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Old 11-12-2005, 11:37 PM   #1
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well...after much thought and research...decided to update the tow vehicle. waited almost a year..here it is...2005 Liberty Diesel.
160hp, 300lbs torque and towing capacity beyond the gas engine = 5000lbs
mileage is twice the 3.7 l gas
tows the TRILL like it isn't even there...lovin' it!



Moderator's edit: This topic actually began as "Show Us Your Rigs" but was pulled out to give it more visibility and opportunity for responses.
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Old 11-13-2005, 11:20 AM   #2
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.....and you waited THIS long to share this l'il tidbit of info with the rest of us?? LOL!!!
I think people would really get a KICK out of hearing tales of your new "replacement" four legged friend".

Either you tell them or I will

We got tired out just WATCHING the dynamo doing its thing at "The Fort Meet"

(workin a design for the dash plaques and event t-shirts for our "5th" with Bunny this weekend, via the internet)
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Old 11-13-2005, 11:28 AM   #3
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The plaques and event T's "might" just end up having something like the appended pic as a back ground and also Craig said he'll look after the window information sheets for people to fill out upon their arrival and setup. I thought he mentioned something about them possibly being in color.
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Old 11-13-2005, 05:01 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally posted by Terrie and Steph@Nov 12 2005, 09:37 PM
well...after much thought and research...decided to update the tow vehicle. waited almost a year..here it is...2005 Liberty Diesel.
160hp, 300lbs torque and towing capacity beyond the gas engine = 5000lbs
mileage is twice the 3.7 l gas
tows the TRILL like it isn't even there...lovin' it!
The really big deal about diesels and towing is not just the torque number itself, but the rpm at which the torque is available -- In this case, the engine develops 295 ft-lbs at only 1,800 rpm, which is right down there in the usable range without having to shift down to some much lower gear to get torque at a screaming, fuel-sucking 5,000+ rpm.

BTW, for all you folks driving whatever, who have the power to "forget it's back there", don't forget that steering and stopping don't have much to do with engine power, so don't let excess power lull your engine into a scrap yard by way of the ditch
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Old 11-13-2005, 06:59 PM   #5
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Pete, LOL! I don't see where a 600hp engine is gonna do anything but get me down the highway....LOL
And as far as forgetting the toad is back there, I'm one of these drivers who continually eyes all available mirrors while on the road. (let the Trailer Goddess enjoy the scenery....)

When towing our Trillium all I see from my back window is a wall of white ....those add on side mirrors are sure a boon to me!!
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Old 11-14-2005, 03:24 PM   #6
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Now you have to get hip to biodiesel. Put your Jeep on a no-sulfur diet and that "new car smell" will be all the more enjoyable! Info available upon request...
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Old 11-14-2005, 05:36 PM   #7
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While we're thinking in a diesel mode...
The people at EarthRoamer build what they call "expedition" RVs, which are intended for extreme boondocking, for extended periods. While they're not trailers (they're molded composite Class C motorhomes), some of the same factors apply. They really don't like propane, and have standardized their units on a single fuel for both the drivetrain and the RV functions: diesel. It would be possible to have an all-diesel tug and trailer rig, with diesel instead of propane for space heating, water heating, and cooking, as described in their systems overview.

Maybe not a big benefit to the average trailer owner, but it's at least a possibility for diesel drivers; not so much for the gasoline fueled.

A recent discussion dealt with the possibility of a diesel generator for campsite use - these are available, although they are expensive and hard to find compared to gasoline units like the ubiquitous Honda EU2000i.
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Old 11-18-2005, 12:12 PM   #8
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I was looking at that earth roamer.Thats some vehical for real out of the way camping.
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Old 11-19-2005, 12:15 AM   #9
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There are bound to be lots of diesel appliances out there because of the marine world, altho every diesel generator I have seen was $$$. The diesel solar panels don't cost any more than the conventional ones
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Old 11-19-2005, 07:46 AM   #10
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HUH? Convert my trailer appliances to diesel? Why?

Actually most boats use a variety of fuels: diesel for the engine and furnace, and typically alcohol or cng for stoves. Refrigeration is typically standard electric compressor freon, and they run the engine or use a wind generator for the electric. I haven't lived in the boat world now since 1997 and I haven't followed any new trends so there may be new stuff out there too. My 24' Neptune was a heavy trailer-sailer and I had an alcohol stove, 10hp gasoline outboard, and an icebox. The electric came from the single deep-cycle RV battery.

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Old 11-19-2005, 01:42 PM   #11
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HUH? Convert my trailer appliances to diesel? Why?
...
As I said, it's certainly not a big advantage, but the idea is to not have the whole trip stopped by running out of one fuel. The rig with a diesel truck, gasoline generator, and trailer with propane appliances grinds to a halt when the little can of gas runs out. The EarthRoamer people mostly just don't like propane.

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Actually most boats use a variety of fuels... typically alcohol or cng for stoves.
...
I can see using alcohol for a stove, for the same reason it is used in the little burners under fondue pots, and part of the reason why any gas (propane or natural gas) is used in homes and RVs: it burns cleanly. That's a good thing when the exhaust goes into your living space. I can't see wanting to buy alcohol (which I assume is methanol) as well as other fuels, since I'm guessing that compared to propane or kerosene it's relatively expensive and harder to find.

The CNG is a bit surprising: we are talking about compressed natural gas, right? It seems like a large tank would be needed to be useful (although if it is only used for the stove it might be okay), and I have no idea where to get it - there are only a handful of vehicle fuelling stations for CNG in a typical Canadian city, and if the tank is fixed on the vessel a boat would need the gas compressor to be at the dock. I seems like there's lots of interesting stuff to learn about the boating world.

There was talk of people running their cars on CNG, filling slowly overnight with a small electrically-driven compressor in their own garage, but it never really caught on.

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Refrigeration is typically standard electric compressor freon, and they run the engine or use a wind generator for the electric.
...
I suppose the trailer equivalent is the tow vehicle or portable generator as a backup to wind or solar - for the people who go out in desert areas (typically to ride dirt bikes and quads) both solar and wind would be good power sources, as they often are on the water. I don't see a windmill producing much in the places I want to camp with my trailer, under the trees.

Quote:
The diesel solar panels don't cost any more than the conventional ones...
But what about the digital solar panels?
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Old 11-19-2005, 01:51 PM   #12
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Actually, Brian, the issue on board a boat is fire. An alcohol fire can be extinguished with water. CNG isn't as explosive as LP. Diesel is preferred over gasoline because it's flash point is WAY higher.

Converting to diesel appliances, even in a diesel-fired RV only makes sense if diesel is the most plentiful fuel available for the rig, and you have no where to store other types of fuel but the main fuel tank.

Being a SERIOUS back country affectionado in my younger days, it seems to me that using your drive-engine's fuel for cooking and heating when you're in the middle of nowhere and no place to refuel is, well, foolish. You can run out of LP in the middle of nowhere and survive with heat and cooking by making campfires. You run out of fuel for your main expedition vehicle, and it's a long walk to a gas station!

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Old 11-19-2005, 02:29 PM   #13
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Actually, Brian, the issue on board a boat is fire. An alcohol fire can be extinguished with water.
I understand the fire concern, although my friend who was burned in a Sprint car racing accident involving a methanol fire may be less impressed by the safety of that particular fuel than boaters; it's good to be able to use water, it's annoying that the flame is hard to see. It is primarily the fire hazard that makes the EarthRoamer people not like propane.

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CNG isn't as explosive as LP.
I would not characterize natural gas as less explosive than anything in general, but one difference between boats and trailers is that while a trailer can be vented downwards, and propane pooling near floor level will run out an open door, down is a dead end in a boat. Since propane vapour is denser than air, and thus settles in the lower parts of the boat, natural gas (which is mostly methane) rises, and is more likely to escape. The occasional house which blows up due to a gas leak shows that there's no lack of explosive potential, if it is allowed to accumulate.

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Diesel is preferred over gasoline because it's flash point is WAY higher.
I agree that this is a significant difference; perhaps not important for vehicles, but something to consider for portable use which involves pouring between tanks.

Quote:
Being a SERIOUS back country affectionado in my younger days, it seems to me that using your drive-engine's fuel for cooking and heating when you're in the middle of nowhere and no place to refuel is, well, foolish. You can run out of LP in the middle of nowhere and survive with heat and cooking by making campfires. You run out of fuel for your main expedition vehicle, and it's a long walk to a gas station!
I suppose if one uses fuel from the vehicle tank without monitoring its level, one deserves what one gets. If I were to go this, I would use a diesel tank on the trailer, which would be available for emergency use by the tow vehicle. In a motorhome (one vehicle and thus potentially one tank), I assume that a reserve tank would be prudent.
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Old 11-21-2005, 01:12 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally posted by Roger H@Nov 19 2005, 11:51 AM
Being a SERIOUS back country affectionado in my younger days, it seems to me that using your drive-engine's fuel for cooking and heating when you're in the middle of nowhere and no place to refuel is, well, foolish. You can run out of LP in the middle of nowhere and survive with heat and cooking by making campfires. You run out of fuel for your main expedition vehicle, and it's a long walk to a gas station!
I know that the RV's with built-in generators that take fuel from the main tank have their pickups separate and set higher so the generator will run dry long before the tank is empty.
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Old 11-21-2005, 08:04 AM   #15
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This issue isn't running the tank dry; it's merely that you're using "go-juice" for purposes other than "going". I've been in some pretty desolate places where, even with the extra fuel I had in jerry-cans, I ended up coming pretty close to walking out... an option that didn't particularly thrill me. In a moho that's a freeway warrior, it's not a big deal... there's always fuel around the corner. When you're in the back country, every drop of fuel you save is a drop you may need to get back.

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