On The Long Long Honeymoon (LongLongHoneymoon.com) we’re launching a new series of video questions that you can discuss around the campfire. On the menu today: gas or diesel? Those of us who have towable RVs must confront this issue head on.
Quite frankly, when we bought our Airstream I had little knowledge of diesel engines. I just knew that we needed to buy a big honkin’ truck. So I started shopping, and quickly learned that this decision is one of the fundamental choices one must make when purchasing a tow vehicle.
Diesel engines operate a little differently than gasoline engines. Without delving too far into Engine Construction 101, let’s consult our old friend Wikipedia: “The defining feature of the diesel engine is the use of the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber during the final stage of compression. This is in contrast to a petrol (gasoline) engine or gas engine, which uses the Otto cycle, in which a fuel/air mixture is ignited by a spark plug.”
Ummmm, okay. While that’s good to know, it’s also not necessary to know.
I guess the main question is “Why buy a diesel?” After all, diesel engines are noisy, the fuel is sometimes a hassle to locate (usually when you are running on “E”), and they generate copious amounts of smelly exhaust.
For me, there were a couple of compelling reasons.
First, in addition to all that smelly exhaust, diesel engines also generate copious amounts of torque. Our beloved truck SEEMORE is a turbocharged diesel that kicks out 570 foot-pounds of torque on a bad day. You can yank redwood stumps with this thing (although I’m not sure why you’d want to do so). The factory claims that our truck can tow 20,000 pounds; for comparison, our fully loaded Airstream Classic (with water, clothes, and gear) is about 8000 pounds. So we’ve got more than enough towing power. In fact, I believe the excess power enhances our safety on the road.
Second, although they cost more up front, diesel engines get better fuel economy. We get about 12 MPG when towing our Airstream. In the days before low sulfur diesel, the fuel itself was cheaper than gasoline. (As soon as I bought our truck, diesel fuel began costing a little more than gasoline.) So there have been historical financial advantages to diesel. While you might pay more for the engine on day one, after a few years you would actually be saving money.
Finally, if you are into green technology, biodiesel is becoming all the rage. With some modifications, a petrodiesel engine can be converted to biodiesel. This allows your truck to be fueled by recycled vegetable oil. If you go this route, not only is the fuel cheap, but it smells like cooking french fries. Pretty cool, huh? While SEEMORE presently feasts on petrodiesel, maybe someday we’ll convert him to the veggie stuff.
So that’s why we chose diesel. But I suspect that we diesel drivers are in the minority. After all, the newer gasoline engines boast a robust towing capacity, and are less expensive. Plus, they don’t sound like a Bluebird school bus.
So what about you? If you chose gas (or diesel), tell me WHY…
What? Nobody has commented on this?
We’ve had two different diesels at this point. Still driving the one. The first was a 2000 Jetta (VW) that we bought in Nov. of 99. My wife used it for some two and half years to commute to and from Horseheads N.Y. from our place in Burlington, (outside Toronto). Fuel economy was amazing. Once these engines start getting broken in around the 100k mark, the mileage actually improves. We were getting around 60 m.p.g. Our daughter now has it. It’s coming up on 300k and she’s been getting a 1000km per takeful for a long time.
The biggest “challenge”? Getting my wife to put fuel in the tank! “It’s smelly and I’ll get in on my hands!” So what I had to do? I made sure she had a supply of disposable gloves in the car at all times. Over here at the filling stations, they have disposable gloves available on the end of each island. You slip one on, fill up, peel it off and throw it away. Brilliant.
When we were coming to Europe, we had to order a car and decided to go with diesel. Even though the company pays for the fuel, (well, and the car) diesel is cheaper over here. Go figure? and is running at around €1,00 per liter. Gas can be upwards of €1.35. You’ll have to do the math. Sorry.
Put it this way, even though it’s an Audi A6 (a bigger car than we imagined somehow) we just got back from Brussels, with a side trip over to Brugges and I still had a quarter tank of fuel after driving 834 km. Admittedly I don’t do as well in Germany on the Autobahn where I do tend to drive a tad quicker. But that’s pretty flippin’ amazing.
With both of these cars, unlike the pick-up trucks, they’re so well insulated that you barely know it’s a diesel. You can certainly tell, but the sound is such a far cry from say, a Cummins? (good Lord they’re loud).
I know many folks on the other side of the pond have been fretting over the ULSD, but trust me….it makes such a difference! No more stinky!
I remember vividly when I lived in Europe some thirty years ago as a poor student being overcome in the mornings from the smell of the diesels…
Most times I thought I was gonna hurl. It was brutal.
As it happens, our Motorhome (which is for sale btw) is a gasser. It has the Ford V10 on an F53 chassis. Not a big Ford fan myself (sorry Sean) but I do have to admit, the thing has run just tickety-boo. Now…it’s an “entry level” class A. If it were heavier, or if we were planning to really put on a lot of miles, a diesel would have been a consideration. (still will be someday down the road)
Now…if I did a lot of towing, say a travel trailer or fifth wheel behind a pick-up truck, then the choice is definitely diesel. The extra torque is going to make your driving so stress free, that you’ll enjoy your journey just that much more.
It’s like getting yourself a really nice suit. You’ll enjoy it more, it’ll last longer, so it’s worth the extra money. Throw the balance sheet out the window.
There’s such a thing as “perceived value”.
For what it’s worth, that’s my 2 and a half cents.
Best to you.
Bob.
Thanks Bob, yeah I was wondering where the comments were! I thought this would be a hot topic, yet it was greeted by the sound of chirping crickets. 😉
Our diesel truck is a 2007 Ford F250. It’s pretty loud. The newer models are much quieter, more like the diesel cars you mention.
I never really understood why we didn’t see more diesel cars in the USA, since they have always been popular in Europe. For years, diesel fuel was less expensive, so you would have that feeling of “saving” a little every time you go to the pump. And the longevity of the engines is a HUGE plus in my book. I’m the type of guy who likes to keep his cars a long time, so it’s nice to have an engine capable of going the long haul. Even though we’re currently paying a little more at the pump, we’re getting better MPG.
I towed our Airstream with a gasoline V8 engine once (with an F150). While the V8 was capable of handling the job, I must say that the extra torque of the diesel is welcome and greatly reduces the stress factor. Sometimes a little overkill is a good thing.
With that said, I’m sure that we diesel owners must be in the minority. I see more gas than diesel tow vehicles on the road. For some reason, diesel hasn’t caught on in the US like it has overseas.
I am becoming interested in the biodiesel alternatives like recycled vegetable oil — partially for the cost benefits, and partially because I want my truck to smell like french fries.
And now, I’m off to get SEEMORE one of those pricey diesel oil changes. Our truck takes like 15 quarts of oil. An oil change costs over $100…
Hi! I just found your blog. We are in the process of choosing a tow vehicle and diesel has won hands down to pull the fifth wheel that we will be getting. More cost initially, but less headache when pulling such a large towable.
Well…. each to their own as the saying goes…
First off one needs to know the use of the vehicle… the reason why you don’t see more diesel cars in the US.. It kills ’em to start and stop. Running to the store and short takes is not good for a diesel. Gas engines work much better and don’t require as long a warm up period.
Diesels have big expense accounts… as you probably have found out by now they cost big time to even change the oil… while they initial cost is something hard to take… wait till they need maintenance.. all engine need maintenance. You can hear the cash reg start ringing as the dealer says.. part such and such had to be replaced… (mainly in the injection system for the diesels… but battery power, alternators and starters are all up in expense for the big D guys. Not to mention the little things that rattle and fall off of ’em…
Diesels howerver, do put out hp hours… on the road… so if your going to go at it hour after hours a diesel is more condusive to what you need. But, remember what torque is developed under the hood is having to be transmitted through the drive line to the rear wheels… and there in is the second problem for them… tires… they just are a weak link in the power transmission to ground.
Some will say diesels give them better economy… while true due to the turbo charging one does get more power… at sea level… but again adding a turbo to the mechanics list gets expensive when you finally need to replace it… (turbos are going for around 2500 bux…exchange… no repairs currently) Most of the current D’s are not true compression fireing engines.. they have glow plugs… which also burn out in time… and each are worth about the same cost as a set of 8 spark plugs. (on the ford you have to take the exhaust man off… chevy and dodge.. well lets just say you don’t just unscrew the glow plug like a spark plug.. more expense)
Now as to the power produced… power is power.. in 1996 ford introduced the diesel engine along side the 460 gas… both were rated about the same torque and hp… however, the gas engine seemed to make more gas mileage… as the diesel didn’t have the turbo charge yet… 97 was the first year… In compairison the diesel did make a little more torque… but when pulling in the hills the gas ran away with the prize. I know I had one of each…
Then came the new ones… the dual turbocharged …6.0 wow… now were talking 5,000 dollars just for turbochargers and controllers… along with the rest of the stuff hopping up and down or going round and round. while rattleing… To help ford get a lead in the power production we see them jump to the 5 speed trans to keep the diesel in the right power band range. Diesels don’t like running real light or real heavy… remembering that they are a compression fireing engine you can overload a diesel just as bad as a gas engine.
We all know about he smell of the fuels… some people actually get sick … using biofuels is a option that the engine manufactures won’t even address… Something to consider when your thinking.. this thing broke and it was supposted to be under warrentee… use other fuels and its not.. (check your warrentee) leaving you stuck with the price of expensive repairs… so when you think cheep… also think who is going to pay the warrentee… they know if you have been using something else… so no fooling
Cost of fuel is the next thing… as you noticed when americans started powering their vehicles with diesel… you see the price go up to the actual cost of energy unit not price per gallon… Diesel ain’t cheap any more… and as you use it your CO emissions are much higher NOX is another bad ju ju about diesels… noise of the thing rattling … well what can we say… your not going to sneak out on anyone… in the middle of the night… and the smell of the exhaust will linger long after you have left…
So the bottom line is value and cost… How much are you going to put into one to get the value back out in miles. Simple math is only required here as you take the orginal cost of the vehicle with diesel… cost of fuel per mile (most diesels towing are about on par with gas engines) and the maintenance cost… …diesels take lots of oil for a change… gas 7qts and your good to go…
Now as to the life of the engine… well agian we have owned a few thinking that they would be money makers in the long run… nada… none of them seem to outrun the gas engine in same use mileage. I currently have one of the last 460 gas engines… and apples for apples on engines (diesel/gas) it turns in a whopping 12-14 mpg towing the AS… by itself …if you keep the speed reasionable will again match the diesel in gas mileage and the last one we had …460 engine in the 3/4 truck… went over 350,000 miles when we sold it ….was still going strong… But, it depends on how you maintain them these days…
I am sure a lot of people are salivating over the purchase of a diesel engine… but in the end will get lots of dis-appointment when they add up the final cost. (you would need to drive the diesel truck 270,000 miles to break even with the gas one… at 100,000 miles…. so we once calculated. (and that didn’t include tires and transmission repairs that seem to be the new hit on ’em)
While advertised as the big fix for pulling large loads… we found that any engine pulling a large load is going to have more than normal maintenance requirements.
Now as to weight… well I don’t think we need to mention that the diesel is not a light weight power producer…
Go places… I have a friend who uses a diesel.. in a new ford… 4×4.. and were always pulling his truck out of soft spots… the weight on the front is tremendious compaired to ours… that goes right through… and doesn’t stop… (I have to eat crow though as another traveling buddy has a dodge 6 diesel.. and he is better than I when it comes to getting though the mud)
another thing… gas engines have a ability to absorb water in the fuel.. diesels don’t and if you do get water into them… look out… Most have a LITTLE water filter on them… that will collect about a cup of water… I remember ours went through the car wash and somehow someone left the gas cap loose… water got into the tank.. and within a block of the carwash… it stopped dead… Now being somewhat mechanical minded… old highschool days of rods and hot women.. ops thats going to hurt… I got out the tools.. and started flushing the lines… filter and all… when I got done.. not only did the engine run… but I too had to burn all the cloths I was wearing at the time… as they reeked of the smell of diesel… (washing them in the laundry will give the whole house a new aromoa) Now some would say… well call tripple A .. ok.. sorry they don’t work on ’em.. instead they will tow you to the nearest dealer… where you get your wallet out and present them with about $250… and they get smelly from doing the work…
Now cold weather was another real fun time with diesel… but, that can be address in the future… think molassis
Diesels don’t like to be started and then take off down the road… they have to warm up and cool down to have a good lifespan… gas can light up and go…
Doing the math on paper the numbers suddenly don’t have that …wishing so figure… I always say if they were better engines … we would be making more of ’em…
But, like car colors each has their own preferance… and to do more than show ’em in black and white what the real cost is going to be… leaves one in disneyland with a large imagination… (diesel 56,000… gas 25,000 out the door.. buy a lot of gas for the extra 20,000 just to get the keys for one)
My gas enigne cost less.. is much easier to repair… and gives acceptable performance… and doesn’t rattle or stink… I know I have had them both and you see which one I push the AS around with currently.
One last thing… the dealer says… oh when you sell it it will be worth more!!!… ya right… the three I have owned… probably only got me 800-1000 more when we traded them in… not really worth it so we figure… yet the initial cost for the diesel engine powerplant is 5-6000 more… ouch that did hurt… I don’t even want to go into how one finds a good dealer to fix the big D… not good so we found…
Matter of fact I stepped backwards in years and got the last 460 ford which I like real well… after we added a few nice things to it…
Which one for you.. only you can answer that question… if they were so much better and cheaper.. you can bet you would see more of them on the road… as you can’t fool all the people all the time… but advertising tries… grin…
Welcome Virtual, and I think you made a wise choice — especially considering the weight of the average fifth wheel. With some of the lighter weight towable RVs, a gas engine is all you need. But I am sure you will appreciate the extra torque of the diesel when hauling your fiver! As you say, it will translate to less headache and stress…
Hi Sean,
Our great master plan is to maybe someday get one of the larger fivers. We are starting off with a light weight one but I don’t want to have to buy a new truck when the time comes 😉
Yes, that’s another cool upside to a diesel. You’ve got enough excess torque so that you can haul many different rigs. Although we’re happy with our 25-foot Airstream, Kristy really likes the 30-footers. It’s nice to know that we could switch RVs without switching trucks.
GMAs, as I expected, you make a compelling case for gasoline engines.
You are correct that diesels aren’t ideal for short trips and small tasks. They take a while to warm up. While we haven’t experienced any cold weather problems, there’s no denying that diesels have those issues.
Also, even though the new diesels are quieter, there are no silent trips anywhere with a diesel. LOL no quiet exits in the middle of the night, or early in the morning. Our truck definitely makes a racket.
The cost issues are interesting. There’s no denying the additional upfront cost of a diesel, and the ongoing maintenance (oil changes, huge filters, etc.) isn;t cheap either.
The extra longevity of a diesel is a huge plus to me, though. We have put about 35,000 miles on our truck at this point. Many would say it’s just now getting broken in! Whereas if it was a gas engine, I might be more concerned about the mileage. I like the fact that diesel engines are built to last.
I can say with confidence that I’ve pushed our diesel HARD all over North America. We’ve hauled our rig from Key West to Seattle and many points in between. And so far, it has performed amazingly well. I’ll never forget the stretch from Yellowstone Park to Billings, Montana… There’s an extensive uphill grade that seems to stretch for 60 miles. Our diesel handled it without an issue. We were PASSING cars on an uphill grade while towing an 8000-pound Airstream! Ahhh, it makes all that maintenance seem worthwhile… 🙂
Indeed the fact that torque moves the mountain… and the diesel ford has a few more than I do… but while ours didn’t get broke in until about 100,000 miles… I just couldn’t stand the sound of metal ball bearings being shaken up in a metal bucket. with someone hitting it with a alu baseball bat… .. didn’t know if it was supposed to sound that way or if it was coming appart.. grin…
In cold weather one thing you need to do is plug the beast in… that way you don’t have to wait so long to get ‘er going… besides while you’re waiting… the heater is already working while the engine is coming up to temp…
I used to have a CD that play’ed for about 7 min on one track… funny the song was something is burning… anyway when it was over.. ya looked down and things were all warmed up and ready to go… just can’t rush the beast… for if you do you will not get your longevity you think you can…
Also during the hot weather… we found that it actually didn’t need to use the glow plugs… just hit the starter.. and its going… but again the engine sounded different and once again you didn’t know if it was supposed to sound that way or not…
In all I think the ford diesel is probably the better of all of them except the older cummings ones but, for our use… gas is best… we found.
Howver, to answer your question… about are they growing in numbers… I would have to say YES… we see more big rigs being pulled by diesels than gas these days… and I have to admit… the new fords are looking better with diesel than the little gas engines ford has now…
If I were buying my truck again… with what ford has on the market… I would be forced into using the diesel engine… as the only other one they have is the V10 in gas that replaced the 460… that being said… though I think we are going to stick with what we have for the time… as it cost 1/10 of the new one.. and has all the same running gear that they do… sometimes old is not only better but cheaper too. The price we paid for the one we have now…($3,000) is less than half of what just a diesel engine alone would have cost us… and with the money we saved… we don’t really care about a few miles to the gallon different or how long it will last…(besides it wasn’t the enigne that failed on ours… it was the transmission and drive train… the same ones they have today also) … when this one gets tired we ill give it away …. for what we have in it…it paid for itself.already.. and if we still pull the trailer…in the next couple of years… we’ll go get the next great deal… only problem is … like the bunny.. the one we have now…keeps going and going… while othes we know in the group… are in the shop… May not be the newest best looking boat in the harbor but …when it does the job and cost pennies…and we don’t have nagging fear of the dreaded diesel “check engine light” coming on..out on the trail….(which they should have changed to the $$$ sign) … no complaints… It has taken us many a mile.. on some real rugged cross country back roads…(canyonlands wilderness comes to mind) and brough us home… smiling…. all the way …keeping the money in the bank… .(yep been up some of them long pulls…Freemont pass (I-70) leadville up though silverton Co. is another… but the ones we passed were diesels and small tow vehicles…that were sounding like that bucket of bearings rattleing ..again… lots of black smoke pouring from their exhaust… cough cough… .as we went by… grin) Had no problem pulling the grade in gear… although I would say we used a little more gas than we normally do.. because someone just had to use the bathroom…in leadville… (ouch that hurt)
I am sure Semore will be a great truck… 2007 was a good year for ford…
By the way… our friend that owns a 2008 F250 diesel 4×4… just told us he had to replace not only the AC condenser but the radiator while pulling his 30 ft. toyhauler when a small rock smacked from a concrete truck got ’em both… along with the windsheld… seems that his radiator is much more forward than mine in the older truck…… But, the bad thing was… the radiator lost water and the engine overheated… and siezed about the same time he saw the temp gauge heading hard right. within seconds….. Cost of repairs is unknown.. at this time… (not covered by warrentee)… He recommends that you put some sort of protection in front of the radiators…to help prevent this… but this could have happend to any of them. he was pretty steamed up and complaining that had the radiator not been at a upslope angle… the rock would have stopped at the AC radiator and not bounced into the enigne one…tearing it open… Fords better idea.. Don’t know about that one.. Might want to check yours out…
Oh and one other thing I like about the gas vs diesel… when you go through the drive thru’s you don’t have to shut the engine off… with the gas… the diesel.. you keep getting the little gal saying what.. what…do you want??? can’t hear you over that rattle.. grin… could you shut the engine off… by the way the starters are expensive on diesels too… ( I asked one time..after we shut it off… do you think its a rod knock’n or pistion.. and the guy came back with.. its a #@%& ford … go figure… )
not only that but the food tasts better with the gas engine too… grin…
Ya we had fun with our diesel…
lol GMAs, I have learned to shut the engine off in drive-thrus! It beats shouting.
It sounds like you got a great deal on your truck, so no worries there. I have to agree that such a deal is hard to beat.
Our truck purchase was a little unusual. When we bought our ’07, the ’08s were just hitting the market. Apparently there are a lot of folks who want the newest thing out there, but I am the opposite — I want the proven design! Since the ’07s were old news, we bought one of the last ones on the dealer lot and got a nice discount on it. ’07 was the final year of the production run, so I’m hoping Ford had all the little bugs and design issues ironed out. I’m told that the 2008 models introduced some new problems along with the new design.
Thanks Sean, for addressing this subject.
I presently own a 2000 Chevy Silverado extended cab pickup with the 300 horsepower 6.0 liter V-8 engine producing a torque of 355 @ 4000 rpm. This truck is a 3/4 ton 4X4 with a 3.73 axle ratio and a 5-speed standard transmission. I pull a 25ft. Airstream Safari with this vehicle that has a GVWR of 7300 lbs weight. We live in coastal south Texas where the terrain is flat to slightly rolling, and towing my trailer to the various State Parks throughout Texas proved no problem since the elevations were all below 3500 feet. I was, therefore, quite happy with my vehicle, especially since it gets outstanding gas mileage. However, my wife and I recently retired and plan to travel as much as possible for as long as I am able to safely drive. We made a trip to Yellowstone Park, Mount Rushmore, and Rocky Mountain National Park this past year, while touring eight western states. After making this trip I was not the “Happy Camper” that I had been. Climbing the mountains proved to be a horrendous problem. Since this trailer is aerodynamic and not a particularly heavy one, this problem was made all the more impressive and troubling. On most of the mountain grades I was down to 20 to 25 mph in second or third gear, pedal-to-the-metal, and straining. These grades seemed to prove no concern at all to the many diesel pickups that passed me pulling trailers much larger than mine. They all passed me at reasonable highway speeds with no apparent strain. As soon as I returned home I had the axle ratios changed on my truck to 4.10. According to the manufacturers specifications, the 3.73 ratio with this truck (as equipped) should be able to adequately pull an 8800 lb. trailer, and the 4.10 ratio should be able to adequately pull a 10,800 lb. trailer. I have some doubts based upon my recent experience, feeling these figures are more than a mite optimistic. While the gear change has helped to some degree, it doesn’t appear at this time to make an improvement anywhere near the level that the diesel engine enjoys.
Reading your blog, and the various statements from your readers, has been very enlightening. Since I am now considering the purchase of a diesel, your addressing of this topic is most timely. The cost of fuel is distressing, however, it will not be a limiting factor since this will not be our day-to-day transportation. Availability of diesel fuel may prove to be a greater problem in the off-the-beaten-path that we enjoy traveling. Thanks to all of you, I feel that I can now make a more educated decision.
I noticed that no one talked about the tire issues associated with the diesels… am I the only one that noticed abnormal wear? I never did get the mileage out of mine that they said they were good for.. and when we question it.. they took one look and said diesel exempt… Indeed we found that they wore out a lot quicker than they do now on the gas pwrd PU…
Would like to know if others have found the same..
When the group went to AK this last year… seems the Diesel trucks had more than their share of tire and driveline problems also… would like to know if that is normal or not… from others that use ’em
We’ve got 36,000 miles on our tires. So far, I haven’t noticed any abnormal wear. But now that you mention it, I will take a close look.
Yea…….I figured out how to sign on! I CAN POST..”.things are going to happen to me now” (Steve Martin-the jerk). Diesel VS Gas round one.
The diesel engine is a cost upgrade of about 2K. That’s a lot for just the novelty. Make sure ya really need one. Also don’t make the mistake that you Do need the diesel.
Round two: ding ding
Diesels do have a longer life. This is not perceived but actual. Several testimonials of longevity of the Diesel engine. Truck drivers when they need service can have they cylinders if needed re-sleeved. Hows that for longevity!
Round three: ding
Diesel passenger vehicles get huge MGP (green) because the engine is so efficient and on the new Jetta the measured CO2 was 3.2% the regulation that the car has to pass is 15% huge reduction. For me I would much rather drive a midsize car that get 60 mpg than any hybird! So their clean get great MPG and the new batch of diesels are super quiet. For me I like the loud Diesel sound!
Round four: ding
Diesels car and trucks can burn straight veggie oil. You can even go to your local restaurant get their used cooking oil and with filters you can burn that directly. there are several SVO systems (straight veggie oil) you can adapt your Car/truck too. Their are several Bio Diesel kits on the market you can turn old unwanted cooking oil they you can get for free and turn into Bio Diesel with no modifications needed. Gee getting rid of an unwanted product and using it as a fuel seems good to me and IT”S FREE! Modifying the exhaust and intake with an electronic programmer will get huge benefits both in power and MPG.
Their are several points I can make I love Diesels and the new batch of clean quiet Diesels are worth looking at besides they sounds great. For towing the build of the truck are built a bit heavier and are disigned for towing . If your just a once a year towing guy don’t waste the money. If you tow alot or drive long distances look at a Diesel you might be brought over to “The oil burners” as they as so called.
Matt, your posts are welcome and appreciated! You know, we spoke a while back about setting up a forum. While it’s still a possibility, for now I like having the discussions in the blog posts.
You make some great points about the desirability of diesel. I really want to give SEEMORE a heapin’ helpin’ of biodiesel! I think we will explore doing so someday. If nothing else, it would make for a cool blog video, heh heh
We tow with a 2006 VW Touareg V10 diesel engine and it works great! We love the combination of a classy ride with the beastly power of a truck.
BTW, love your blog – my wife and I are on a similar adventure and have our own site at toddvsroad.blogspot.com
Thanks Mike, I really like the Touareg. I’m not sure if the wheelbase would work for our rig, but if so it would definitely be an upgrade in ride and handling. Our diesel truck SEEMORE ride and handles like … a big diesel pickup truck. lol
BTW, safe travels — I will check out your blog!