14k mile '06 Diesel KJ + 4500lbs in tow = 22mpg :-)

[Pete M]

Oh yeah! :D I was so stunned I just had to share.
Borrowed a friend's Libby to tow my MJ to Illinois and back, about a 20 hour round trip. Got way better mileage than if I had just driven the MJ. :D And boy does that engine have some guts! Just push down on the fun-pedal and it takes off like it was nothing. :D
Now, flat-towing a heavier (and longer wheelbase) vehicle did make for some "attentive" driving, but never did it feel like it could have gotten out of control. The "ESP" stability software actually worked pretty well. To make things as safe as possible, I mounted my little junkyard tires onto the MJ and loaded 4 of the swampers into the KJ and threw the other 2 on top. Then I stuffed all the heavy tools/parts into the KJ and all of the light camping stuff into the MJ. Threw the KJ's 242 into AWD and away we went. I was the slow-poke on the freeways of course. I don't think we exceeded 65 at any time and usually did 55 or so (55 being the speedlimit in most the places for vehicles towing something).
I had some photo difficulties and this was the only one of the KJ to survive. Here you see my cousin starting the long process of swapping the little tires back on at the end of the day. A co2 tank and impact gun make the work almost easy.
--Pete

[CHVYPWR]

22mpg, damn thats killer!! My Canyon gets about 13-14 when towing another vehicle! I'm thinking about getting a diesle Libby when I get my van paid down.

[Haggar]

Too bad no one ever gets it with diesels..

They killed the diesel KJs for 07, due to emissions, even though they sold very well.

Think of it if there were engines like that in the Colorado / Ranger / Dakota.. we've been cheated for years..

Thanks for the info, nice to see those numbers!

[Bones]

there has been a diesel in the Ranger is South America for years, just not up here... too bad too.

[Haggar]

Originally Posted by Bones

there has been a diesel in the Ranger is South America for years, just not up here... too bad too.

Think about the fleet sales alone. All the places like NAPA, Terminex, etc, that use 4 cyl little trucks for running deliveries, parts, etc..

Give those guys 30mpg, with good torque and long service life, they'd have bought them.

[Kane]

Originally Posted by Bones

there has been a diesel in the Ranger is South America for years, just not up here... too bad too.

LOTS of cars and trucks with diesels in other countries that we can't get here.

[busyfixin]

why there hasnt been mid-sized trucks with diesels (in the U.S.A.) for the last 20 yrs will always amaze me. although you could get a ranger and s-10 in the early 80's with one. i will always wonder why suv's havent been available as well. i dont know if its stupidity, pure ignorance, or emissions that have cause this lack of available vehicles, but i hope its the emmisions, which i doubt.

[Haggar]

It has to do, primarily, with the failure of GMs horrible diesel car programs of the late 70s and early 80s.

The public perception was so badly skewed that no-one wants to produce one. The small/lack of market, then drives piece price up, which keeps demand low. Vicious cycle.

VW diesels aren't that expensive, compared with the Gas vehicles with the same options. Honda is also committed to launching a US diesel car by 2009. There will be a flurry of diesels in the next 5 years, but yeah, the Big 3 were gun shy after GMs screw up.


Similar thing with Anti-Lock brakes. The public perception was very bad for years and years, and is still bad in many peoples minds. Why? Because GM put shitty systems on all of their cars, which worked terrible. Modern state-of-the-art ABS systems work EXTREMELY good, but most people still haven't washed out the GM taint from their mouths.

F'ing GM..

[mschaffer66]

Originally Posted by Haggar

It has to do, primarily, with the failure of GMs horrible diesel car programs of the late 70s and early 80s.

The public perception was so badly skewed that no-one wants to produce one. The small/lack of market, then drives piece price up, which keeps demand low. Vicious cycle.

VW diesels aren't that expensive, compared with the Gas vehicles with the same options. Honda is also committed to launching a US diesel car by 2009. There will be a flurry of diesels in the next 5 years, but yeah, the Big 3 were gun shy after GMs screw up.


Similar thing with Anti-Lock brakes. The public perception was very bad for years and years, and is still bad in many peoples minds. Why? Because GM put shitty systems on all of their cars, which worked terrible. Modern state-of-the-art ABS systems work EXTREMELY good, but most people still haven't washed out the GM taint from their mouths.

F'ing GM..

Not often do I agree with you...but thats dead on right there. Its funny when people see something like a diesel Passat and can't believe that it doesn't sound like a diesel.

[Haggar]

When I worked on small car platform in 00-01, we were working on diesel PT cruiser development for europe. Those were awesome to drive. Mercedes 2.2 turbodiesel, 150hp, 240 ft-lbs of torque. Awesome citiy cars with the low end torque.

I also got to drive a C220 turbodiesel in Frankfurt last year, same motor. Thing was awesome, and you'd never know it was a diesel.

[84Scrambler]

Originally Posted by mschaffer66

Not often do I agree with you...but thats dead on right there. Its funny when people see something like a diesel Passat and can't believe that it doesn't sound like a diesel.

People comment about that with my third gen Ram as well. They are used to the smoke belching loud rattling diesels. Kinda like the current Fords diesels.