Also, most all tow vehicles in Europe/UK are diesels, better able to tow.
What makes a small diesel engine better able to tow than a comparable size gasoline engine?
Diesels have more torque at lower rpms that an equal size gas engine, typically.
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a diesel has more low end torque
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You can compare the specs on a lot of VW gas and diesel engines here. You can see the torque is higher, at lower rpms, for diesel than gas engines of the same size:
Volkswagen Audi 1.2 TSI/TFSI EA111 Engine Specs, Problems, Reliability, oil, Polo Mk5, Golf Mk6 (motorreviewer.com)
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That impala also had a real frame, a decent sized V8, and weighed close to what a 1/2 ton truck did lol. It probably towed better than my GMC truck with a 4.8 liter would! The rear suspension might need some help, though.
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Another: gas engines typically run rich under a heavy load toward full throttle; reducing fuel efficiency.
Diesels always run lean (âcoal rollersâ excepted!).
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Agree with the glamping never could figure out why people want to take every thing with them when they go on vacation.
There were some very large campers 60 years ago also. Air-Stream made at least a 15â trailer.
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Not to continue this but that was not my experience with my diesel Olds. I remember the first trip with it pulling the camper and hit the hills around Chattanooga, I was down to around 45 mph. 2nd gear was too low and high gear was too high. Flat to the floor and no response. Gas would have been no problem. Of course that was 1981 and maybe times have changed but question a little 4 cyl diesel having much pulling power.
That diesel Olds didnât have a turbo, so very low power. Times have definitely changed, youâd be amazed at what a modern 2.0 L turbo diesel can do. Theyâre putting 3.0 L diesels in full size pickups.
The VW 2.0 TDI diesel puts out 140 hp and 236 ft-lbs of torque
The Olds 350 (5.7 L) diesel put out 105 hp and 205 ft-lbs of torque
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Turbo charged engines have greater low end torque, whether they are gasoline or diesel fueled. From that link the 2.0 L TSI EA113 engine (gasoline) has up to 258 lb/ft of torque;
Power, hp
170-272 hp (125-200 kW)/4,300-6,000
Torque, lb ft
199-258 lb-ft (270-350Nm)/1,700-5,000
The 2.0 L TDI EA188 engine has up to 258 lb-ft of torque;
Power, hp
140-170/4000-4200
Torque, lb ft
236-258/1750-2500
The same torque but the gasoline engine has a wider operating range and greater horse power.
Those high values on the gas engines are for the high-output performance engines, like the one they put in the Golf R. The âregularâ gas engines (the ones youâd get in most tow vehicles) have lower torque values, at higher rpms, than the same sized diesel.
The high output gas engine has peak torque at 5000 rpm, a lot higher than the diesel (2500 rpm max).
I donât think your Olds diesel was turbocharged. That makes all the difference. A diesel with no turbo feels (and is) pretty gutless.
I see Texases beat me to it.
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True, Luci and Desi had a rather large trailer. Airstream made some trailers smaller than the Scotty(?) Shasta(?) I posted.
Airstreams used aircraft type construction, light and aerodynamic.
Yeah of course it wasnât turbo charged. Just sayinâ the 3.8 gas with no turbo was a heck of a lot more powerful than the 5.7 diesel with no turbo. Of course now to get as much as they can out of very very small 4 or even 3 cylinder engines, they have to put turbos on them. Like said though a car diesel without a turbo is a different animal than a tractor with a turbo, so saying one is better for towing because it has low end torque, was not my experience.
I looked up the specs for that Olds diesel, and I donât doubt you. The gas 350âs (5.7) of the late 80âs put out about 100 more hp and 100 more lb/ft of torque. Man, that thing was a boat anchor lol. Maybe thatâs the reason you pretty much canât find a non turbocharged diesel that was manufactured in the last couple of decades (in the US, anyway).
Heh heh. 480,000 miles dragging a boat anchor. Had itâs impact on me.