VW Beetle

[honda03842]

I saw a VW Beetle towing a Trillium over hilly coastal route 1 today.

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[Jon Vermilye]

Originally Posted by honda03842

I saw a VW Beetle towing a Trillium over hilly coastal route 1 today.

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I met one in New England last month - it was a diesel...

[Sheryl M]

Diesel VW's have great torque. I have no doubt my 2001 TDI Beetle could have easily pulled our 13' Scamp.

[EllPea in CA]

DH (former Porsche/VW dealer) says this works until the VW gets hot, and then it commits suicide. This must have been a shady, east coast route 1?

[redbarron55]

This is probably a "new" beetle with the water cooled engine.
The TDI version has great torque.
I pull my 16' Scamp with my 2009 and 2013 Sportwagen TDI with no problem.
The old air cooled VW might have a problem.


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[honda03842]

It was one of the newer versions, I don't know if it was a TDI. It was yellow and cute.

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[FRED SMAILES]

We pulled our boler with a 1984 VW Rabbit turbo diesel 1.6L.
Couldn't use 5th gear and slow up hills but no heating problems.
Performed well al things considered.
Fred

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by FRED SMAILES

We pulled our boler with a 1984 VW Rabbit turbo diesel 1.6L.

Couldn't use 5th gear and slow up hills but no heating problems.

Performed well al things considered.

Fred

Could be wrong, but my recollection is those early VW diesels were not turbocharged. I drive a friend's once. Acceleration, as you would expect from a small displacement, naturally aspirated diesel, was glacial.

That's why the VW TDI was such a big deal and its recent implosion, disappointing.

[Joe Romas]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

Could be wrong, but my recollection is those early VW diesels were not turbocharged. I drive a friend's once. Acceleration, as you would expect from a small displacement, naturally aspirated diesel, was glacial.

That's why the VW TDI was such a big deal and its recent implosion, disappointing.

Turbo D was an option I believe starting in 1985.

TDI's besides variable vane (VNT) turbos are direct injected, 1.9 and 2.0L displacement and computer controlled.

I've owned two tdi's, a 1996 Passat Wagon and an 1999.5 Jetta and about 8 or so other 1.6L diesels including a 1992 ECO diesel that also had a turbo starting with my first new car, a 1978 Rabbit 4 door.

I saw a father and son with matching 17' Casita's. The father was towing with a Camery V6 and the son with a Passat 4 door sedan TDI.
They had hitches and receivers installed and setup by
Can-RV in Canada
Towing Expertise | Introduction - Can-Am RV Centre

A 17' Casita SD has a tongue weight of 400# or more. Check out Aan Am's videos.

Joe

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by Joe Romas

Turbo D was an option I believe starting in 1985...

Made me look, and I stand corrected. The turbocharger was added earlier than I remembered, 1982, if this article is correct.

The one I drove was pre-1982.

[Darwin Maring]

I passed a camper being pulled by a WWII VW Kubelvagen in Greece going up hill over a mountain while driving my VW 1974 Thing. We honked at each other as the Thing was the modern version of the Kubelvagen.

[Joe Romas]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

Made me look, and I stand corrected. The turbocharger was added earlier than I remembered, 1982, if this article is correct.

The one I drove was pre-1982.

My 1978 1.5L Rabbit was a real dog with it's whopping 48 HP

I spotted at least one mistake on that link. The original Golf, Rabbit in the US, had 48 HP and not 50 like the article Says.
Also the first TDI appeared in the US in the 1996 Passat, I had one, the article says 1991.
What was available in the US in 1991 was the Echo diesel that was in the US for 1991 and 92. It had a low pressure turbo to provide more air for a cleaner burn and a intake that swirled the air for better combustion but was still an indirect injected. It was 54 HP, I owned one of those too.

The indirect injected 1600cc TD's HP was in the 60's. Never owned one of those.

[FRED SMAILES]

The Rabbit got the turbo in 84, i owned 2 of them.
53 miles per imperial gal. Cruised all day at 70 mph
Great cars, simple to work on, fun to drive cheap to fix.
Our first one had almost 600k on it when the rust won and sold the second
one about 4 years ago with about 325k.still running and looking great.
Fred
Took me a while to find it, the second pic is 2005 Bolerama in Maple Creek Sk.
It's a little tough there, tumbled it into the ditch in the winter near Edmonton Ab. the winter before rolled it back on it's wheels and drove away after the tow truck dragged us out of the ditch,,,

[Joe Romas]

So that was made in Westmoreland PA in the US.

that year held up pretty good rustwise in the US. The German made ones were rust buckets.

I would like to have one of the "Cabby" pickup trucks in a TD but they are pretty bad now or way too much $$'s.

[FRED SMAILES]

Yes it had made in USA on lots of the parts, sort of like Toyota today,,,

[Johnny M]

I am on the lookout for a 1971 VW beetle to match up to our 71 Boler, thought they would look good together but I have never driven one. Anybody here ever drive an early 70's bug?

[FRED SMAILES]

We had several the closest to a 71 was a 72 Super beetle they have a Mcpherson strut front suspension.
We brought our new born son home from the hospital in it, now 43
I would suggest finding a standard Beetle that has the torsion arm front suspension, more popular therefore better parts availability.
Dont know what their towing ability would be though.
Fred

[Joe Romas]

Ever seen the VW 5th wheel?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpwH9WeVEfU

And yes forget the Super Beetle. I drove a 1972 for about 4 years but they were very critical if the tires were not balanced perfectly.

Joe