Jeff Loh writes:
>The ultimate tow vehicle: GMC Crew-Cab Turbodiesel 4x4 Dually. Room for
>kids in the cab, heck room for NFL linemen in the cab. Gear secured in the
>full size bed with a topper. It makes a Suburban look small, and talk about
>torque (Arrghh Arrghh...) ! You can pick one up used for less than a new SUV.
I've heard that they are going to be coming out with a Cat diesel at some
point. It sounds like maybe they have? If not, this is the same turbo
diesel that GM so proudly advertises as being the only one available in a
half ton. Torque like a Type R. Hoserpower like an old Beetle (motto:
not as ugly as the new one, and they cost 1/28 as much!) Ford and Dodge
won't put their diesels in half ton trucks because the chassis and running
gear can't take the torque.
If this is still the 6.2, run, don't walk, and find something else. If
someone is chasing you with the truck, you can still walk. Slowly. If
they're trying to tow with it, you can crawl. Dodge and Ford have been
putting real diesels in their trucks for years. And selling lots and lots
of them. If you need the crew cab, Ford makes one. If not, you've got two
very good choices. I owned a Ford truck once. It was an '83 diesel.
First year of the diesel - version 0.8 (being generous here). Like a
Microsoft version 1.0. I still won't buy another Ford product :-)
My Dodge (92 3/4 ton 4X4 LWB X-cab diesel) is approaching 150K miles. I
just had to replace a front brake rotor and a set of rear wheel bearings.
This has been an absolutely awesome truck. It always just goes. I towed a
project home a couple of months back. Just tossed it on the trailer,
without thinking about details like tongue weight. Total trailer weight
probably about 3500 pounds. Got home, stepped on the tongue of the
trailer, and discovered that it has negative tongue weight! The trip home
was about 100 miles, most of it at 80 MPH. One of the really nice things
about an overkill tow vehicle.... And when it gets down to 13 or 14 MPG, I
start thinking maybe something is wrong with it. I've carried 30 or so
tires around at various times, along with the regular autcross load, and I
still don't have to unload much out of the car to compete :-) The downside
to a diesel is that it seems to be very rare to find anyone who really
knows how to work on them, as they run on black magic (no throttle
butterfly??)
Paul and Meredith Brown
Down to just one house! 4 race cars and a tow
vehicle, but just one house....
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