, and several threads on, " the engine was too heavy"- Yet they never consider the 6.5 TD to be a worthy candidate for towing, even though the 97 figures were higher than the many 5.7's and 5.9 gassers they are comparing it to. Not to mention the 6.2/6.5 blocks were lighter than the PSD and the cummins.

Another one was about a guy parking his 5th wheel up a 10% grade, and needing to switch into 4 lo to do it (just for the torque). /forums/images/graemlins/screwy.gif
The funny part is, he has an automatic, which is already a torque multiplier. I've had 5000 of bricks in the back of my pickup, and still made it up in reverse. I've acutally never had a situation where I couldnt get "moving".

Have I entered bazarraro world? /forums/images/graemlins/screwy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/screwy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/screwy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/screwy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/screwy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/screwy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/screwy.gif

 

[afroman006]

I think those are probably people like my girlfriend's dad who's information comes from paper and TV commercials. I dont know why everyone dogs on Chevy diesel so much, they had the first diesel, starting with the 5.7L which I dont think anyone will argue sucked balls. Then the 6.2 came out in 82 and it was actually a good motor. I dont know when Ferd came out with their first diesel but in 1982 the Cummins was still probably just a glimmer in the eye of the engineers at Dodge. People always compare the cummins to the 6.2 but you have to compare apples to apples, the N/A 6.5L had the same power as the earlier turbo'd Cummins if I remember right. They have all been prety much even year to year power-wise. Silly wankers /forums/images/graemlins/screwy.gif

 

[Pookster]

Worse than that, I dont think dodge owns cummins. Dodge just got a licensing agreement to use their engines. I know that in the early years, the Cummins in the Ram chargers and what not were about equal to the 6.2, except the Detroit got better fuel economy. It wasnt until 94 or so that the cummins really started their power pump. IIRC.

 

[joez]

The very first cummins that dodge started using was rated at 160/400, which is a higher torque number than the 6.5 ever had. Hell, the N/A ford 7.3 had only 3ft/lbs less than the 6.5TD in 93, and it didnt even have a turbo!

The 6.2 was competitive for its time, and the 6.5 would have been more competitive if it hadnt gotten such a bad rap. GM could have used the D-max about 3 years earlier to have truly been competitive.

And IIRC, wasnt dodge the first to offer a diesel in a pickup? they offered the Mitsubishi non-turbo I-6 in late '76. Granted the engine didnt stay arround very long, but i believe they were the first of the big 3.

 

[Pookster]

I dont think that is exactly true, as I seem to recall a different diesel than than the 160/400 number quoted- The first gen as listed by turbodiesel register starts in 1989, and that is with a turbo.

I believe the diesel prior to that motor is a naturally aspirated... IIRC, I could be completely off base.

 

[Drey]

Yeah its funny, when Im at college all these guys with 96-97 around those years and up, Ford Super Dutys and Dodge Rams. Wow you have a 6.2 that thing must really suck, how can you live with it. Im mean shoot. its a 21 year old pickup, that still runs on the original motor, no rebuild, and I still pull 20 MPG. Yeah it burns and leak oil like its going out of style but, really when you think of what its probably been through, Its surprising that it still moves. Yeah Id love to have a 12 Vavle Cummins under my hood, with a bigger turbo, AFE air box, and souped up injectors but, the technology just wasnt there back then.
When my motor came out and ruled the Deisel world, all their motors were still swinging in the sack /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif

 

[Diesel Dan]

Well I pulled with most of them, n/a 6.2, 6.5TD(DB2&DS4s), 1500,2500&3500s. Also had a '90 dodge/cummins with non-intercooled 160/400 motor and my current I/C 180/420 setup.

The 6.2/6.5s aren't that bad, for what they were designed for.
But...
Damn do I wish GM installed the CTD instead of Dodge /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif.
Heck I have the 430TQ motor in my '00 and even with the plus of 4.10 gears the CTD pulls harder in OD than my 6.5, unloaded.

And I love having a low range for moving the trailer around. That is one nice thing about the GM, pull a fuse and 2wd low. Much smoother and controlled movement and easier on the auto trans. I towed a 35' 5ver for a while, and slow is good when going into tight campsites.

 

[Pookster]

You still have the stock actuator? The PO replaced mine with the manual cable actuator. Thought it was more of a pain in the ass than anything else, but I guess its better to have it work when you need it than to have a little convenience.

 

[Diesel Dan]

[ QUOTE ]
You still have the stock actuator?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, but mine is the new fast actuator style. Not the heated element.